Construction Resources and Support

[Guest]

I live in a home, over 50 years old, in the American Southwest, which rests on a raised-wood foundation. This house only has insulation in the attic but none in the walls. The fiberglass insulation is very old and I am considering replacing it with something better. Even with the mild weather I notice the house may be getting colder and warmer than it should. The windows are fairly new and are double-paned; I've also installed ceiling fans to keep things more comfortable. However, a recent switch from carpeting to hardwood floors has made the house colder. Just wondering if blown cellulose insulation blown (into the walls) -- is it worth it?

[RgrNew]

Consider the following before (or in addition to) insulating the walls:

1) Insulate the floor. Depending on the wall-area-to-floor-area ratio, this may lead to roughly the same reduction in heat loss at a lower cost (especially if you can do it yourself). Use rigid foam; cut to width and "wedged" between floor joists. Good R-value if you use the polyisocyanurate types; far superior to "Styrofoam".

2) Blow cellulose insulation over the existing fiberglass in the attic. This will add R value, and it will overcome some of the air circulation that occurs in fiberglass. Cellulose is also vermin and fire retardant and very low embodied energy (energy used in it's manufacture) compared to anything else. It's environmentally friendly, and a great noise suppressor.

3) Investigate, then eliminate air leaks. This can be a major chunk of your heat loss. Get a blower door test.