The basement is usually the coldest place in the house. If you spend a lot of time there it is important that you check for any drafts, whether it be the windows, the walls or any vents such as for the furnace or dryer.
If the walls are cold, you can cut energy costs by adding 2 inch styro-foam panels to them. This could be fairly costly as you would have to refinish all the outside facing walls. If the windows are cold and/or drafty, click hereto find helpful ways to insulate them.
If you don’t spend a lot of time there, then it is not as important to insulate the basement. As you know, heat rises and the thermostat is usually on the next floor up, so the upper floor will be comfortable. You will not use any more energy to heat the upper floors so long as you don’t mind having a cold basement.
Cut energy costs by making sure your attic is properly insulated and vented. Because heat rises, the attic is the first place that you should check to make sure that it’s adequately insulated. There should be at least 12 inches ( preferably 15 inches ) of insulation in the attic.
Insulation is given an R value to indicate how good it is. For every 1 inch of insulation there is an R value of 3. Therefore 15 inches of insulation is R 45. That is the minimum you should have to keep the heat from escaping. The temperature in the attic should be about the same as the temperature outside.
A properly vented attic will decrease the possibility of condensation moisture to collect on the rafters or on the inside of the roof. One or more whirlybirds and a few vents should do the trick. Blown insulation is widely used as attic insulation for several reasons. A professional home insulation contractor can quickly blow in one continuous blanket at the proper depth to achieve the recommended R45 insulation for attics. Many contractors offer pricing that includes the insulation itself and installation: usually less than the retail price homeowners would have to pay for the insulation alone. In addition, a properly installed continuous blanket of blown insulation does a better job at at stopping air leaks and subsequent heat loss.
Blanket or batt insulation meticulously installed will be better than a continuous blanket of blown insulation. However, any flaws or errors during installation will decrease the performance. If you have a trap door in the ceiling to get into the attic, make sure it also is properly insulated. Build a cardboard box 15 inches high around the inside edge of the door and fill it with insulation. Make sure there is a good seal where the door meets the ceiling.
