Since up to 70% of the energy used in the home goes for heating and cooling, it’s important to be sure you have enough insulation. A simple test is to look in your attic. If you can see the top of the ceiling joists, then you need more insulation. Insulation comes in rolls you can install yourself, or it can be blown into the attic. For more information go to InsulateYourAttic.com.

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If you’re fortunate enough to live in the Sunbelt or some other balmy region, chances are you’ve never heard of—or at least experienced—ice dams. I, on the other hand, live in New England, so every winter ice dams are as common—and as welcoming—as frostbite and sub-zero temperatures. That’s because ice dams can be destructive, problematic, and virtually impossible to remove once fully formed.

Ironically ice dams are often responsible for one of the most beautiful and iconoclastic of all winter images: glistening, crystal-clear icicles hanging from gutters and eaves. Heck, even I marvel at the delicate beauty of icicles, but only when they’re hanging off someone else’s house.

Here’s a brief explanation of how ice dams typically form: It all starts with a roof blanketed in snow. The snow layer that is sitting directly on the roof begins to melt, and water runs down the roof underneath the snow. When the water hits the overhanging eave of the house, it begins to freeze. Some water often drains into the gutter, where it freezes as well.

As the snow continues to melt and water freezes at the eave, ice eventually builds up along the roof forming a thick ridge or dam. Then, as water runs down the roof, it’s blocked by the ice dam, and forced up under the shingles. I know this seems to defy all laws of physics (and commonsense), but water will actually flow up the roof, working its way under the shingles. And that’s where the trouble really begins, since roofs are designed to shed water running down the shingles, not up.

Over time the water will work its way beneath the shingles and the underlayment, and into the seams between the plywood roof sheathing. From there, water drips directly into the attic, where it soaks through the insulation and ceiling, before dripping into the room below. If not detected immediately, the damage can be very difficult and expensive to repair, especially if it ends up ruining the floor, walls, or furnishings.

Now, the above explanation is a rather simplified version of how ice dams form, the science behind this phenomenon is much more complicated, but if you go back to the very beginning, you’ll find a clue to solving this problem. The entire process starts when snow sitting on the roof begins to melt. That’s key because ideally you want the interior attic temperature to be as close as possible to the outside air temperature. That’s why there’s only insulation on the attic floor, not between the roof rafters.

However, if the attic floor isn’t properly insulated or if heated air is leaking through the ceiling, via cracks, crevices, ductwork and light fixtures, then the attic will become warm. And it doesn’t take very much heat to raise the attic temperature enough to melt the snow on the roof. Since the overhanging eave extends past the house, it remains cold, which is why the water freezes when it hits the eave.

So, what can you do to prevent ice dams on your home? Try these ideas:

1. Seal Air Leaks: Use caulk, insulation and weatherstripping to seal all upstairs ceilings to stop heat from flowing into the attic.
2. Add Insulation: Measure the depth of the insulation on the attic floor, and add more, if necessary. Call the local building inspector or licensed contractor to find out how much insulation is required in your area.
3. Attic Ventilation: Check to be sure that the attic ventilation system is operating properly. Most homes have soffit vents and ridge or gable-end vents, which allow air to flow into the attic along the eaves and out the attic at the ridgeline or gable walls. Be certain the attic-floor insulation isn’t blocking the soffit vents. And never staple plastic or anything else over attic vents. Remember, you want attic temperature to be as close as possible to the outside air temperature.

If your home already has ice dams, there’s not too much you can do about them. Avoid installing electric cables or any other device to melt the ice, as they won’t solve the problem. You can try using a snow rake to remove as much snow as possible from the roof. That’ll at least remove the source of water. Just be sure to work safely from the ground, since it’s never a good idea to climb onto a snow-covered roof.

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Insulating the space between the joists in a basement or crawlspace can help reduce your energy bills. Here’s how to go about it:

• Cut the insulation to length using a square and sharp utility knife.
• In older homes, where the spacing of the floor joists varies, you may need to cut the insulation to width as well.
• Install the insulation with the vapor barrier facing up toward the heated living area of the house. If both floors of the house are heated, use unfaced insulation.
• Don’t compress the insulation when installing it, but allow it to expand to fill the cavity.
• Hold the insulation in place using support wires beneath it. Cut to length if needed using wire cutters.

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A simple test for finding air leaks in your home is to pass a butane lighter slowly around the edges of doors and windows. If the flame bends or flickers, it indicates that an air leak is present, and you should repair or replace the weather stripping. Be sure to keep the flame away from curtains or other flammable materials.

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An energy audit of your home is a worthwhile investment, since it finds the sources of energy loss so you can correct the problem. Consumer versions of tools like infrared digital thermometers and thermal imaging cameras are now available to allow you to conduct your own energy audit, or you can hire a service to do it for you.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

No doubt you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Out of sight, out of mind.” And, while it’s true you may not be able to see the places around your home where energy loss is happening, it’s a fair bet when you get the monthly utility bill, it’s definitely on your mind. Luckily for us, technology has advanced to the point that allows us to see the invisible. An energy audit of your home is a worthwhile investment, because it pinpoints the sources of energy loss so you can correct the problem. And now, the tools the pros use are available to anyone. Tools like this can be used to detect leaks around doors and windows by measuring the surrounding temperature. It can also detect an overloaded circuit that could possibly cause a fire. You can even rent state-of-the-art thermal imaging cameras that can give you a “chilling” account of where your home’s envelope needs to be sealed. So take advantage of these tools to remove the cloak of invisibility and turn “out of mind” into peace of mind.

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Cellulose insulation can be a great way to keep your home warm while helping the environment. To reduce air infiltration, holes and cracks in the walls are filled with foam and then cellulose insulation is sprayed in the walls. The insulation is made from 85% recycled newspapers with an adhesive added to allow it to adhere to the wall cavity.

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Draftproofing your home reduces air infiltration which saves energy and lowers your heating and cooling bills. Steps include:

• Use a lit stick of incense to locate drafts in your home by watching where the smoke goes. This works particularly well on a windy day.
• Apply caulk and expanding foam to gaps and cracks around the perimeter of your house.
• Install foam gaskets around exterior plugs and switches
• Replace worn weather-stripping around doors and windows
• Check to see if the door sweep and threshold seal tightly at the bottom of the door.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

You’ve got to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run. Those are some pretty basic facts. And, when you want to make your home green, there are some pretty basic things that should be done first. It’s called draftproofing your home. That means using caulk and expanding foam to seal the gaps and cracks all around the perimeter of your house…using foam gaskets around exterior plugs and switches…installing weather-stripping around doors and windows…and making sure the door sweep and threshold seal tightly at the bottom of the door. You can locate most drafts by using a lit stick of incense and watching where the smoke goes. This works particularly well on a windy day. It may sound pretty elementary, but it’s important to take care of and the great thing is that draftproofing will be the fastest return on your investment, since it costs so little but makes a big difference.

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Nearly eighty million homes in the U.S. are under insulated, which can increase your energy bills up to 20%. The attic is the worst culprit, accounting for up to 40% of a home’s energy loss.

There are several options when it comes to insulation, but fiberglass is still the most cost effective solution. How much insulation your home needs depends on what part of the country you live in. If you go online to the Insulate and Save website, you’ll find a great how-to guide with all the information you need.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

If you’re going to be thinking green, you might as well get used to the idea that you need to think pink, too! Of course, I’m talking about your home’s insulation. Just making sure you have the right amount of insulation in your home can cut your energy bills up to 20%; and it’s important to check this out, too, because there are nearly eighty million homes in the U.S. that are under insulated. The easiest place to check is up in the attic. An attic that isn’t properly insulated can lose up to 40% of a home’s energy. There are several options when it comes to insulation, but fiberglass is still the most cost-effective solution. How much insulation your home needs really depends on what part of the country you live in. If you go online to InsulateAndSave .com, you’ll find a great how-to guide with all the information you need.

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With the rising cost of gas and electricity, finding ways to cut back on your energy consumption is more important than ever. To help you cope, we’re taking a look at four great ways to make your home more energy efficient that are also eligible for the Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit by upgrading your heating and cooling system, water heater, windows, and attic insulation.

Home Energy Audit

Blower door test.

One of the best ways to find out how to reduce the amount of energy you use is by having an energy audit conducted on your home. Your local utility provider will often conduct the audit at no cost, or you can hire a private company.

Tests conducted include installing a blower in an exterior door to create negative air pressure inside the house. A smoke pencil and infrared photography are then used to identify areas of air movement and infiltration. Similar tests on the heating and cooling system are used to detect air leaks in the ductwork, which on average account for a 25% to 40% loss in conditioned air in your home.

Once the tests have identified problem areas in walls, around windows and doors, in the attic, and in the heating and cooling system, steps are then taken to seal up any cracks or gaps to make the house tighter and more energy efficient.

Heating & Cooling

In addition to sealing up ductwork, consider replacing an older HVAC unit with a newer, more energy efficient model that has a higher Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER).

Danny discusses water heaters with actor and environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr.

Water Heaters

Heating water accounts for approximately 13% of the total energy usage in a home. Replacing an inefficient hot water heater with a new high efficiency model can save up to $300 a year on your utility bills. Energy efficient models include:

• Solar water heaters
• Heat pump water heaters
• Tankless water heaters
• High efficiency tank water heaters like the Vertex from A. O. Smith.

Windows Replacement

Up to 50% of the heating and cooling loss in older, existing homes is due to heat loss and gain through the glass in single pane windows and air infiltration in the weather stripping around the sash. While you can replace the entire window unit, JELD-WEN Windows and Doors also offers sash packs that retain the existing window frame while replacing just the sash and balance tracks on each side. The new sash have double pane glass with a low-E coating—to make them very energy efficient—set in a low maintenance, vinyl covered frame.

Insulation

Adding more insulation to your attic is one of the best and most economical ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home and reduce utility bills. A common, inexpensive solution is to install batts or blow in fiberglass or cellulose insulation on top of the existing insulation in your attic. Another option that is gaining in popularity, is to spray expanding foam insulation between the rafters and wall studs.

Spaying foam between the rafters prevents heat from entering your attic and allows your HVAC system to perform more efficiently. While more expensive than traditional insulation, foam has a higher insulation R-value and seal out air infiltration better than fiberglass or cellulose.

Other Tips from This Episode

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I recently added an additional layer of faced fiberglass insulation to my attic. Since then I noted you stipulated unfaced insulation for the attic if you already have a layer of insulation. What should I do? -Rod

Hi Rod,

As you’ve discovered, since you already had insulation in your attic, the layer of new insulation you added should have been unfaced to prevent moisture from becoming trapped between the layers. The good news is that the solution to your problem isn’t that difficult.

Simply peel the facing paper off the top layer of insulation. Though you might loose a little of the insulation that sticks to the paper, with most brands of insulation, the facing will peel off easily. While you will have spent a little more in both time and materials on the project than if you’d used unfaced insulation to begin with, the results will be about the same.

Good luck with your project,

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