Q–I live in a Cape Cod-style house in the southern suburbs. Due to the angled ceilings (I believe they are called dormered ceilings) and walls on our second floor, insulation is minimal.
Our gas bill ranges from $150 to $200 a month, and it’s always too cold or too hot upstairs.
Can you make any suggestions on how to insulate walls and ceilings of this style so we can save money on our gas bill? Do you know of anyone who can blow insulation into this style of house?
A–There are several steps you can take to help better control the comfort level on your second floor, and we’ll list them here with the help of John Katrakis, who runs an energy and environmental consulting and management firm in Barrington.
A quick note, however: Because your second-floor space isn’t “buffered” by a full attic, you’ll never get it to an ideal situation temperature-wise. “I have my office in my attic, and while it’s nice and comfortable in the winter, it’s hard to cool in the summertime,” says Katrakis.
The first step you want to take is to call in at least a couple of insulation contractors to evaluate your situation. Ask neighbors for referrals.
Because of the tight cavity between the actual exterior of your home (whether the roof or dormer walls) and the inside walls, those contractors are probably going to suggest adding loose-fill insulation.
Loose-fill insulation is clumps of insulation “blown” into the wall or ceiling cavities.
Material-wise, you’ll find cellulose (made from waste paper such as used newspaper), fiberglass and rock wool.
Ten to 12 inches of loose-fill insulation in an attic floor will provide an R-value of 38, the recommendation for the Chicago area (and about the same sort of insulation value you would get from rolls of batt or blanket insulation).
Loose fill will get you an R-value of R-13 to 15 for a 2-by-4 wall cavity.
Because loose-fill insulation has a tighter, more compact fill in the walls, it does a better job of sealing the home than blanket or batt insulation does.
However, loose-fill insulation is going to cost you more, mostly because of labor costs.
“While loose-fill insulation is a bit more expensive to install than batt insulation, it will pay for itself eventually, especially if there is no or very little insulation now,” says Katrakis.
The contractor may even recommend loose fill for any attic crawlspace you have over the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. “Unless you use that space for storage, again, blown-in insulation will do a better job than batt insulation,” says Katrakis.
Make sure you get bids from each contractor.
Here’s another step you can take: Check to see if your heating and cooling system is properly balanced.
If you have a forced-air system, start by fully opening all of the vents upstairs and partially closing some of the vents downstairs.
“Changing the air flow on the system can make a big difference,” says Katrakis.
Of course, while you can test out how much better balancing the system now keeps the upstairs cool, you’ll have to wait until fall to see how much warmer it is.
Finally, make sure the upstairs is energy efficient in general.
In the winter, check to see if storm windows are functioning properly. Also, the windows should be well sealed with caulk.
In the summer, make sure each window has a screen. And set up a couple of fans to help bolster the cool air produced by the air conditioner.
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