Weatherization
One proven way to fight the rising cost of home heating is to make your home more efficient by adding insulation and sealing air leaks. If installed correctly, higher levels of insulation will slow heat loss from your home and reduce the amount of heating and cooling you need to remain comfortable.
How much insulation you add will depend on the cost of the fuel you use to heat your home. From an economic standpoint, the less you pay for heating fuel, the less insulation it makes sense to install. That is why homes that were built in the 1960s and 1970s have so little insulation in them — the cost of fuel didn’t justify much of an investment in insulation. As the costs of heating increase, so does the economic justification for adding more insulation.
The Washington state energy code sets minimum levels of insulation for newly constructed homes and remodeled existing homes. The insulation requirements in the code are based on the cost-effective savings for the region over the life of the home from a specific level of insulation.
Currently, all new homes are required to have R-38 insulation in the ceiling (15 to 18 inches of blown insulation) and R-30 insulation in the floor (a 10-inch batt of insulation) over unconditioned space. Depending on the amount of insulation already installed in your attic and the floor over the basement, your home’s construction may preclude installing this amount of insulation.
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