who knows anything about home insulation

[loriandmatt]

this is one of those pesky home projects that i just have never gotten around to....and want to try and get off my master "to do" list this fall.

so...that pink fuzzy cotton candy looking roll insulation...

• how much of that should one have in their attic?
• is there a point where more isn't really doing you any better? (saving you any more heat/cooling - $)
• does what i have up there ever go bad and need replacing?
• does the cost of the material itself really merit the energy ( and $ on my bill) savings?

 

[brerrabbit]

The only time it really goes bad is if it gets wet. As far as energy savings it does help. Living where you do I am sure it's more of a winters savings. Where I live it's more of a summer savings because it gets so hot. The most benificial thing we can do here is to put a radiant barrier on our roofs. It's a paint that is inpregnated with metal, I think aluminum and sprayed on the underside ofthe roof in the attic. Truly you can get up to 20% reductions in you electric bill and it pays for itself relatively quickly.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

How much depends on your climate. Check out a site like this that has charts that show recommended amounts by insulation. Too much won't hurt, but it will cost you more money that you'll save in lower heating and cooling costs.

Fiberglass batts should last forever (or a really long time). Blown in insulation is usually cheaper, but it can get trampled and packed down more easily. On the other hand, it seals better. I'd stay away from the stuff made of newspaper.