In Jackson EMC’s latest Ty Talks installment, television star and home energy expert Ty Pennington discusses insulation and ideas for properly insulating your home to maintain its “thermal envelope.”

In order for a home’s energy-efficient technologies to make their greatest impact, the home’s thermal envelope has to be optimized to properly and effectively shield it from the outdoor elements. This envelope is comprised of a variety of factors in the home that include the walls, doors, windows, vents, weather stripping, caulking, the roof and insulation.

An effective envelope all but guarantees that you can achieve the desired temperature in your home, no matter the season, by keeping the air-conditioned air inside the home, preventing heat from escaping in the winter and coming in during the summer.

“Properly insulating your home is the first step to ensure that the technology you are using can be maximized to its full potential,” said Pennington. “Installing insulation is one of the most environmentally-friendly things a homeowner can do.”

Pennington goes on to explain a Harvard study that determined nearly 65 percent of homes in the United States are poorly insulated; proper insulation can cut up to 30 percent of heating and cooling costs! It is true that most heat transfer occurs in the attic, but when it comes to insulation, how do you know when you need more?

“If you can easily see floor joists, meaning the insulation up there is below or just level to the floor joists, then you should definitely add more,” explains Pennington. “Typically you want to see between 12- and 14-inches of insulation evenly throughout your attic.”

Some factors to consider when adding new insulation:

• The R-value
  • The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation is
  • Ratings may vary by brand, but the Department of Energy provides recommendations for the preferred R-value for the area
    • Georgia’s suggested R-value for attic insulation is between R-30 to R-60
• Type of Insulation
  • Batt or Roll
  • Blown
  • Spray Foam

According to Pennington, energy-efficient living in your home is about doing more while consuming less, and insulating your home is a great starting point!

Schedule a Home Energy Evaluation with Jackson EMC today to find out how you can be saving money. Call 770-822-3211 or click here to learn more.