Northeast Pennsylvania is known for its cold winters, as the average lows tend to dip around 21 degrees in January. Residents with older homes and poor insulation may be used to dealing with skyrocketing electric bills and walking around their homes bundled up, but solutions are available.
Fortunately, you don’t need to upgrade your furnace or HVAC system to achieve significant energy savings and greater comfort. By making a plan to insulate your home for the winter, you can lower your energy bills and live more comfortably.
This guide will help homeowners in the area by providing ways to insulate their homes for the winter, including DIY and professional tips to help achieve the most savings.
Benefits of Proper Home Insulation for Cold Winters
According to the Department of Energy, installing new insulation in your attic, basement, and rim joists and air sealing your home could save homeowners an average of 20% on their bills. However, the benefits of insulation extend beyond financial benefits to quality of life, including:
- Lower Energy Bills: Proper insulation reduces the strain on your heating system and allows more warm air to stay inside your home, thus lowering your energy costs.
- Increased Comfort: Cold drafts can be noticeable in the winter with little to no insulation. Fortunately, insulation can create a balanced environment that allows heat to remain inside rooms and prevents drafts from leaking in.
- Eco-Friendly Living: Less energy spent to heat your home also means less greenhouse gases.
- Enhanced Home Value: A well-insulated home is more attractive to potential buyers, especially if you are planning to sell in the spring.
- Access to Rebates and Tax Credits: New insulation that meets IECC standards may qualify for a federal tax credit of $1200 for that calendar year and can be renewed every following year.
11 Tips to Insulate Your Home for NEPA’s Winters
With these benefits in mind, let’s discuss some ways to achieve maximum savings and comfort in your home by insulating it for the winter. Some of these tips include both DIY and professional insulation installation.
1. Insulate Your Attic
For most older homes in Northeast Pennsylvania, the attic is the best place to begin any insulating project, as it will offer the highest savings. According to one estimate, 25% of heat loss in a home occurs through the attic. Insulating an attic will place less stress on your HVAC system and help keep more heat in and less cold air out.
Attics are also the first place we recommend insulating as they are typically the easiest to install unless the attic is finished. Work with a professional to insulate your attic as you will have to contend with issues, such as ventilation, that are important for the integrity of your home.
2. Choose a High-Efficiency Insulating Material
The biggest factor influencing how much you will save on energy bills and increase home comfort depends on the type of insulation material you choose. There are several types to choose from, including spray foam, fiberglass batts, blown-in fiberglass, and cellulose.
Choosing the best type depends on its R-value. This value tells us how efficient a material is at blocking thermal heat transfer. R-value is determined by the material’s natural thermal efficiency, as well as how much you install.
Closed-cell spray foam offers the highest r-value, nearly doubling fiberglass, and can be installed by a professional in your attic, basement, or walls. However, you will be able to get away with using more budget-friendly materials in areas like rim joists and floors that don’t require as strong of insulation. Read our guide for more information about the r-value of different types of insulation to see which is right for you.
3. Insulate Your Basement and Crawl Space
On the other half of your house is the basement, which is responsible for up to a quarter of total heat loss as well. Heat loss can occur from poorly insulated foundations, walls, and rim joists that sit between the basement cavity and the first floor and allow heat to escape. It’s also important to note that the basement area is where cold air tends to get sucked in, making it more difficult to heat.
You can start by insulating your basement’s walls and crawl space with spray foam or fiberglass batts. Install rigid foam board in rim joists above the sealing and seal the outside of these boards with store-bought spray foam. This can be done DIY, though you will achieve better results working with a qualified contractor.
4. Get Your Home Air Sealed
No amount of insulation you install in your attic will make a difference without proper air sealing. This process ensures that all air leakages are blocked so that heat has nowhere to escape.
Air sealing your home should be done by a professional who can detect air leaks and use a strong spray foam mixture to seal them properly.
5. Install Weatherstripping Around Windows
Installing weatherstripping around windows and door sweeps under doors is one cheap and easy way to block out cold air. If you have the money, adding a second glaze to your windows or installing higher efficiency windows will also help prevent heat loss, though weatherstripping will suffice.
6. Insulate Your Water Heater and Pipes
Pipes that come in from outside can be cold and require more strain on your HVAC system to keep warm. Adding a jacket to your hot water heater and insulation around pipes can keep them warm, thus reducing the risk of frozen pipes during those frigid winter days.
7. Seal Exterior Gaps and Cracks with Spray Foam
Beyond air sealing, homeowners can eliminate air pockets that form on the exterior of their home near their basement or first-floor story by sealing all gaps and cracks with a sealant. Use caulk for small cracks, including interior ones that may form around window sills that separate from the wall with time. Spray foam should be used for larger gaps, including around pipes entering your home that may not be insulated.
8. Insulate Your Attic Stairway
One thing that many people overlook as a significant source of heat loss may be your attic steps. If you have pull-down stairs, you can install an insulated cover that will protect the stairs and prevent any heat loss. In addition, you can install weatherstripping around the stair cutout to prevent additional heat loss.
9. Improve Feng Shui with Curtains and Rugs
An old Victorian or Tudor home with hardwood floors may be all the rage, but those bare floss can be porous and invite heat to escape from lower levels in your home. If you don’t have the budget to insulate those floors, you can settle with placing carpet or rugs over top that will block heat.
Likewise, you can purchase thermal curtains for the winter that will help prevent heat transfer through your windows.
10. Seal Your Chimney
If your chimney has an open flue when it is not in use, warm air can escape through it. Installing a draft stopper can be great if you don’t plan to use your fireplace often, or you can get it permanently sealed if your chimney is out of commission.
11. Insulate Walls
Finally, if you have the budget and are looking for more ways to reduce your energy costs and improve comfort between rooms, then consider insulating your walls. Insulating interior walls can lower heating costs and also provide a sound buffer.
There are many types of insulation designed for walls, including blown-in fiberglass and cellulose. We recommend working with a professional, especially if you have existing drywall you need to get behind.
In a climate of economic uncertainty surrounding your energy bills, anything that can save you money should be explored. Make a plan this year to insulate your home for winter to lower energy bills, increase your home’s comfort, and raise its value. For professional home insulation in Northeast Pennsylvania, contact the experts at NEPA EnergySmart for your free quote.
FAQs
How can I tell if my home needs more insulation?
Signs include:
- Uneven heat distribution
- High energy bills
- Cold drafts
- Ice dams forming on your roof
An energy audit can help identify problem areas and determine the best course of action.
How often should insulation be replaced?
Insulation can last 20-30 years, but factors like water damage or pest infestations may require earlier replacement.
Can I insulate my home myself?
You can insulate some areas, such as rim joists and attic floors, by yourself. However, most areas, like attics and walls, may require professional expertise, especially for spray foam or blown-in insulation.
