Brrr! Yet another Montana fall and winter coming up. (If you’re a visitor and don’t believe me, check out our average annual temps!) While most of us are probably thinking of hunting, ice fishing, skiing or even just working as usual, something to keep in mind is keeping warm when you get home. No problem–you’re getting firewood, aren’t you?
Well, there’s a little more to it than that; not all of us have wood stoves, and those who do would like to keep our firewood needs as low as possible. I, for one, don’t want to spend all night stoking the stove or else wake up freezing in the morning, nor do I want to burn 10 cords of wood if I can keep from it. Firewood is a ton of work if you do it yourself and it can be over $150-$200 a cord, depending where you are, if you have someone else do it for you. Other types of heating aren’t cheap either: see the Montana Department of Environmental Health’s energy cost charts and you can see what I mean.
So how do we save on our wood or other heating bills? Insulation. As Houzz puts it, “When it comes to insulation, more is more. The more insulation you’ve got, the more efficient your house will be — not just in winter but all year….there’s no such thing as too much insulation.” But keep your choices smart; “That being said, there is such a thing as too much money! And insulation can be costly.” But “Insulation has one of the fastest payback times of all investments in your home; if you can afford the upfront costs, it always makes sense to add more insulation.” After all, you burn firewood, but insulation lasts as long as the house.
One thing to keep in mind: insulation often requires special equipment, experience and safety considerations, so the actual installation is best left to pros. Still, if you are a homeowner, you can decide what insulation is best for you or discuss it with your contractor.
Types of Insulation
So how do you evaluate your current insulation or choose the best for a remodel or a new home? Let’s begin:
Spray foam insulation
Pros:
- Blocks airflow; other insulations do not
- Much higher R-value than most other insulations: up to twice that of fiberglass batts
- Works similar to spray foam cans like Dow Great Stuff™
- See our Froth-Pak line for more info
- Yep, we carry it, just like everything else on this page
Cons:
- Higher cost: 2-3 times as expensive as fiberglass
Fiberglass Batt Insulation
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Widely available
- Can be installed by a DiYer….though like most insulation installation it’s best left to pros
- See our Johns-Manville line for more info
Cons:
- Not as air-tight or high R-value as spray foam
Other Batt Insulation
Pros:
- Some made of renewable materials such as recycled denim jeans
- Roxul rock wool batts are made from a natural mineral byproduct of volcanic activity. Don’t worry, rock wool is not heavy or rough like stone. It is more dense than fiberglass and is often used for soundproofing. (All insulation will add some sound reduction.)
Cons:
- Not as air-tight or high R-value as spray foam
Rigid Foam Board
Pros:
- Many of the advantages of spray foam in a more user-friendly form: just score with a razor blade and snap, and many come with tongues and grooves to mate boards together. Still, it’s a good idea to have the pros install it.
- Great for jobs such as insulating under concrete slabs or on the outside of a foundation
- Can be used on the outside of a building (right under the siding) to cut thermal bridging of heat through the wood wall studs, since most other insulation is installed between the studs.
- More info at our Dow section
Cons:
- Not as air-tight or high R-value as spray foam
Blow-in insulation
Pros:
- Great for attics
- Great for remodels (you don’t have to take the whole wall apart to insulate an old uninsulated home)
- Many kinds made of ecofriendly cellulose: recycled newsprint treated with an additive to make it fire resistant
- See our Johns-Manville line for more info
- You can rent a blow-in insulation machine at a number a number of our stores; contact your local WBC store for more information
Cons:
- Make sure recessed lights are rated to touch the insulation and that no knob and tube wiring is present
- Again, not as air-tight or high R-value as spray foam
Pick up any of these types of insulation at your local WBC!
Sealing
Whatever you decide on, there are some things you can definitely do now: replace your windows and doors with more efficient ones–or fix your current ones by sealing them better. Then plug all holes in your siding and framing made by electrical and plumbing lines with something like Dow’s Great Stuff™ (similar to the spray-in foam mentioned above).
You can put on weatherstripping and caulk around your windows, doors and siding. You can then add things like heavier window curtains, glass doorway curtains, cellular shades, doorway snakes, window film, and storm windows. Some of these solutions might end up just as good as installing a brand new efficient window! Find out more on our Energy Efficiency page.
If you’re looking for a deal on a new window or door, check out our clearances page.
Read more insulation tips on Houzz:
- Insulation Basics: Heat, R-Value and the Building Envelope
- Easy Green: 9 Low-Cost Ways to Insulate Windows and Doors
- Cool Your House (and Costs) With the Right Insulation
Get all your insulation needs at your local WBC.