Helpful tips for installing

insulation in your home

-(NC}—-How can { reduce my heating
| and cooling bills? How can I reduce the
: Noise level between some of the rooms
vinmy house? These are just two of the
: questions asked by do-it-yourselfers whe
i Want lo Maximize energy efficiency and

-Tenjay the camforis of their: home’ all
: year round, The folks at Owens Corning
: Canada have some helpful tips for you
« when it comes to installing insulation in
any part af your home.

Determining your needs
: To determine. the amount of
- insulation needed, calculate the square
; footage (length x width) of your attic
» floor or walls you wish to insulate, and
, consult your building material -retailer
‘ or insulation package instructions for
+ More information. re
:” After determining the materials
vhecessary for the areas you, wish’ to
 insulate—attic or walls—selecting the
« proper insulation is the next step. Select
the insulation by referring to its R-value

' (or metric RSI number).

, oo R-value is a measure of insulating
' power. Insulation materials have liny

1, pockets of trapped air which. resist’ the ‘

‘ transfer of heat through -the ‘material,
: The. ability. of: insulation to slow the
, trarisfer'of heat is measured in R-
« values-—the larger number representing
» Greater resistance to heat loss/gain.

~ Recommended R-Value “RSI

R
Ceilings/Attics 7.0 -40
Cathedral ceilings 6.1 35
Exterior walls 3.5 °° 20
Basement walls more
than 50% above ground = 33.55 20
Basemert.walls more
than 50% below ground = 2.1 12
Floors over.
unheated spaces 49. 28 |
No basement:
heated crawl space 2.1 12
No basement:
concrete slahon ground = 2.1 12
No basement: heated slab 2.6 15

Insulation, specially designed to best
meet the requirements of the area which
you are. working, is available at mast
hardware or building stores. If you are
not sure-of the type of insulation your
project requires, ask a salesperson for
additional information. :

’..” As wellas being an energy conserver,
insulation is an effective sound barrier.
Insulating: floors and walls between
rooms can help make domestic life
quieter and more pleasant.

Getting started!
To start any do-it-yourself insulation
project, you will need:

* asharp knife
straight edge
portable work light

tape measure”

ee 2

attic) ! . .

* aladder and a pole or rake (to push
blankets into out of reach places)
For comfort and safety, you will want

to wear a disposable respirator, long-

Ort aaa range

plywood sheets (to kneelon in'an..«,

sleeved shirt, work gloves and safety
glasses.

Keep an eye on your tools and place
them in a tool box—things easily get
misplaced in an attic full of insulation.

Before you begin your project, read

the directions carcfully;:.:As cach. job-.
varies, so do the tools and methods of

installation. -
Be aware of-all safety pre-cautions,
butespecially; <<
» Do not use an open flame near
polyethylene. vapour retarders,
* Only step or kneel on firm supports
while working in the attic. ,
* Do not over extend while working
on aladder.. ©:

Installation!

The vapour retarder should be placed
on the interior (or warm) side of walls,
ceilings or flooring, If there is no
insulation in the attic, place the vapour
fetarder on the attic floor.

When working in the attic, work
from the outer edge of the attic toward
the center. It's easier to do whatever
cutting and fitting is necessary al the
center of the attic where there is more
head room. .

Be sure to lay temporary Mooring
across the joists to kneel on. while
working in the attic and hang’a portable
work light to keep both hands [ree to
manipulate the insulation and keep the
layers consistent. :

For trussed attics and cpen altics
where cavity. between joists is not
completely filled, measure the centres
distance between wood joists. ‘This
measurement will help you choose the
correct width the project requires. For
open attics with cavity between joists
completely filled, you can use either
width, ; a ;

For the best results, your insulation
should be as continuous as possible, with

‘no gaps or thin spots that might allow
- -heat ta escape.

Extend insulation far enough out to
cover (he exterior walls. The insulation
should not block the flow of air from
any eave vents. Air flow will prevent
moisture from building up in the attic.
Do not cover the vents with insulation.

The hatchway into an‘ attic is a
common source of heal loss. Be sure
to insulate the board itself by
fastening insulation onto it with
adhesive, being- careful to creale.a
snug fit around the hatchway opening
or frame, If you have a pull-down
stairway, fay batts on and around a
built up framework over the opening.
Foam gaskets around the hatch will
also be required.

Do not let ceiling exhaust vents from
the kitchen or bathroom blow moist air
into the attic. Vent them outside.
flee encounter wiring, split the

ulation.to- fit underneath and on top

of ‘the Wirasi,, Butt seach ‘section of

insulation tightly up against the adjacent
séctidn ‘for'a complete thermal barrier.
Use a straight edge to guide your cut.
Cut insulation to fit around electrical
boxes and seal the vapour retarder
penetration. One suggestion is to caulk

ihe vapour to a pre-fabricated plastic
pan surrounding the outlet.

Keep ‘insulation three inches away
from. metal ‘chimneys, flues, recessed.
lighting: fixtures or any- other heal-
producing electrical equipment that may
come in contact with the insulation. A
special shield should be bought to hold
the insulation away. The clearance is

necessary to permit free circulation of -

air and prevent overheating of the fixture
and its wiring, :

If you encounter plumbing in exterior
walls, be sure to slip the insulation

behind the pipes to guard against -

freezing.
~ Insulation can be wrapped around
ductwork and held in place with duct
tape to-help prevent heat loss...

Asa general rule, simply cut or tear
pieces of insulation to fit in or around

problem areas so that the overall

thickness, or R-value, is maintained,

Pack insulation into small spaces
around windows and doors to prevent
heat loss. Fiberglass insulation will not
stop drafts,

If the vapour retarder gets torn or
punctured, be sure to patch it with duct
or builder's: tape before applying the
finish, - Do not allow. the retarder to be
exposed. -Cover it with gypsum board
or other: building code-approved
material.

Clean-up!
Be sure to pick up all small pieces
of insulation that may have fallen
from the attic-or the area in which

you were working. Vacuum these areas _

thoroughly,

When you are finished, wash or

shower. with: soup.and.Juke warm ,
water to remove the dust before using |

“hol water, Blurider yout vork clothes

separately. 9. 2° en Went
Remember. ‘it’s never. téo late for
you to fix any insulation inadequacies
that may exist in your home.
Relax! Now you'll be comfartable
in your home all year round.

Your Deco’sr

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(NC)}—Where do I start—the ceiling or
the walls? What should J use a roller or
brush? These are just two of the many
questions you may ask yourself before
you start painting your home,

I's generally agood idea to paint a”
room in the following order: ceiling,
walls, doors, windows, - radiators and
baseboards. fo a

For the best results, always take the
lime to read the label instructions
carefully. Paint product improvements
and new developments. are constantly
being introduced, so the way ‘you
applied paint yesterday may ‘not be ©
right for the product. you buy today.
Make you sure prepare the area properly
as this will havea major effect on how
Jong the job will-last;as well as how
good it looks. .Remove ‘all furniture,
pictures, plants and loose items to
create a safe and neat work area and
then cover it with drop sheets, And,
make sure you wear proper clothing
including ‘a-hat; gloves and protective
eye wear,

“It is important to ensure that steps
and ladders ‘are properly positioned.
Ladders should be a foot out for every
four feet high. Never try to overteach—
that’s when accidents happen. Paint
in good daylight to avoid any missed
patches. When painting, try to complete
a whole area (wall, door, etc.) at ance,
or you will leave marks owing to
different drying times, +

- Rollers are ideal for painting large
areas and brushes get right into corners
or edges. For the best results always,
use good quality brushes and rollers
since it directly effects the quality of
the finished job and the ease with which
the paint is controlled and applied.

When using a brush, dip up to one-
third of the bristles in the paint to load
the brush. The brush should be held like
a pen, leaving a free wrist to move in
both directions. When painting with
Jatex products use a synthetic brush;
when painting with alkyd: products use
a bristle brush.

Like brushes, there are several types
of rollers to suit different paint jobs, A
roller will: cover walls and ceilings
quickly and evenly. Pour a moderate
quantity of paints into a clean roller
tray, To load the roller, roll it back-
wards and forwards in the paint tray,
pushing it up to the top of the slope to
remove excess paint-in only. one
direction. The roller should rotate freely

_ With criss-cross strokes to the surface,

will cause “splatter”, Blend the edges of
the next application while the paint is

vandinot skid over. the surface., Apply,

‘ensuring’ a smooth start and finish 10.
each stroke: Hurried roller movements: «

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 17, 1997 - B7

Rollers and brushes—
what’s the difference?

still wet, ofa bard edge will show.

When cleaning, latex paint can be
cleaned from hands and tools with water
and alkyd paint can-be cleaned from
hands and tools with paint thinner. Whea
finished, use 4 brush spinner to dry your
brushes and rallers,. _

Used properly, brushes and rollers
will create a surface which will look
great, For answers (o any questions about
painting, including what types of rollers
and brushes to use, ask your local’ paint
dealer,

The winter tune-up

(NC}—Before the next heating season,
your home heating system should,
ideally, be in tip-top condition, ready to
charge into action. Since a big part of
all your energy costs come from
heating, it makes sense to keep your
furnace running as efficiently as
possible, To ensure this, have it tuned
up regularly by qualified personnel.

In addition, here’s what you can do
on your own to Save energy:
* Lower your thermostat to 17°C at
night or when no one is home
(a programmable thermostat is
helpful here).

REN

HELPING TOU SAVE
ENERGY AND MONEY

[RENOVATING WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY |

«Tf you have a forced-air system,
change or clean your air filter once
a month,

* Keep healing registers clean and
free from obstructions.

* Close the registers in rooms that
are rarely used.

» Make sure your furnace chimney
is clean and free of debris.

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