Expert: Daniel Humphrey - 4/24/2010

Question
hi..i have a friend who lives in ohio. she bought a house that does not have a basement or attic. i have advised her to get insulation blown into the walls in the house that face the outside, and also into each wall in the house to at least help with the heating bills in the winter. first, was i accurate in giving this advice? second, since there is no attic in the house, do you have any other suggestions on what can be done to insulate the house? thank you!!

Answer
James,

Yes you were right on with the advice to insulate, and blow-in insulation can be very effective. It would be good to do the same for the floor also.

For the interior walls, insulation can help when you want to block off rooms for the night (or any extended period). This is effective when the house has either a centrally located heat source or individual thermostats in each room.

If the house does not have attic space, then it must have cathedral ceilings. An inspection could verify whether that ceiling is insulated and whether it has a necessary air space from eve to ridge. One of the best ways to insulate a cathedral ceiling is by adding rigid foam insulation onto the roof deck, providing an air space above that, and then roofing over the top. By adding new insulation and a new air gap on top, the ceiling itself can then be filled completely with blown-in cellulose.

Almost as important as insulation is sealing the air leaks.

Most states have a home weatherization assistance program, funded in part by the federal government, that will reimburse homeowners for part or all of the weatherization costs. It begins with an inspection and energy audit of the house, which will cover these topics you brought up.

Ohio has such a program:

http://www.development.ohio.gov/Community/ocs/hwap.htm

Hope your friend can get that all in place this summer!

Daniel