Attic insulation:

[Billy J. Clark]

When you have attic insulation (mineral wool) about 4 inches do you suggest adding more. I understand there should be more for better energy efficiency, but where I am having a problem is do I let the buyer know so he can add more at a later date or should I recommend it as a repair for the seller.

[Jeffrey S. Campbell]

inform the buyer of the deficiency and they are to decide whether to ask for seller to fix or they fix on their own later.

i just state the facts... it is up to them to negotiate if they so choose.

[Barry Adair]

Energy efficiency upgrade: The (_") of (type) attic insulation that is present does not meet the current energy efficiency requirements. We advise consulting a qualified insulation contractor for cost estimates to upgrade this to current standards.

This would be upon the purchaser to initiate and cover the cost of and would be 86ed by most agents or sellers around here.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by badair

Energy efficiency upgrade: The (_") of (type) attic insulation that is present does not meet the current energy efficiency requirements. We advise consulting a qualified insulation contractor for cost estimates to upgrade this to current standards.

Don't forget to include some info/links to comprehensive airsealing to be done before more insulatiion is installed. Most homeowners and insulators do not know or do much about this significant heat loss from homes.....up to 40% in a poorly sealed home. This will usually be the last "easy" opportunity to complete this necessary procedure.

More insulation will slow the air loss to the attic down but not stop it, leading to a positive feedback process beginning........the added insulation reduces heat loss to the attic so it becomes colder and more prone to condensation which........the remaining air leakage from the house containing water vapour still supplies. The colder it gets outdoors (and in the attic), the stronger the stack or chimney effect in a house becomes causing more house air leakage to the attic thus more condensation.

Here's a little fact I learned from a Phd phyicist (Charlie Wing- founder of the Cornerstone Shool of Building and see *) while becoming a certified energy auditor in Brunswick, Maine in 1981:

On a cold still night of -20F or so, the total air pressure on the main floor ceiling of a bungalow of 1000 sq ft from the warm air trying to rise is approximately 600 lbs.......on a psi basis, that's only 0.0042 psi, not very much, but there are 144,000 square inches of ceiling!!!!



*Charlie Wing, Smart HomeOwner's technical editor, is the author of 16 home improvement books. Wing graduated from Bowdoin College, where he later taught physics, and holds a doctorate from MIT in physical oceanography. He wrote and hosted a 13-part PBS series called "Housewarming with Charlie Wing" and co-founded the Shelter Institute in Bath, Maine, the nation's first school to teach potential homeowners how to build their own shelters. He lives on a lake in New Limerick, Maine.

Just found something else by Charlie Wing...quite a guy!!



Detailed Descriptionby Charlie Wing
Profusely illustrated with drawings, tables, and diagrams, 312 pages, 7 1/2"x 9 1/2", hardcover. Second Edition.

A user friendly, roll-up-your-sleeves manual for onboard electrical projects from fixing loose connections to rewiring the boat. Simple, clear, and abundantly illustrated, here is the key to understanding and customizing your boat's DC and AC systems. Charlie Wing, a former Bowdoin College physics professor, is author of nine books on home maintenance and remodeling. He enhanced his reputation for demystifying complex topics as host of Housewarming with Charlie Wing, a guide to home weatherization shown on 320 Public Broadcasting System stations. He is founder of two house-building schools, the Shelter Institute and Cornerstone. A fulltime liveaboard since 1988, Wing, his wife, Judy, and their five cats winter in the Carribean and summer in Maine.


NICE!!!