To Insulate Or Not To Insulate
Like most areas of the country, our winter utility bills have skyrocketed this year--despite a very mild winter in our parts. The utility company says it's partially caused by Katrina's disruption of oil and natural gas refineries, but I'm sure there are other contributing factors. Regardless, our last utility bill was more than $300, compared to the normal winter bill of $170 or $250 in a very cold spell.
Though we have a home encompassing over 2,600 s.f., we are fortunate that our house is relatively well-insulated. We do have storm windows, or so they're called. They definitely could be upgraded, with enough money. I'm sure we need to do some caulking and weatherstripping, too. But our attic seems to have sufficient insulation, and we have a new water heater that has built-in insulation.
My mother's house, on the other hand, is a circa 1954 home of less than 700 s.f. Knowing that the utilities were going up this winter, I intended to do some upgrading to her insulation to help on her bills. She's on a fixed income and is the kind of person who will do dangerous and stupid things to save money--like use the gas oven to heat her living area or turn her thermostat down too low for someone of her age.
I recently went up in her attic to check out the depth of her insulation and was astounded to realize that there was absolutely none in there! All these years, I had thought there was something. You'd think as many times as I'd been in that attic growing up, I would've noticed the lack of insulation. But I was surprised at what I found this time. I guess back in 1954, utilities were so low that they didn't think they needed insulation?
No matter, I thought, I'd just have to put in more insulation than I thought. But on closer inspection, I saw all the electrical wires running across the rafters--right through the areas where I would be laying batts. I'm a worrier of the first order, so my next thought was, "I can't insulate this attic by myself because I'm afraid I'll do something to cause a fire!"
I researched insulation online, and everywhere I looked, the instructions said to be careful with electrical wires and pipes, etc. I can be careful, but what the heck do I do with them? After an exhaustive search, I gave up and decided it was not a DIY job for me, at least, unless I had someone with me who had more knowledge than I.
So I decided to check the price on getting a professional to put down insulation. Apparently, professional insulation companies only do blown insulation--which I do not want her to have. (I had enough of that in Katrina-soaked Mississippi.) It didn't matter anyway because no one was interested in the job. Too small. Too busy this season. Too bad.
Here's another one of those situations where the average Joe (or Joie) is screwed because he (she) isn't wealthy enough or doesn't have a big enough house for someone to give you a second glance. Only the multimillion dollar renovations grab the interest of most contractors. And the few that might be interested are so overwhelmed with customers that they can charge an arm and a leg just to do a simple job.
Those "handyman" companies are worthless, too, in my opinion. I've tried on several occasions to get a quote on something--either for my mother's house or mine--and never even had the courtesy of a call back. Yet they keep advertising in each week's paper to get your jobs that you don't have the time or expertise to do.
Is it any wonder that stores like Home Depot and Lowe's are doing a booming business with DIY-ers? I just wish those free clinics covered more topics. Sometimes, they're too concerned with "decorating" rather than repairs or home improvement. I guess it depends on what product they're trying to push in the sales department that month.
Am I cynical? You bet. But I'll have the last laugh because I'm determined to learn more of this stuff. And I'll keep more of my money in my pocket, to boot!
Though we have a home encompassing over 2,600 s.f., we are fortunate that our house is relatively well-insulated. We do have storm windows, or so they're called. They definitely could be upgraded, with enough money. I'm sure we need to do some caulking and weatherstripping, too. But our attic seems to have sufficient insulation, and we have a new water heater that has built-in insulation.
My mother's house, on the other hand, is a circa 1954 home of less than 700 s.f. Knowing that the utilities were going up this winter, I intended to do some upgrading to her insulation to help on her bills. She's on a fixed income and is the kind of person who will do dangerous and stupid things to save money--like use the gas oven to heat her living area or turn her thermostat down too low for someone of her age.
I recently went up in her attic to check out the depth of her insulation and was astounded to realize that there was absolutely none in there! All these years, I had thought there was something. You'd think as many times as I'd been in that attic growing up, I would've noticed the lack of insulation. But I was surprised at what I found this time. I guess back in 1954, utilities were so low that they didn't think they needed insulation?
No matter, I thought, I'd just have to put in more insulation than I thought. But on closer inspection, I saw all the electrical wires running across the rafters--right through the areas where I would be laying batts. I'm a worrier of the first order, so my next thought was, "I can't insulate this attic by myself because I'm afraid I'll do something to cause a fire!"
I researched insulation online, and everywhere I looked, the instructions said to be careful with electrical wires and pipes, etc. I can be careful, but what the heck do I do with them? After an exhaustive search, I gave up and decided it was not a DIY job for me, at least, unless I had someone with me who had more knowledge than I.
So I decided to check the price on getting a professional to put down insulation. Apparently, professional insulation companies only do blown insulation--which I do not want her to have. (I had enough of that in Katrina-soaked Mississippi.) It didn't matter anyway because no one was interested in the job. Too small. Too busy this season. Too bad.
Here's another one of those situations where the average Joe (or Joie) is screwed because he (she) isn't wealthy enough or doesn't have a big enough house for someone to give you a second glance. Only the multimillion dollar renovations grab the interest of most contractors. And the few that might be interested are so overwhelmed with customers that they can charge an arm and a leg just to do a simple job.
Those "handyman" companies are worthless, too, in my opinion. I've tried on several occasions to get a quote on something--either for my mother's house or mine--and never even had the courtesy of a call back. Yet they keep advertising in each week's paper to get your jobs that you don't have the time or expertise to do.
Is it any wonder that stores like Home Depot and Lowe's are doing a booming business with DIY-ers? I just wish those free clinics covered more topics. Sometimes, they're too concerned with "decorating" rather than repairs or home improvement. I guess it depends on what product they're trying to push in the sales department that month.
Am I cynical? You bet. But I'll have the last laugh because I'm determined to learn more of this stuff. And I'll keep more of my money in my pocket, to boot!
posted by Tif at 8:43 PM
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