Stay Warm from the Ground Up: The Basics of Basement Insulation

By Charles Furlough

RISMEDIA, February 23, 2011—If heat is escaping your home, this is the time of year when you’ll feel it—in most areas of the country anyway—not just physically, but in your wallet. Too many people spend way more than they should on heating a home due to heat escape. Your first instinct, if you’re spinning your wheels trying to heat your home, is that the culprits are things you see every day, from picture windows in the living room to your bathroom skylight. And those very well might be part of the problem. But you may not know that a huge potential source of heat loss is the basement. In fact, basements can account for over one-third of a home’s heat loss.

A major reason for this is incorrect insulation in basements. There are many types of insulation and the best choice for your basement is based on the area where you live and the age of your home: fiberglass, mineral wool blanketing, loose fill (cellulose, fiberglass or vermiculite) and spray foam. One of the most effective types, however, is rigid board insulation (typically either fiberglass boards or foam polystyrene boards). This type is typically the most expensive and tough to fit into irregular spaces, but many find the initial cost and effort well worth it in energy savings.

Even if the basement walls are well insulated, there’s another consideration: the foundation. Older foundations (like rubble, stone and brick) often suffer from moisture problems and should generally be insulated from the outside. Concrete foundations can be insulated from either the inside or outside if they’re structurally sound. Preserved-wood foundations generally must be fully insulated.

Crawl spaces should generally be insulated, as well, but must follow proper ventilation codes and guidelines (1 to 500, vent area to floor area) and the floor must be covered with a polyethylene moisture barrier.

You might be reading this feeling slightly helpless, thinking: How do I know if I’ve got a 1 to 500 ratio and how do I know what kind of insulation, if any, my foundation has? If you’ve recently moved and got a thorough, well-documented home inspection at closing—or if you’re in a new home and can contact the builder—you might already have records of this information. But in the absence of such records—or if you’re in an older home and feel that time and age has lowered your quality of insulation—call in a certified home inspector. Insulation quality isn’t something that you can check yourself, if you’re untrained; especially in older homes, to do so can be dangerous. A certified, professional home inspector can check your insulation and let you know where it’s lacking and how it can be improved or made more energy-efficient.

In addition to efficiency in energy use, safety is a concern too: When upgrading existing insulation to improve efficiency, it’s essential to follow local codes and laws. That’s where a local, certified professional home inspector can help as he or she will know what your area’s laws are. For instance, in many areas it’s necessary to place a fire-resistant gypsum board layer over existing insulation to reduce the emission of harmful gases in the event of a fire. In many cases, a home inspection reveals safety lapses, like the lack of such a safety measure. The result: suggested fixes that make your home not only warmer, but safer too.

Charles Furlough is vice president of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspections.

For more information, visit www.pillartopost.com.

Copyright© 2011 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Systems and Real Estate News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished without permission from RISMedia.

When It Pays to Do It Yourself

By:Oliver Marks

Published: March 8, 2011

Doing home improvement jobs yourself can be a smart way to save money, but choose the right DIY projects or you’ll end up paying dearly.

Why pay someone to do something you can do yourself? Because sometimes doing it yourself costs more than it saves.

More than 100,000 people injure themselves each year doing home improvement jobs. So add medical bills to your DYI budget, and you ending up spending the same, or more, than if you hired a pro.

We’re not suggesting that you call a plumber each time you need to plunge a toilet. But think twice about what DYI might really cost you. Here’s how to decide.

Stick to routine maintenance for savings and safety
Seasonal home maintenance is ideal work for the weekend warrior because you can tackle these jobs when your schedule permits. Because these are routine maintenance projects, your savings will add up. Mowing your own lawn, for example, saves $55 to $65 a week for a half-acre lawn. The bigger the lot, the bigger the savings: with two acres, you’ll pocket around $150 per week.

When it pays:

• Snow removal

• Pruning shrubs

• Washing windows (be careful on that ladder)

• Sealing decks

• Painting fences

• Fertilizing lawns

• Replacing air conditioner filters

• Cleaning gutters

When it costs:

Unless you have skill and experience on your side, stay off any ladder taller than six feet; according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, emergency rooms are filled with people with ladder injuries. The same goes for operating power saws or attempting any major electrical work—it’s simply too risky if you don’t have the experience.


Become your own general contractor
If you’re more comfortable operating an iPhone than a circular saw, you could act as your own general contractor on some home improvement projects. That means you hire, schedule, and pay the carpenters, plumbers, and other tradesmen yourself. You’ll save 10% to 20% of the job cost, which is the contractor’s typical fee.

When it pays:

If it’s a small job that requires only two or three subcontractors, and you have good relationships with top-quality professionals in those fields, consider DIY contracting.

When it costs:

When you don’t have an established network of reliable workers, time to supervise, construction experience to spot problems, and the skill to negotiate disputes between subcontractors, your project and budget are at risk.


Invest sweat equity on big jobs
Contribute your own labor to big jobs being handled by a professional crew and cut hundreds, even thousands, off construction costs. For instance, tear out kitchen cabinets and appliances before the contractor gets started, and you might knock $800 off the cost of your remodel. Make sure you negotiate cost savings with your contractor before pitching in.

When it pays:

Jobs that are labor-intensive but require relatively little skill make perfect sweat equity jobs. Perform minor interior demolition, such as pulling up old flooring, daily job site cleanup, product assembly, and simple landscaping.

When it costs:

If you get in the crew’s way, you may slow them down far more than you help. Make your contributions when the workers aren’t around; mornings before they arrive, or nights and weekends after they’ve left.


Add finishing touches
Unlike the early phases of a construction job—which require skilled labor to frame walls, install plumbing pipes, and run wires—many finishing touches are comparatively simple and DIY-friendly. If you paint a basement remodel yourself, for instance, you can save up to $1,800.

When it pays:

If you have skill, patience, or an experienced friend to teach you, setting tile, laying flooring, painting walls, and installing trim are good DIY jobs.

When it costs:

The downside to attempting your own finish work is that the results are very visible. Hammer dents in woodwork, or sander ruts in hardwood floors will annoy you every time you see them. So unless you have a sure eye and a steady hand, don’t perform the tasks that only a skilled tradesperson will get right.

A former carpenter and newspaper reporter, Oliver Marks has been writing about home improvements for 16 years. He’s currently restoring his second fixer-upper with a mix of big hired projects and small do-it-himself jobs.

Homeowners Insurance: Winter Prep to Keep Costs Down

RISMEDIA, November 20, 2010--Fall is the perfect time for homeowners to ensure their house is prepared for winter weather. A home should be winterized so it will be able to sustain damage severe weather may bring. Additionally, if a house is winterized and damages do occur, the homeowners insurance policy will cover the house against the weather damage. HomeownersInsurance.net offers advice so people can prepare for winter weather and help avoid potential costly issues.

Homeowners must first inspect their house thoroughly so that possible issues can be avoided. The most important interior areas are the furnace and fireplace. HVAC professionals can inspect the furnace and clean out the ducts. Furnace filters should be replaced on a monthly basis to keep ducts clean. Any flammable materials around the furnace should be removed.

If there is a hot-water radiator, the valves need to be opened slightly to bleed. When water is seen, they can be closed. If propane is used in the home, the tank will need to be filled. These should all be inspected to be sure they are working properly.

If there is a fireplace in the house, the screen or cap on the top of the chimney should be secure to keep out any birds, squirrels or rodents. The chimney should be cleaned by a professional occasionally because buildup of soot can cause fires. The damper should open and close properly and the mortar between the bricks should not be cracked. Any cracks should be fixed so heat does not seep into areas it should not be, creating a fire hazard.

The next step in preparing for winter for safety and insurance purposes is to examine the exterior. Damage may not be evident immediately during winter months, and may only be noticed with the first spring rain. The doors and windows should be checked for cracks, and then fixed. If the homeowner has a basement, shields can be placed over the window wells for protection from snow melt. Any worn shingles or roof tiles should be replaced so melted snow does not seep into weak areas. Gutters and downspouts should also be unclogged and leaf guards should be installed. Debris should then be cleared from the foundation to look for further cracks to repair.