I live in Texas and it's hot, to say the least. In the hopes of reducing our energy use and cost, my husband and father-in-law embarked on a three phase installation project to provide our home with better insulation.
I documented Phase 1, installing the radiant barrier on Apartment Therapy and now, wanted to share the results of the GreenFiber installation (Phase 2) with our green community!
As a former Southern California resident, it's been really difficult getting used to the large electric bill living in 100 degree climate and cooling the house to about 74. Many options available to other people (fans, small AC units, open windows) are just not an option when it's this hot. Additional insulation and pumping the AC are our only options. That's why I was so happy to learn about the GreenFiber insulation. Here are a few of the benefits that I was excited about:
• It's eco-friendly: formadelhyde free and made from 85% recycled material.
• It does not contain fiber glass.
• It can be installed DIY style and is low cost at $10.75/bag (each bag covers approx. 40 sq. feet).
I'm happy to report that while the radiant barrier helped with our cooling system, the installation of about six to eight inches of this GreenFiber insulation has significantly changed the temperature of our home and has cut down on the time that our air conditioner is running. It will take a few months to see the final results on our electric bills. If you are planning on doing an installation similar to what we've done here are a few additional tips that you should know:
• Keep your receipts! You may be eligible for an energy tax credit.
• It's a messy job so don't forget to wear a mask.
• You will need an SUV to transport the blow-in machine (which you can rent from Home Depot) to install the insulation.
Good luck keeping cool!
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Cooling the house to 74 degrees? That seems really low.
To try to stay as green as we can, we heat to 65 degrees in the winter and cool to 80 degrees in the summer. I expect that there will be a variation in indoor throughout the year.
It's great to hear from a Texan on AT. True, all the posts saying to open windows to cool off a house just won't cut it here. If you do that, you may get heat exhaustion and everything would melt. I think 74 seems about right. 80 degrees here somehow feels like 90. Plus, I'm sure a few degrees won't be much more greener. :)
Great article. We're wondering about blowing into the walls of our old house — apparently you drill holes in the top of the exterior walls for this.
And yes, Austin is so humid that even 80 feels too hot. We've settled on 78.
I keep the thermostat at 80 from around 8pm to 11am and I live just north of Dallas. This only works on relatively dry days. My AC is old and there's no insulation here. When we had that cold snap last February my bill soared to $300! I grin and bear the extra indoor heat with the help of LOTS of fans and light cotton clothing. If I had an efficient AC and insulation I'd be setting that thermostat for 74 without a blink.
Now, if only I can convince my cheapskate landlord to install this insulation. One can dream...
LovieDovie- We're in an old rental house in Denton and have the same issue with the insulation and wood floors on pier and beam. I think ALL the cool air escapes through the cracks. We usually keep the AC kinda off while we're at work all day, then crank it up around dinner!