Bad Plan

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Moderator Post (s) for this thread: > Conditioned attic by Billhart on 01/31/2007

Your friend has a bad plan.

First, contrary to popular belief, adding more attic insulation is not always the most effective way to increase a home's energy efficiency.

One can often get the most bang for the buck and greater energy efficiency by increasing the U-factors of windows or by simply sealing the structure from air infiltration.

Your friend's plan is cetainly one possible solution, but it the last one I would consider.

Here's a helpful online tool.

Go to http://www.energycodes.gov and click the link for RESCheck.

REScheck will allow you to 'play' with insulation levels in ceilings, walls and floors and U-factors in windows and doors to come up with alternative methods to achieve a target energey efficient home.

Have your freind play with the number by increasing insulation thicknesses vs. increased wall and floor R values and decreased U values for windows and doors, and you will see that increasing the ceiling insulation does not necessarily provide the best approach to increasing energy efficiency.