Replies

1. 
   plantlust | Dec 06, 2003 01:18am | #1

   My house is cedar shingles too.  I found biggest heat loss was thru the attic/ceiling, so that part got fixed first. 

   The books that I purchased on weatherproofing and insulating a house mentions a rigid type insullation that's better than cellulose.  As far as I'm concerned, it would be easier to patch holes that are made in the interior plaster than to compromise the shingles.  And your shingles look a heck of a lot tighter/better than mine.

   Here I'm a bum, there I'm a genius.  Thank God the French exist.  Woody Allen

2. 
   JohnSprung | Dec 06, 2003 04:29am | #2

   What's your siding material?  Can you loosen up a board to gain access to a whole bunch of stud bays at once?

   -- J.S.

3. 
   ponytl | Dec 06, 2003 04:45am | #3

   as they say you can do anything if you are willing to pay for it...

   what you need to look at is the ROI  (return on investment) and the rate of return...

   i'd go with the attic/ceiling first  u should have easy access....  get it blow in... or buy the material from somewhere like HD  that will loan you the equipment to do it yourself...  it's not rocket science... worst case is that you use more material than a pro would... just take care not to fill ur soffits... 

   the second thing and the cheapest... is hunt down every air leak you can find... if you can get to the top plates in your attic before you blow the insulation... look for anywhere there is a hole...ie: around wires, pipes... ect...  have a can of expanding foam in hand and seal em all up... the cheap stuff is fine for this... do the same thing in your basement/crawl space if you have it...  the foam gaskets behind outlet & switch plates are good also...  get out your caulking gun and make sure ur not leaking air around your windows ect...  maybe new weather strip around your doors...  i say all this because I read an artical where a guy built a house with NO insulation other than black board or some type sheathing but he sealed every stud bay and face glued every stud... fully decked and sealed  his attic/ceiling... anyway he got it "tight"  and had very low energy costs...   i just think about that everytime someone asks about insulation...

   pony

1. 
   homebrew01 | Dec 07, 2003 08:03pm | #5

   Thanks for all the helpful replies .....   I've done quite a bit of tightening up already .....   replaced old windows with nice SDL double hungs that match the house, insulated crawls spaces, done some caulking & weatherstripping ........     There is insulation in the attic, but I think everyone is right, I should add more up there.

   I have cedar shingles, so maybe popping off & replacing wouldn't be too bad, but I'll go back & see what other leaks I can fix first.

1. 
   mmoogie | Dec 13, 2003 07:31am | #6

   >>replaced old windows with nice SDL double hungs that match the house, insulated crawls spaces, done some caulking & weatherstripping<<

   You haven't even scratched the surface as far as finding and plugging the air leaks. A ballon-framed 1930's cape is 1000 air-leaks in search of a structure. Here is an article to get you started:

   http://homeenergy.org/archive/hem.dis.anl.gov/eehem/95/950309.html

   Steve

4. 
   MojoMan | Dec 06, 2003 05:34am | #4

   As others have already said: Start in the attic. Insulate as much up there as you can, but look very carefully for possible air leaks into the attic. Check around pipes, ducts, recessed lights, bath fans..you get the idea. Not only will this save energy, it will reduce the risk of ice dams. (Check your ventilation while you're up there.)

   As Mike Smith will tell you...blown-in cellulose is the way to go. Pick your poison...patching plaster or patching shingles.

   Check with your utility company. I had my blown-in cellulose subsidised by the gas company through an energy conservation program. It seemed very cheap at the time.

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA