Heating season is coming to an end (hopefully... ), and while you might be thinking "air conditioning" already, you should be thinking "insulation"! Here's why:
Just like you will stay warm in cold weather when you wear a touque, your house will be most efficient in retaining heat with a well insulated attic - and the same goes for warm weather! Your home will keep out the heat and maintain cooler temperatures during the summer, if it's well insulated.
Especially in older homes the insulation in the attic often only holds a value of R20, while the recommended standard nowadays is R50. To beef up your insulation, you can either double up on your batt insulation or blow in additional insulation. Using the insulation blower is quick and easy, and the results pay off. Going from R20 to R50 could save you as much as 28% off your heating/cooling bill!
Upgrading from R20 to R50 will cost about $800.00 (+HST) for blow-in insulation, based on an area of 1200 sqft. Considering the potential savings off your heating bill, the amortization period for this investment could be as low as a couple of years. Of course you will also do your part for the environment, because using less energy to heat and cool your home also means reducing your carbon foot print!
There is a whole variety of insulation available to increase the energy efficiency and comfort of your house - a very good overview is on this website: Owens Corning Home Insulation
Of course the friendly experts at the Merritt Home Hardware store are always happy to help you out with any questions you may have!