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Merit Badge Chit Chat:  Home Insulation  |
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tigger9777
Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader & Guru / FG Guide
152 Posts
Candy
Oakley
CA
USA
152 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 25 2021 : 12:59:44 PM
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| I researched the types of home insulation - I have R-19 which is good. My window types are slider and casements. Currently, my electric company is running rebates on thermostats, generators and water heaters. |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
6680 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
6680 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2021 : 12:11:49 PM
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Candy, which badge is this for?
Krista |
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tigger9777
Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader & Guru / FG Guide
152 Posts
Candy
Oakley
CA
USA
152 Posts |
Posted - Mar 04 2021 : 10:23:03 PM
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Krista,
This was for the Home Insulation badge.
Candy #8283
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kesinmn
Farmgirl in Training
19 Posts
kris
St Cloud
Minnesota
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2021 : 09:06:22 AM
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I too decided to do the home insulation badge because of a $9000 bid to insulate when I get a new roof. I was SO happy to learn that I qualify for a rebate on insulation of 30% up to $350. Granted. it's going to be less that 3% of the total project cost but I will take it!!
I have nasty ice damns so it was a very interesting conversation with the insulation people. I can't believe all that they are going to be doing - removing old, sealing floor spaces, spray foaming to name a few. If it doesn't take care of the ice damns I am going to be so disappointed! |
Edited by - kesinmn on Apr 27 2021 09:11:23 AM |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
6680 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
6680 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2021 : 1:33:35 PM
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Kris, I'm glad the badge helped you to save some money. Any savings is better than no savings. Good luck with your new insulation and roof. I hope they fix your problems.
Krista |
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AussieChick
Sharpshooter
347 Posts
Cindy
Bend
Oregon
USA
347 Posts |
Posted - Dec 23 2021 : 11:45:21 PM
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I have been working on my "home insulation" merit badge. Here is what I have learned:-
There are several different types of insulation, including Loose-Fill & Blown-In Insulation, Batt & Roll Insulation, Reflective Insulation & Radiant Barriers, Spray Foam & Foam-In-Place Insulation.
We have Earthwool batts in the walls and roof of our house, and we are in the process of attaching them under the floorboards as well. The thermal properties of Earthwool act as a barrier to the outside elements to limit heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer through the walls, ceiling and floor. Earthwool will also absorb sound transfer in external and internal walls, and it has inherent fire performance, which means the insulation is non-combustible. It is made using up to 80% recycled glass which makes it a sustainable product.
With regards to our window glass, when we first moved into our house, we had frosted glass in our casement windows. This was very inefficient because many were cracked, allowing air leakage. We have since replaced all of the glass in our casements with a product called OptiLam. It is a tinted laminated glass which assists in the reduction of solar heat gain, in turn making a home cooler during the warmer months. Additional benefits include improved safety & security and reduced noise & fading. We have also added traditional window hoods which help to shade the western side of our house from hot afternoon sun.
Our power company, Energex, offers rebates for solar energy, certain air conditioner purchases, and hot water systems, but I couldn’t see that they offered any rebate or credit for insulation. You can, however, save on your energy bills by using insulation. Insulation is as effective keeping the heat in, as it is keeping the heat out. On average, households with ceiling, wall and under floor insulation can save around $450 per year on energy bills.
Farmgirl #6058
Farmgirl Sister of the Year 2021
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have". |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
6680 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
6680 Posts |
Posted - Dec 24 2021 : 12:52:50 PM
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Great work Cindy! I know the importance of insulation and the difference it makes. When we moved into our home in the winter, my sons bedroom was always freezing. We finally put a thermometer in there and found it was never going above 60 degrees. We soon found out that the builder never insulted around the outside wall of his room. We had them come back and fix it and it made such a huge difference afterwards. It’s amazing the difference those sorts of changes make.
Krista |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6517 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6517 Posts |
Posted - Dec 25 2021 : 3:46:27 PM
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This is an interesting and important topic. Here in Florida, we need proper insulation to keep the heat out for the many months of Summer. We do have some colder weather, but our real challenge is having proper insulation for the many months we depend on the AC.
While not related to insulation, we installed a huge solar system on our roof this past July. It feeds all the extra energy back to our local energy company and that then credits our account . We have seen our utility bills go way down because Florida has lots of sunny days all year long.
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018 |
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Merit Badge Chit Chat: Home Insulation |
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Home Insulation
