Unwrapping the Puzzle of Home Insulation

Given what's happening with oil prices, anyone building a new home now would be crazy not to make it as energy efficient as possible.

But what's most energy efficient isn't always what's most cost efficient: The tough part is figuring out the point where the return of lower energy costs will offset the up-front expenditures on newer materials and techniques.

As we consider what kind of insulation to use in our home, we're struggling to figure this out.

Heating and cooling account for 50% to 70% of the energy used in a typical home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. And much energy and money is wasted when air leaves or enters the house because of poor insulation.

For the new house we are building we picked out insulation six months ago based almost entirely on how much it would cost to buy and install. We chose the most common form: fiberglass batt sheeting along with another form of fiberglass that's blown in, called the "Blow-In-Blanket System."


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