Snow and Saving Energy Snow is on the way according to the 2014 weather report and any snow fall will be a significant help to confirming if you are keeping your house warm or if you have holes in your attic. Yes, you may very well be paying to heat the neighborhood!
Okay, not exactly "holes" in your attic, but close enough if your Attic floor is not insulated correctly or sufficiently. No "Rocket Science" needed to know if your house is losing heat and costing you money. To answer this very important question is to simply go outside a few hours after a snow fall and LOOK at your roof. No infrared cameras needed by you or any energy professionals if you are having them do an energy audit. AT GTG we don't need any special cameras when we conduct Energy Audits, so please don't fall for the line: "Oh that will cost extra because we have to use the special "Thing-A-Ma Jig" to detect heat lost from your attic." That is a complete Lie.
Okay, not exactly "holes" in your attic, but close enough if your Attic floor is not insulated correctly or sufficiently. No "Rocket Science" needed to know if your house is losing heat and costing you money. To answer this very important question is to simply go outside a few hours after a snow fall and LOOK at your roof. No infrared cameras needed by you or any energy professionals if you are having them do an energy audit. AT GTG we don't need any special cameras when we conduct Energy Audits, so please don't fall for the line: "Oh that will cost extra because we have to use the special "Thing-A-Ma Jig" to detect heat lost from your attic." That is a complete Lie.
Also don't listen to any insulation company that tells you insulation is needed up on the inside roof of your attic as well as your attic floor. Unfinished attics only need insulation on the floor with ONLY ONE Vapor Barrier (foil or paper layer) facing downward to your warm house below. The R value of the insulation should be no less than R-30. Please take note of these facts because this is a big money saver OR a very costly mistake year after year. In fact, this is such a costly situation, we can list this as a major contributing fact to why America is NOT energy efficient. The photograph below shows the rooftops of two homes with snow on them. The house in the foreground has a rooftop completely white with snow and that is excellent. The house in the background is showing parts of the roof tiles through the snow where heat is escaping! Feel free to click on the images to enlarge and view details discussed:
| The Tale of Two Houses: The house in the foreground on the right and below this text box is warm inside, saving money for themselves & fuel for America because no snow is melting off the roof from rising heat. Remember, Hot air rises! |  Two Houses. One Heat Efficient and One Heat Inefficient. | The house in the background and shown below is losing heat and money to the outside. The solid white lines of snow is where heat is being blocked from escaping by the wood beams supporting the roof from inside the attic. The dark color areas show heat being lost. |
 Solid White Layer of Snow on Roof Means No Heat Lost |  Roof Showing through Snow Equals Heat and Money Lost |
Roof Losing Heat A closer look actually shows a couple of larger spots of roof showing through. This is where there is very little insulation inside on the attic floor just below the spots. Probably a low R-11 insulation value because part of the insulation was pushed away, moved, or folded over. However, the most probable possibility, there is just NO Insulation in that spot at all!
Click on image to enlarge and continue to read about savings.
Click on image to enlarge and continue to read about savings.
Same Two Houses 24 Hours Later
| The next day has the sun shining, yet the snow is still covering the roof that is not losing any heat due to an excellent attic insulation job. Heating cost in this house is 1/5 of a non efficient house. |  Still Saving 24 Hrs. Later | The house in the background above and shown on the right, is still heating a neighborhood. This is costing the owner a great deal as well as America and Earth's environment. |  Heat & Dollar Signs are Evaporating into Air |
How much can be saved in money, energy and our environment? A great deal to say the least. One example with these two houses using Oil to heat the homes shows the inefficient house using over 1,000 gallons of oil per year while the more efficient house will use only 265 gallons of oil for the same year. With this example, please note that 5 additional energy efficient steps were taken along with properly insulating the attic for the efficient house. Remember, we are here to help. Communicate with us any specific question on this topic by email or in our comment box and we will do our best to provide you with a professional answer within a reasonable time frame.
Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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