We live in a older house (approx 60 year old). We are trying to decide whether the house will become warmer/ more energy efficient if we replace the windows or if we blow in insulation in the walls? (yes the older walls are not insulated). We cannot afford both projects at the same time so are trying to prioritize.
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Add the insulation first, since that will cover the largest area. You can caulk around the windows to help seal them against drafts until you have the resources to replace them, if needed.
Insulation is pretty cheap… I work at Lowes and it’s on sale depending on the type of insulation.. You can get insulation for your attic flooring for as little as $7 a roll for the walls- as little as $2-$3 a roll… This is the Pink Pather brand pink stuff… It’s great for behind basement walls, beneath basement subfloors etc… Easy to install etc.. Then get a few windows replaced at a time…. We also rent an insulation blower.. I don’t work that dept so I dn’t know the price on that particular rental….
I was thinking about- getting some for our unfinished attic.. Just to reinsulate the whole attic and lay down a subfloor… It would cost $200 or so for the supplies.. Possibly LESS. I would insulate first..
good luck
tremendously
You do need to do both, but if you can only do one. Then I would suggest the windows be done, as you are getting more of a direct draft coming through them. And heat loss going out. But at least you are getting some solar gain.
Good luck with your home
Both will help a lot. I would do windows as the first priority for a couple of reasons:
1 – cold air leaks directly through old windows
2 – New windows add value to the home
Before you insulate the walls be sure your attic is well insulated as well – heat rises through the attic faster than cold air leeches in through the walls – or so my contractor friends tell me.
your local utility company may have a service where they can come out and recommend the best course of action. They have devices to measure heat escape and can give you some real information to use that is specific to your particular house. Many of them do it for free, usually called a home energy audit or something like that.
Good luck!
Hi,
First I would recommend that you get a free survey done by a insulation company maybe via your energy supplier?
The reason for this is that your choice may be made for you as the required gap or cavity might not accept the guidelines of the materials injected into the wall, this is usually around 50mm for blown wool (recommended due to the air flows better and not as messy), or 45mm for poly beads.
The cost if your in the UK will be considerably less for cavity wall insulation than windows. 35% of your heating escapes through your walls and 25% through the roof!
However if you have to dig deep for those lovely new windows, go for the wider spacer gap between the glass and if you can go the whole hog invest in Pilkington K glass which on its own has superb insulation qualities.
All the best and hope this helps you out.
Indeed it will become warmer and your furnace will not have to run as much to maintain temperature. I would suggest insulating the walls first, as that would make the biggest impact as far as energy efficiency and maintaining warmth in the home. In the meantime poly sheets made for covering windows in the wintertime to stop drafts would get you by until replacement is in your budget.