Doublewide Insulation Question

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luvnaz
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Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:02 am

Hi, our home is all electric and the utility bill is fairly high and I'd like to do what I can to keep the heat or A/C in the house where it belongs! The underbelly insulation seems fine, we have double pane windows and I have put weather stripping around the doors. I don't know how good the insulation is in the walls or roof though. If it isn't very good how can we increase the insulation in these areas? Also in the living room and master bedroom there are vents in the ceiling. Could we be losing heat or A/C through these vents and why are they there and what can I do if the heat or A/C is exiting from them?

Thank you!
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JD
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We could give a better guess of your current insulation if we knew the year of your home. If this is a mid 80's or older, chances are the insulation is marginal. If your roof and siding are in good shape and you are not looking to replace/upgrade it, then there may not be a lot you can do with the actual insulation. I do not recommend retro-fit blown-in insulation because of all the holes put into siding and the roof. In my experience, they all eventually (like in just a few years) begin to leak. When replacing siding with vinyl siding, you can strip the old siding and install the newer dense batt insulation. This could give you up to an R15 and a better install. From there, you can add polyiso foam panels to the framing and install vinyl siding on top of that. This could bring you well beyond today's minimum standards.

There are roof over systems that can be installed over your existing roof that can add not only excellent insulation but a better roof as well. The roof product I sell adds R13 to your existing roof insulation. It is also a roof that you can expect no leaks and no maintenance for 20 years or so. Then at that time, there is just minimal caulk sealants to replace.

All that being said, one of the first things to go after is very cheap. That is weatherization. Weather stripping doors, making sure your windows are air tight, caulking of the interior walls if you have paneling, insulation pads behind switch and outlet plates, insulating holes in floors and cabinets for plumbing, underbelly etc.. All of this is usually the main heat/cooling loss area of a home that has not been weatherized.

JMO
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All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
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Minxzz
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:23 pm

I have pretty much the same question. We live in Northern California in a 1971 KIT 20x57 double wide. It has aluminum siding and if we turn the heat on at all in the winder our bill jumps A LOT.. the worst was one that was almost $400 more than the usual. Needless to say we pretty much endure the cold/heat at this point.

I am definitely going to investigate the weatherstripping stuff but if I wanted to add insulation to the floor and walls is it possible? I have been reading threads and it seems way more complicated that just pulling the siding off adding some insulation and putting them back on?

Luvnaz I hope you don't mind me adding my question to yours if so I can break this off into a separate thread :)
Northern Cali in a 2 bedroom 2 bath 1971 KIT 20x57 double wide.
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Minxzz
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Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:23 pm

Has anyone tried the method in the video? With what results?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NFJrDB9Ans
Northern Cali in a 2 bedroom 2 bath 1971 KIT 20x57 double wide.
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
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There is no way I would recommend using blown in insulation on a Mobile. If you (when you) have to open up a wall, you make a HUGE mess as evidenced in the video as he was trying to fill the wall. Add to this that many Mobiles develop leaks on outside walls and you would have a wall full of wet mush.
I would have someone do an energy audit on your home to find the trouble spots and go from there. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
luvnaz
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:02 am

Thank you for the replies. JD I think you have the best answers for our situation. Our home is a 1996 or 1997 double wide with a brick foundation.

It's just been a colder than normal winter for us I know! And coming here form Tucson, AZ I'm just not acclimated yet!!

Good luck to you too Minxzz :)
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flcruising
Posts: 606
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:18 pm
Location: Florida Panhandle

I say start with the simplest method first, install some thermal curtains on your windows.
[color=blue]Aaron[/color]
luvnaz
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:02 am

That's a great idea Aaron thank you!
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