Home insulation makes your stove bigger!

[Iembalm4aLiving]

We installed our Osburn 2200 insert four years ago. The change from an open fireplace was astounding. (You all know the story!) The insert easily heated the downstairs of our 1973 split-level with ease. Upstairs, not so much.

Last winter, during the extended sub-zero days, our gas-fired boiler couldn't keep the upstairs up to temperature. It was clear that our insulation wasn't up to par. If I sat at the bottom of the stairs, I could feel a chilly breeze cascading down the steps.

We had a company blow in insulation into the attics of the house up to R-38. The existing insulation only came to the tops of the joists.

WOW, what a difference. Suddenly, our 2200 is about twice the stove it used to be. I use much less wood than I did in previous years, and it actually gets heat upstairs now. Mornings are much warmer than they used to be as well.

Insulation is not sexy or exciting to buy, but it's effect on heating (and cooling) your house is astounding.

 

[Knots]

I put 4" of foam around the whole foundation. 2x8 walls with another 3/4" of insulation on the inside to help the studs. Lotsa insulation in the attic. When you do the math on insulation it pays back pretty quick. It was only $1,600.00 to go from 2x6 (min code) to 2x8.

 

[begreen]

Insulation is one of the best investments one can make in their house, new or old. It pays back year round. Unfortunately, a lot of folks skimp here and then pay more for heating and cooling for the life of the house. Even if I was building with 2x6 walls I would wrap the house in a 1" foam jacket as a thermal break.

 

[firefighterjake]

Some of the best advice I received here before even buying my stove was to first spend the money on insulation and sealing up leaks in the home ... keeping the heat you make with a woodstove makes things much easier ... less wood burned, warmer temps for longer, etc

 

[Swedishchef]

We installed our Osburn 2200 insert four years ago. The change from an open fireplace was astounding. (You all know the story!) The insert easily heated the downstairs of our 1973 split-level with ease. Upstairs, not so much.

Last winter, during the extended sub-zero days, our gas-fired boiler couldn't keep the upstairs up to temperature. It was clear that our insulation wasn't up to par. If I sat at the bottom of the stairs, I could feel a chilly breeze cascading down the steps.

We had a company blow in insulation into the attics of the house up to R-38. The existing insulation only came to the tops of the joists.

WOW, what a difference. Suddenly, our 2200 is about twice the stove it used to be. I use much less wood than I did in previous years, and it actually gets heat upstairs now. Mornings are much warmer than they used to be as well.

Insulation is not sexy or exciting to buy, but it's effect on heating (and cooling) your house is astounding.

Amen! Glad to hear it paid off for you!

 

[Swedishchef]

Insulation is one of the best investments one can make in their house, new or old. It pays back year round. Unfortunately, a lot of folks skimp here and then pay more for heating and cooling for the life of the house. Even if I was building with 2x6 walls I would wrap the house in a 1" foam jacket as a thermal break.

Quebec provincial building codes now require R5 foam on the outside of the house (+R20 in 6 inch studs) and R5 foam under the basement cement slab. Some places are becoming aware that more insulation (from nothing to a very reasonable amount) can save heating costs, reduce the carbon/greenhouse gas footprint of a province. If my memory is right, Ontario now requires R19 full basement insulation. Most people tend to skimp BIG TIME on basement insulation.

Andrew