Indoor Air Quality

In a cold climate like Vermont when so much of the year is spent indoors, the air quality inside your paramount. It's important to keep this in mind when you are improving your home's insulation and air sealing. What are some of the threats to indoor air quality?

• Mold
• Formaldehyde
• Asbestos
• Carbon Monoxide
• Radon
• Volatile Organic Compounds

References:

Indoor Air Quality Association 

US Green Technology   - Common Causes of Indoor Air Pollution

INSULATION

Proper insulation helps reduce energy usage and keep your house cooler in summer and warmer in winter. It can also insulation dampen noise from outside to make your home quieter.

Attic
We usually recommend insulating your attic first. The simple reason is that heat rises, so in winter the attic is the number one source of heat loss from your house. The warm air in your house is drawn up into the attic and out through the roof. Since attics are often unfinished and empty, are relatively easy to install thick layers of insulation.
Knee walls in upstairs areas that have been converted to bedrooms or living spaces are often overlooked, but if properly insulation can help control the temperatures in adjacent areas or rooms below them.

Walls
After the attic, walls can be important areas for insulation, especially if you live in an older home with inadequate insulation.
Garage
Anyone with a bedroom over a garage or next to one knows that these can be some of the most uncomfortable rooms in a house. Adding insulation to the ceiling or wall of the garage will prevent unwanted heat loss in the rooms above and adjacent to it.

Air sealing
Insulating your home without proper air sealing can create secondary problems like mold and mildew buildup. Air sealing acts as a natural moisture barrier by closing the gaps throughout your house to keep the cold out in winter and the cool air inside during the summer.