Insulation By Greg Jordan    A properly insulated home can go a long way to reducing the amount you spend on energy. Upgrading your attic insulation, repairing or replacing your AC/heating ductwork and insulating a previously un-insulated pier and beam floor can increase your comfort on those brutally hot summer days or frigidly cold winter nights.    If you are looking at ways to reduce your yearly energy costs, proper insulation is the key to being more energy efficient. Heat gain and loss through the roof of an existing home is a major culprit of higher energy bills. There are several ways to make your attic more energy efficient. If you need a new roof, installing radiant barrier roof decking under your shingles or metal roof will help deflect the heat of the sun away from your attic. Also if you replace your roof have your contractor install a ridge and soffit vents. Venting in this way helps to passively eliminate heated air from your attic. Adding additional insulation to your attic is another way to keep the heat from penetrating into your living areas.    Spray on insulation, applied directly to the underside of your roof decking, is a relatively new idea. The concept is to insulate your attic, reducing heat loss from your AC and heating ducts. One spray insulation product that has been proven is Icynene and it performs very well in a variety of applications. Icynene also works well under your house if your pier and beam floor is not insulated. Evaluate your AC/heating ducts, if they are more than 20 years old they could be a source of energy loss and may need to be replaced.    There are many types of insulation available on the market today. In my professional opinion you should stay away from the pink fiberglass insulation because it contains formaldehyde that can off-gas creating health problems for chemically sensitive individuals. An alternative fiberglass insulation that does not contain formaldehyde is produced by Johns-Manville and available at some home improvement stores. The greenest way to go is re-cycled denim (that's right, old blue jeans), it comes in easy to install bats and can be purchased at eco-oriented stores in Austin and on the internet.    The correct insulation can help save you money on energy costs and a qualified, licensed builder can help you evaluate the different options available to you. Greg Jordan is the owner of Omountain Homes and has been building & remodeling homes since 1986. He does projects throughout central Texas. Omountain Homes can be reached by calling 847-5507 or 557-4790 or you can e-mail them Close this window