The Seattle-Eastside weather outside  is just frightful or should I say just awful.  November is always such a “fun time” with rain and wind with this November being no exception.  (I love Seattle, but did I tell you I hate November in Seattle?) Weather for the week has been windy, wet, and wild. Everyone is talking about staying warm and dry.  Trust me, it’s a big topic on Facebook among my Seattle friends this week.

But is your home helping you to stay warm and dry?  Are your heating bills as low as they should be?

Have you checked your home’s insulation and did you do any needed upgrades this fall?  If not, this link to the New York Times Green, Inc. blog post about insulation is for you.

Insulation is made from a variety of materials as one type does not fit all.  But what type of insulation fits your home and your pocketbook?

Tom Zeller, Jr. writes about all kinds of insulation, including fiberglass, polystyrene, blown cellulose and mineral wool with some tips and links to information on each in the New York Times blog post.  If you check out the federal energy website, you can find out more about each type of insulation and what might work for your home.

There’s a video in the link above to Green, Inc in which a manufacture of cellulose insulation is interviewed.  Sounds pretty “dry” and boring, but it’s actually pretty interesting.   Cellulose insulation is made from phone books, newspapers and other papers.  But would insulation made from paper be fire retardant?   Watch the video to see a “torching” demonstration.

Then go check out your insulation and your heating bills.  Should you be making any improvements?