How to Make a House Energy Efficient

www.drenergysaver.com | 1-866-607-0191
In this episode of the On the Job series, Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, walks us through the many ways they made a typical cape house more energy efficient.
The poor fiberglass attic insulation led to air leakage, higher energy bills, and ice damming.
Ice damming is when snow melts on the roof and collects around the ridge. When this ice melts, it can leak into your attic and other parts of your home. The problem was so significant that during an especially heavy winter storm in the previous year, the homeowner had to climb on the roof and manually break the large ice ridges to keep water from pouring down his kitchen cabinets.
Dr. Energy Saver was called to help solve this problem.
We used TruSoft™ cellulose insulation, with an R-Value of 3.7 per inch, to insulate the attic.
Since cape style homes like this one have a knee wall, a small space created at an angle between the roof and the floor, we used our SilverGlo™ rigid foam board insulation. It’s lined with a radiant barrier to help conserve heat in this area.
This cape is now ready for winter. The homeowner has a more comfortable house, and his energy bills are much lower. To learn more about ways to save energy in your home, watch our complete On The Job series, or call one of our certified energy conservation technicians for a home energy audit!

[@dogfan4lyfe]

Janesky is a true warrior. He's got to be a multi-millionaire, but he is still sweating and toiling up in attics. I admire him.

[@jckclt]

I love watching video's from people who are passionate about what they are talking about, but more importantly, knowledgeable. This guy knows what he's talking about

[@valezero1967]

Great quality of work and attention to detail. I'm impressed. I've been in construction all my life and understand how difficult it is to do a job right. So much so that I sometimes don't even want to give an estimate on certain jobs because I know the time, difficulties, hours and ultimately higher estimate that it will take to do the job correctly. I chuckled when you were in the attic with sweat pouring off you and you were speaking so calmly. Kudos bro.

[@patriciat5226]

If you have to go into the atic to install or repair how do you know where to walk when you have covered the joists with cellulose?

[@beebob1279]

I've learned so much about air leakage and insulation. I always thought batt insulation stopped air leakage. I've got a lot of work to do.

[@GuitarLessonsBobbyCrispy]

I place fabric material on my doors and it makes a big difference! I cut out the material ( similar to a thin blanket ) in the shape of the door, then attach it to the doors. The doors themselves are always cold in the winter and the cold would create two big cold spots in the house. Now that I have the fabric on, no more cold spots and the furnace doesn't turn on as often.

[@700singer]

do you tuck the fabric in the sleeve of the door? Most cold air is coming from the bottom and sides of my door...due to old age or just isnt sealed or fitted properly..these are at least 60 yr old doors....The Larson storm window doors outside of this leaky door was unfortunatly put on without replacing the outer wood frame due to my not being watchful when Lowes installed the door..quickly ...why put a 600 dollar screen door without replacing the wood work 60 yrs old around the door!!!!stupid but the same has occured with the flat roof replacement due to old age the trusses are not level so what ever you cover them with in this case rubber with styrofoam boards underneath....left the dip in the roof still there by the way no pitch.....no plywood to at least flatten the roof again old houses require more efficient work.....so both situations were not shoddy but the SIMPLICEST FIX......roof was 8000.000.....

[@user-fq1sk8li2u]

I've watched all of your videos. I cannot thank you enough for helping teach me and others how to make a difference in their own homes. Felt super empowered to go crawl around my attic to do some air sealing.

[@ericc9268]

Great video! Extremely informative and useful. Lots of people in your industry could learn a thing or two from you guys.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Great job explaining the theory behind what you are doing. Thank you for the video!

[@locomoshe]

I've figured out how to insulate my future home thanks to you Dr. :) Thanks man

[@Geddaclue]

Very thorough and accurate. Thanks for the ideas.

[@crawlspaceguy]

Very well done video with explanations all along the way. Most homeowners have never been in their attics and don't think about them. As a retired home inspector and HVAC contractor, I've seen plenty of homes just like this one which were "state of the art" at the time, when energy savings were not consequential. I have a 1890s home which my Dad did his due diligence in the 1970s to insulate and try to save some money. At that time, air infiltration and exfiltration was not a "thing". Today we know that air movement means either heat loss or heat gain, the sworn enemy of efficient heating and cooling of any home. Thanks for the info.

[@samanthapowers1811]

Great ideas! Thanks for sharing

[@reduceelectricwithes6124]

This is awesome, very helpful video.. great job!

[@brucetouzel6484]

great job and detailed explanation, thanks

[@yomommajumprcables]

Very Professional company

[@JohnAranita]

Everything has to be perfect! Great job! : - )

[@schutendohkji548]

About the cellulose spraying - Don't spray over the Eaves (aka Soffit). Better to place buffers across ea. joist to prevent the particle from falling back into the Eaves! Else there won't b any airflow to remove 140F hot air and unwanted moisture in the attic.

[@ServallPestControl]

Thanks for sharing. Insulation can also be used as a form of soundproofing, as the dense nature of insulation helps dampen sounds within the home.

[@ZacharyBetz]

Great video and info. Thank you

[@battmanandtheholograms8973]

Way to go guys good hustle

[@cdyoung976]

Great video! Thank you

[@christinearmington]

Very clear. Thanks.

[@uptalk144]

Awesome video!!

[@tymr.t3645]

Thank you so much. For the 101. Very useful information. Do you have any videos on how to insulate a crawl space 👍

[@dpeagles]

Very thorough. Wish all insulation contractors were this professional.

[@coast2co]

I agree the problem is normally the home owner doesn't want to pay for such thoroughness. Unless your in a market where home owners are very energy conscience and are willing to pay for it you won't see it. . Air Seal is key

[@garyfletcher2487]

Don't let this man in your house, talks the talk but hasn't got a clue

[@justinfiorini3142]

?

[@qpSubZeroqp]

why do you say that?

[@davekleiboeker4614]

FYI cellulose settles too much Far more than fiberglass, In 20 years his cellulose will have an R-value of 2.7 where fiberglass will be 2.9

[@joshlwastaken]

This knee wall storage area will be a great place to store things - like this bird!

[@islandvoice8667]

Excellent video awesome

[@samella35]

Great vid.

[@HansumRob100]

wow u do ur job 2 a great standard....

[@PaulBodyBuilder]

Wish u personally, was in my area of Philadelphia, Pa. I know there's a Dr . Energy rep here but thats not the same as u actually overseeing the project. I could tell in your video u treat every project your envolve with like its your home, which is very rear among company's today. U seem fare & honest. If u were in Philadelphia I would definitely invest the money to get my house done right the first time.

[@smarthome2660]

I did my whole home, walls and attic. When I cleaned up the attic, I had to hire a trapper and remove 10 live squirrels and 8 additional carcasses. I also had to repair $800 in damaged wiring and flex ducts. Great video tho. :)

[@jami_butt]

Its good videos. is there any video that we use one air cooler for whole home and not on ceeling but on walls. and also tell that cooling system sets on wall or in celing

[@granthmeek]

What brand are your safety goggles? Great video!

[@gregbernard4466]

If the walls of your house are empty you most likely have an old house. The space in the walls is where condensed water evaporates out of the house. Hot air has more energy and can hold more water. When it hits the cold outside walls the air gets cold and cannot hold all that water. The water gets dumped but the hollow walls allow the moisture to evaporate. These is called balloon framing in old houses without vapor barrier on the outside of the house. By filling the walls you can make a mold situation in the walls. Best bet is use Roxul insulation to replace the Fiberglass. Use a mask for the fiberglass but Roxul is way more efficient than fiberglass insulation and it is a lot safer and in my opinion it is dust free. They tell you to wear gloves but I lay on Roxul all the time when working with no problem. I doubt you would need to blow anything on top of Roxul insulation. Also blowing prevents you from accessing the attic easily.

[@venegasenmerida6307]

Full of fire retardants

[@lit2010ny]

this is a great & helpful video, but I have to ask - what is going on with the bird/cage at the 7min mark?!

[@ThingEngineer]

"will be an appropriate place to store things." like birds lol

[@jasonyork1435]

He didn't even clean it first haha

[@charleswicks9745]

At approx. 10:00 you mention that you are blowing insulation into the slopes of a cape as they are not ventilated because of gable vents. Our cape cods in Cbus are 1 1/2 stories. No soffit vents. So am I installing the rigid foam radiant barrier in the knee wall attic space and closing up the gable vents? It seems a constant 'wrestle' between insulation and ventilation in these houses. Is this video of two different houses?

[@michaelangel6201]

Great job in describing repairs and cost-effective means, and I'm in no position to criticized, but since you're dealing with such an old home shouldn't you be wearing more PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) when in the attic with fiberglass?

[@maureengee364]

That’s crazy you have to remove the snow from your roof. I also found if in the fall I removed my down spouts the water doesn’t back up in your eves trough and no ice damming.

[@thomasmaurer1097]

how did you air seal the attic without doing a removal?? Be kind of hard to find all the penetrations....

[@darylgravley1327]

Wish you were here in Ga. I could use you !!

[@joshlwastaken]

Also why wouldn't you remove all the old dirty compressed insulation?

[@dubravaa]

Wish you guys were here in Kentucky

[@jonmajewski6867]

Shouldn't the knee wall vent all the way to the attic if there are soffit vents feeding in behind the foam board?

[@patmancrowley8509]

There has to be air flow along the roofing sheets of plywood to allow moisture to escape. I don't understand why your cellulose is up against the sheeting since you should have installed air-flow channels to keep the air moving along the sheeting but you didn't. As you said 'moisture can damage the attic, which is wood, and the insulation being up against the sheeting will prevent the moisture from moving away from the sheeting with air flow.

[@jonmo111]

snowventco roof vents stops all snow and rain, it is a new invention

[@otorotoro]

how do you make sure the eaves can breathe properly? my understanding is that the soffits are supposed to intake air and vent it up through the attic. in your knee wall example it looks completely sealed off. doesn't this prevent that natural venting you need?

[@wayneturner3655]

I have two wall furnace's in my home and would like to find a way to insulate them. I never use them but do not want to get rid of them. How would I insulate them to keep warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer from going up them?

[@supsoo]

i am interested in the safety glasses you are wearing. how can i obtain a pair?

[@prayingmantiskung-fu2037]

In that knee space did you remove the insulation from the roof before you put up the foamboard?

[@lancerudy9934]

Do you use batten strips on the low side of roof. Thanks

[@ffuller83]

It's hard to find quality honest thorough workers and business's

[@qazwas2001]

did you fill the rafter bays with dense pack cellulose? I know there were no soffit vents anyways but I would have thought that regular cellulose would have aggravated the lack of ventilation. Of course all I know about attics I just learned in a few hours on google...

[@pegdimarco5316]

On the Avasva you can count on professional help with problems and technical support.

[@nickscott4272]

Board Foam typically isn't approved as a fire proof material and requires a dry-wall cover. You should have mentioned that when you put it in the knee wall.

[@700singer]

2 layers of material?.......I dont even have insulation boards under roof...first time that the Leap people came over and put celulose in....no work was done on the perimeter of building as well so after I went upstairs only to see outside of building where roof meets the building.....not good...they did insulate the hatchet...also the fan is not working.

[@paolopiotto1725]

When on roof please wear your safety harness with life line. Love the show.

[@mikewhite9818]

Paolo Piotto On that type of roof a safety harness is unnecessary. Wearing one in that situation is really gay.

[@philmiller4100]

Great presenter and great voice. He's in the wrong line of work.

[@bolloslush]

Easy on the eyes too.

[@BFArch0n]

Why did you blow insulation into the slopes that lead to the knee wall area? This doesn't allow for any air flow. Are you not worried about warm moist air condensing in this space?

[@DennisGentry]

This concerns me too. I think wherever you get significant snow, you need a vented roof. Even if there is zero heat leakage from the attic side, on sunny days, any absorbed, retained heat can start snow melt and ice dams. With the insulation going right up to the roof deck, any heat will be retained and not carried away by moving air, and then the moisture is also trapped. Maybe it isn't simultaneously snowy and sunny enough there to matter?

[@jordandownie9319]

@@DennisGentry He mentions in the video that the attic space is vented at the gable ends, not from up through the rafters

[@DennisGentry]

@@jordandownie9319 Yeah, I get that the attic is vented but I'm saying that the underside of the roof deck needs to be vented (have cold, outside air circulation) if it ever snows there, because snow is a really good insulator, so the shingles will warm above freezing, melting (and refreezing at night) the snow and causing ice dams and water infiltration. Usually, there are vents (cold air intakes) at the soffits (which, if he has them, are now covered with insulation) and warmed air exits at the ridge or gables.

[@kenkegley7651]

DFKnightmare sq

[@majstealth]

i suppose the logic is, the roof stays cold, because the heat from within the home cant get to the roof from the inside, hence airtight and insulated. no heat, no ice, no problem - remember - insulation does not hold heat/cold, it does not transfer heat/cold - it is a barrier, if done correctly

[@pabackwoodsboys]

i have a cap that has an attic fan but doesn't have any sofit vents or ridge vent as far as i can tell. is is ok for me to do the exact same application or should put those in first? i don't have any ICE damning now, but i don'y want to cause a problem later. i do plan on redoing gutters, sofit and fascia in the summer. Fuel is expensive and i am looking for the best solution possible. don't mind spending more now if it will save me $$ later. thanks for your input.

[@idee1807]

Did you blow the cellulose insulation over the old fiberglass batts??

[@lifeisgood070]

how much does this cost? Everyone i got quotes from wants to take the easy way out

[@ayellowbeard]

Larry, Wish you were in my area to help us figure out the best way to vent and insulate our house. Have had a few "top" rated insulators here in the PNW give us a lot of confusing information. Cape Cod style house with 2x4 construction. Very little soffit venting, a very small gable vent on one side, and no ridge vent. Told soffit venting will be difficult because of bird blocking between rafters, and that will need to cut mid roof vents in addition to ridge vent and larger gable vents on both ends. And finally the insulators can't insulate above knee walls because of the 2x4 roof construction nor can they add baffles. Aaarrgg!

[@Alex-lx5jh]

Where are you located??

[@ayellowbeard]

PNW

[@runvnc208]

Maybe open up walls and use closed-cell spray foam everywhere. Check for airtightness. Install an HRV or ERV system with built-in heat pump. Will be expensive but should work.

[@mranonymous1167]

3:03 made you look 👌😉

[@jjzanoni]

I see the value for the insulation and hole blocking for winter. What about summer? There is a ridge vent across the peak of the roof (saw this at the very end of the video) and it has to have soffit vents along the base of the roof for air to flow into the attic and out the ridge cap vent during the hot months. Blowing all of that insulation into the attic and no provision for the air to come in through the soffits? That attic will cook in summer. Am I missing something?

[@brandonclow1170]

+jjzanoni I was surprised that they didn't talk about adding in foam baffles to make the soffit vents work

[@chrisbarger077]

+Brandon Clow he said at roughly 6 min in that the house doesn't have soffit vents.

[@walsterdoomit]

There are gable vents. The air flows into the gables at each end o the attic, and flows out the ridge. This is acceptable.

[@MalleusDei275]

Walter Kogut, they should have upgraded to eve and ridge vents

[@patmancrowley8509]

My attic has cellulose insulation. It has compressed down to about 5 inches so I'm looking at having to put fiberglass insulation over the top of it. I find cellulose to be inferior.

[@timselden8122]

Great video. Valuable info. Cut the music please. Too distracting.

[@RandyBsae]

Very old video, but at the end of the video you can clearly see that the roof has a ridge vent. Doesn't the blanket insulation defeat the purpose and functionality without the use of Durovent from soffit to the top of the ridge?

[@crawlspaceguy]

I too had questions about airflow which he did not address.

[@tinadogmom8586]

What does something like this Costco for a single story Home about 2500 sq ft? I have a peak ceiling approx 22 ft. Definitely need something

[@MikeJones-rk1un]

Did you use any raftermate to keep the insulation from contacting the roof and connect the soffit and attic with cold air?

[@michael-thedd98]

Mike, im sure we used Soffit chutes, they do that job, and let some airflow in & out

[@yadisamavati1943]

Do not use this kind of shredded newspaper insulation. The fire retardant smells, especially in hot days and gets into your home and your belonging will smell that you cannot get rid of even when washed. I have this kind of Apple Gate insulation that is toxic and I have to replace with fiber glass.

[@kolyanmamay9430]

Urea-formaldehyde insulation foam causes chronic intoxication and is subject to thermal degradation - yielding insulation inside - basalt wool

[@wallacenapier3500]

What abouat a thermal Barrier?

[@jannwebb]

I’d like your thoughts on insulting a cargo van preparing it to live in on he road

[@ncooty]

@4:23: So you ran about 20' of flex duct to carry warm moist air horizontally through a cool attic and then sloped it up to exhaust? That's a water-collection device.

[@boboliver3054]

After last years disaster, preventing ice dams is on everyones mind. From everything I have read, keeping the attic space as close to the outside temp, would pretty much eliminate this problem as it is the warm attic that melts the snow. For that to happen you need three things in place. Insulation that prevents warm air from getting into your attic, a ridge vent that will let the air flow out of your attic space and equally important are soffit vents that allow the cold air to enter the attic. I have watch a couple of your videos and you are completely blocking any form of air from coming through those soffit vents which would eliminate the needed cold air from entering the attic. Can you explain this??

[@davewaveandrews]

This particular house construction does not have soffit vents. It uses gable and ridge vents. Air is drawn into the gable vents and out of the ridge vents. Not the best system. He even said it was a poor design in the video.

[@Utube6762]

Could you explain how your process still allows air flow to cool the roof in the winter to help prevent ice dams. If you can guarantee, or reasonably guarantee, the end of ice dams with this process I'll hire you to do my home.

[@DrEnergySaver]

+Utube6762 Hello Utube6762 and thanks for watching. We have a video about ice dams and ways to prevent or help minimize the problem. It might help answer some of the questions you have. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6jRfpycf7Flisk

[@MikeJones-rk1un]

Google proper vent and raftermate.

[@davewaveandrews]

This particular house has gable and ridge vents which were not blocked by the cellulous insulation.

[@pyakpepyak]

1) Wood thermal conductivity is very low, in fact the values of K for wood are very close to fiberglass insulation values, so covering wood joist with insulation wouldn't change anything. Still not convinced? have wooden spatula on your kitchen? try to put it in ice or on hot surface you will never feel anything through it. 2) batt insulation requires more effort to be installed properly (to make sure there are no gaps left, etc), but longer term it's much easier to maintain/replace and clean. Can be easily added/adjusted. 3) blow in is fine in the beginning, when its new and if you don't need to do anything on the attic after it. But after a few years, when it started decomposing, mixed with dust and animals byproducts (they would sneak there anyway) it would be a total disaster. The only way to fix it is to replace everything completely.

[@gustavolora2220]

I didn't see any propervents on the slopes ceiling and you blowing the cellulose so where is the air flowing

[@Micdundee86]

Do you guys give free estimates?

[@ralphmacchiato3761]

Energy efficiency lessons from the USA? What wonders will they think up next!

[@42lookc]

I'm concerned that there is no place where soffit ducts are installed for proper airflow under the roof deck and out the ridge vent. How is moisture going to migrate or evaporate without proper air flow?

[@verafides1]

On most old houses, the rafters are bird-mouthed onto the sill and the rafters are full 2X4. There's only 1-2" of clearance between the rafter and the sill. Meaning no room for any ducting anyway. The old roof systems were not built with the intent of ventilation. So you're out of luck that way. Even with all this cellulose, the eaves will have ice dams in the winter and the underside will get wet unless tightly airsealed.. This is why most of us that have older houses like this go with spray foam. Airsealed to the underside of the roof.

[@MrJamesconn]

I live in south Texas and my attic only has two gable vents and two turbine vents. Do I need soffit vents too?

[@ramirolopez783]

MrJamesconn Yes so air can flow through

[@carmelinarosinski8953]

You can find something like this on the Avasva page. Full step-by-step instructions right on your desk.

[@hunterlarkin7263]

That's why they make ice and water shield now and most places is it mandatory

[@CCCC-tq8yo]

Dr energy is a franchise???

[@SensaiMan]

Trying to remove the cellulose insulation should you ever have to is very expensive and difficult.

[@Quercuspalustris50]

What about putting perforated attic foil on top of the cellulose to stop air flow in the winter (but still let moisture through) and cut down solar load in the summer?

[@Alex-lx5jh]

Putting attic foil on the attic floor is common misuse of the product. By compressing down the insulation you lose R value. Air sealing is the proper way to stop the stack effect. -Comfort & Energy Advisor

[@Quercuspalustris50]

Alex Romero What about gently laying it on top of the cellulose, without compressing it?

[@Alex-lx5jh]

Well, the simplest answer is that it depends. What climate zone are you located in?

[@Alex-lx5jh]

+Quercuspalustris50 Well, the simplest answer is that it depends. What climate zone are you located in?

[@Quercuspalustris50]

Alex Romero Right now I live in Southern California where I supposed you'd want to staple the foil to the diagonal members of the roof truss, but I want to move to a mixed climate, like VA, WV, MD, PA, where it's hot in the summer and cold and snowy in the winter. I thought for the mixed climate it would be better just to lay the foil right over the cellulose...

[@optimusprimo2012]

We had a family of racoons in my attic, they brought in so much stuff that , I started charging them rent.

[@PlancoTV]

Were they at least appreciative and did they provide good company? Asking for a friend.

[@micklarson536]

Cellulose insulation (it is made from paper) is very heavy compared to fiberglass. The ceiling may not be able to hold the weight!!!

[@indman101]

Never use that plastic vent for a outlet when you can buy something that will last for a few more dollars.

[@franklempka2159]

China doesn’t do that🤣

[@gerardbourque7688]

wheres your styrovents?

[@MikeJones-yf2xx]

My house dosnt hold heat to good!

[@jasonHadley420]

Keep that Cell flat.. Air from the machine is your best friend :)

[@leeb.7188]

You should have put that metal screen on the OUTSIDE of the vent. Having it on the inside will keep raccoons out of the attic, but birds will still get in between the louvre slats and pack straw, piss in the nests, and make a mess. Plus the straw packed in there will reduce air flow to the outside. I know what I'm talking about from dealing with birds flying in between the slats on my attic vents. The slats are too far apart and the birds can easily get in there and build nests. The only solution is heavy metal screens on the outside that they can't peck or chew through.

[@theripper121]

He didn't put the metal screen in the homeowner installed it beforehand.

[@tomclose6643]

buy a roof rake good cardio workout

[@bccron]

How about lambs wool insulation?

[@nophobia123]

fire hazard

[@dennisshelton1024]

I have an Amish home and the Attic has 50 inch centers how could I put Baffles in the Rafters

[@dennisshelton1024]

I have a Amish home what's the best way to put Baffles in rhe 50 inch roof ????

[@michael-thedd98]

double them up, or triple even...where do u live?

[@jasonyork1435]

Why don't you clean those Grose old batts out and vacuum the space first?

[@donaldpatton4254]

Other videos show the importance of soffit vent air inlet with a air channel to allow hot air to exhaust out the ridge vent. In this video you have no air inlet from the soffit allowing hot air to rise and exhaust. Why no discussion of proper air flow?

[@Alicore123]

What's up with the parakeet at 6:57?

[@RocketRaven]

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/canary_in_a_coal_mine That is the reason

[@cadenrolland5250]

I bet its a fake bird and the thing is being stored.