R39

One of the great things about owning a house built in the mid-1950's is that the structure is solid. Framed with true 2x4's that can sometimes smoke a drill bit, our house has withstood every Corpus Christi hurricane over the last 50+ years.

The one draw back to owning this house is that more maintenance is needed than on most newer homes. With the intense heat of last summer and our ever-increasing electricity bills, I have been considering better insulating our house. This week, we did it.

The insulation person I hired did a great job. He said there was only 3-6" of insulation in most of the home. Also, in some places there was less than that. (Remember, the house was built prior to air conditioning.) Now, we have 18 inches of insulation evenly dispersed over the entire house. As far as insulation goes, 1" of insulation is equal to 30" of concrete. On the insulation scale, our house has gone from and R5 rating to an R39. I cannot wait until the summer to see how long it takes to pay off this $600 investment and to feel the difference in our house. Also, if we itemize on our tax return, I believe we will get a deduction.