Moving the insulation envelope

In the last post we saw how I was able to get my HVAC and ductwork inside my insulation box. Another option would be to move the insulatiuon box around the air handler and ductwork. This is usually accomplished by using spray foam insualtion. It's more expensive than batts or blown, but it's pretty easy for your contractor because it completely seals the cavities and cuts out the air leaks. And you can use it under the roof sheathing instead of at the attic floor. This moves the insulation envelope upward to enclose the HVAC air handler and ductwork. Now your unit operates in a cool enviornment instead of one that's 150 degrees in the summer, like we have in our hot Columbia, South Carolina climate. Think of the savings! In the crawl space we're starting to use something called the conditioned crawl space. They seal up over the earth with a real thick poly, and insulate the outside foundation wall instead of the floor system. That usually works out to less area insulated, and it's a lot easier to get it sealed up tight. They usually drop a small supply duct into the space to keep it under positive pressure and you're good to go. Using combinations of these and other stategies helps cut your heating and cooling costs to levels way under the levels you may be used to now.