It would be good if people said which R-value they were using when working out insulation. There are two different units (ft^2 F hr/BTU and m^2 K/W) and they are close enough that determining which is being used is tricky. I say this because Ohiojay said that foil coating gives an extra 2, but this seems like a m^2 K/W R-value (I've seen values for foil alone ranging from 1 to 2 m^2 K/W), rather than around 10 ft^2 F hr/BTU. (And I assumed that someone in Ohio probably uses ft^2 F hr/BTU) Regarding sealing it up, I'd just use duct tape :) The idea is a good one and I think you're on to something, a further extension of the this would be to permanently mount thin, high-R-value panels at such an angle that they block none of the light in mid-winter, but progressively block more into summer. If you then used very thin plastic sheeting to stop convection (I'd use cheap plastic drop sheet) you would probably double you GH R-value. Here is a link that might be useful: Understanding R-values

Jeri -- RVR has been running a grab bag special where if you order enough roses, they send you an extra plant for free - something from which they've lost the label during the propagating process. I'm sure this is one of those. I got two of them, one of which turned out to be Distant Drums. The other still needs identifying. It's an OGR stripe that looks almost like my Commandant Beaurepaire, and has a resiny smell to the backs of the buds like it, but it's just enough different that I don't think that is what it really is. Just have to wait til the little guy grows up and see what blooms on the next cycle, if there is a next cycle before next year (may be a once bloomer). It's actually kind of a fun special. Kathy Here is a link that might be useful: RVR mystery rose special

I live in St Petersburg FL and my attic used to be like an oven. I used the cheap barrier long ago and it helped a little. I replaced it with a bubble wrap radiant barrier stapled to my roof rafters. That gave it a R value of about 12 and I installed two solar attic vents on the house to help remove excessive heat within this barrier. I attached 2x4 on the peak area of the roof in the attic and made it so all the hot air rises into this space. Then added an electric fan blowing outside air into the attic and the peak area. I added another fan on the other side of the house to exhaust the air out. My attic is cooler than ever. This makes my a/c unit that is in the attic to run less and keeps the house cooler. One more thing add another layer of insulation on top of anything that is there alreay. have it run the oposite way of what is up there now. Do you have an attic set of stairs or a hole with a lid. I installed a hatch cover with hinges and added a layer of insulation on top of it. This way when I leave the attic the hatch is closed and keeps out any hot air into the house and cold air in the winter.

Hi, I would blow the cellulose over the FG. If you are worried about some compaction of the FG, just pay for a little more depth of cellulose. The reasons I think that cellulose is better: - loose fill (or even bat) FG is very open to air circulation through the insulation. Cellulose is tight enough to be much better at stopping circulation. - In cold conditions FG loses half of its R value due to circulation currents. So, just under the conditions you would like to work best it performs worst. The NREL report that shows the testing on FG and cellulose for performance under cold conditions: http://www.homeenergy.org/archive/hem.dis.anl.gov/eehem/92/920510.html I pasted in a small excerpt below. In addition, cellulose has a greater R value per inch, less embodied energy, and is easier on your body to install. Gary R-Value Divided by Two Tests of both specimens revealed that as the temperature differential increased, apparent conductive resistance (R-value) of the insulation decreased (see Figure 3). Thermal resistance at the greatest temperature differential was as much as half the estimated nominal thermal resistance of the insulation. For specimen 1, thermal resistance dropped to R-9.2, and for specimen 2, measured thermal resistance was as low as R-11.1 when the attic temperature was at -8 degrees F. The investigations confirmed that natural convection occurred within the insulation itself. The reason is that air densities changed with the temperature differences. As warmer air from the heated space below reached the top of the insulation, the air cooled, became more dense and fell back into the insulation. As part of these observations, the researchers made infrared scans of the upper surface of the insulation. The heat patterns resembled the traditional hexagonal Benard cell pattern of natural convection occurring in fluids heated from below (see Figure 4). Cellulose Holds its Own Loose-fill cellulose, initial testing indicates, allows no such convective patterns to develop. Using a similar test procedure on the Attic Test Module, Wilkes and Childs recently completed the first phase of testing for the Cellulose Insulation Standards Enforcement Program, using a product, Forest Wool brand, selected by the standards group as an average or typical cellulose product. R-values increased as the temperature difference across the cellulose increased-the opposite effect that the fiber glass exhibited. The researchers concluded that the cellulose tested did not allow convective losses as the fiber glass had. Oak Ridge plans to test more samples and types of insulation in the future. Here is a link that might be useful: NREL report - effective R values of FG and cellulose