Comfort
A poorly insulated house is usually uncomfortable. Blame it on the "cold wall" effect. The inside surface of an uninsulated wall may be from 8 to 15 Fahrenheit degrees (4 to 8 Celsius degrees) colder than the same wall with insulation. If you're sitting near the wall, your body heat will flow towards the cooler surface and you'll soon begin to feel chilly. At the same time, as warm air meets the cool wall it becomes more dense and sinks towards the floor. This displaces warm floor-air which rises. The result can be uncomfortable drafts. Many of us turn up the thermostat, blaming a chilly feeling on the furnace or the weather. The real problem is often a lack of good insulation and weather protection.
May 19, 2012