I gotta go to a party and am suppose to bring appetizersAny homemade meatballs recipes or info on how to make meatballs?thks
These days you want to have a minimum of R38 in the attic which is where 70% of your heat loss occursThat amounts to 12 of fiberglass or blown-in insulation so you should add another 8If you use fiberglass you'll want to buy unfaced 9 batt insulation and run it right over the top of what is thereThe other option is to rent a blower or have someone blow in loose insulation to achieve a 12 depthWalls can be tricky and there are firms that will blow in insulation through drilled holes usually from the exterior side of the wallMy problem with these methods is that it is impossible to tell how complete the coverage is and many areas, like around windows, might not be filledMy advice to you would be to tackle the ceiling this year before winter as that is the biggest return on your money spent and will provide an immediate benefitThe other things you can do before winter is to caulk around the windows and any other place you see cracks and openingsYou might also invest in storm windows as heat lose through old windows can be very significant.
here are some easy cocktail meatball recipesgreat for appetizers! Cocktail Meatballs INGREDIENTS: 2 pounds ground beef 10 ounces grape jelly 1/4 cup chili sauce 2 tablespoons prepared mustard DIRECTIONS: 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil2Shape ground beef into golf-size ballsPlace on prepared roasting pan for 20 to 25 minutes until done3Meanwhile heat the jelly, chili sauce and mustard together in a 2 quart Dutch ovenDrain and add meatballs to the Dutch ovenCover and simmer on low for 1/2 hourServe hot in chaffing dish with toothpicks Cocktail Meatballs INGREDIENTS: 3 pounds ground beef 2 (1 ounce) packages dry onion soup mix 3 slices white bread 2 tablespoons half-and-half 1 (28 ounce) bottle ketchup 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce DIRECTIONS: 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)2Remove the crusts from the white bread and tear into small bread crumbsIn a medium size mixing bowl, combine beef, soup mix, white bread crumbs and half-and-half creamRoll mixture into 1 inch balls and arrange in 9x13 inch baking dishes (as many baking dishes as it takes or bake the meatballs in shifts)3Bake 10 to 15 minutes; or until browned4In a slow cooker with the temperature set to high, mix together ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauceCook until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce temperature to low until you are ready to serve the meatballs5Place the meatballs in the sauce and serve.
To add insulation, there are only 2 optionsAdd to the outside or the insideYour home is likely built using 2x4 studding on the walls and ceilingthis limits you to R12 insulationIf you are ready for exterior siding replacement, you can add rigid foam insulationprior to the siding installIf you choose to work on the inside , this would also involve making the walls thicker firstFor example a 2x2 furring strip applied to the 2x4's before replacing the drywall to allow you to fo to R20 insulationThis however is a much more involved option because of the things that are attached to wallsie: kitchen and bathOne other option which you could investigate involves spray foamI am not aware of the details on this product.
USA At the vaulted ceiling area, you can add insulation on top of the roofRemove the existing shingles and felt paperInstall new sheathing with foam board insulation already attachedThe higher the R Value, the more heat (and $) you will saveYou then shingle right over the topAs stated previously, you can remove the siding, and add foam board or foam glass insulation to the exterior of the home, then apply new siding over the insulationFoam glass (polyisocyanurate) has a higher R alue per inch thickness than foam boardDon't forget about your windowsInstall new windows and keep the U Factor lower than 0.30This will save a lot on heating AND you get a rebate in your income tax return New energy incentives make it very attractive to insulate and replace windows.
Call the spray foam guysThe will make a 2 hole in the wall and insert a flex tube and spray foam as the pull the tubing out of the wallall you do is patch the little hole and you have the best you can getit is way better then fiberglass and more air tight the poly foam boardsit does cost more the fiberglass but is way cheaper then tearing out the wall and redoing everythingthey can do a little at a time if you are on a budget like the ceiling this time and the out wall next timeCheck you yellow pages and ask around town for someone to refer you to the right companyI wouldn't try and do this yourselfit can get messyIf you have a crawl space that needs insulation, the go with the bubble wrap foil stuff, it don't look like much but man this stuff in wonderfulIt will feel like you have heated floors Use the 4' wide stuff and staple it to the floor joistsif you have water pipes hanging in the way then keep then to the warm side and the heat from the water line will go into your house and not be wastedLike I said it don't look like much but it reflects all your heat back at youIf you use it in the roof or attic, then it will help keep your house cool in the summer by reflecting the sun back away from your roofeven from under the shinglesIt is code in the southern stateshope you make out goodany insulation you do, you will always get you money back and then some by not paying so much in utilities.
