My house was built in 1963 just south of Houston, TX, and two inches of fiberglass insulation with a vapor barrier seems to have been considered adequate at that timeThe roof of this house is at about 2:12 or 3:12 pitchI am now interested in adding insulation to lower my heating and AC energy useHere are my issues:1) Does anyone know of a good insulation-need calculator out there?2) The vapor barrier on the old insulation crumbles at a touchShould I just rip it out and start over?3) Does anyone knowledgeable have any thoughts on what kind of insulation would be easiest and best for me to work with (batts/blown in, cellulose/fiberglass)? I'm sort of looking for practical pros/cons of the various types here.4) Many of the home repair books I have read recommend sealing the tops of the walls with caulk or 1:1 spray foamIs this really necessary, or do I want the house to be able to breathe a bit more?5) Any other thoughts/cautions would be appreciated.Thank you.
Crockpot Chicken Soup: This simple crockpot soup is full of flavor and colorINGREDIENTS: 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 2 sweet potatoes, cubed 1 onion, chopped 16 ozbag baby carrots 1/2 tspdried thyme leaves 1/8 tsppepper 2 bay leaves 3-1/2 cups water 2 (3 oz.) pkgchicken flavor Ramen noodle soup mix PREPARATION: In a 4 to 5 quart crockpot, layer sweet potatoes, sliced onion and chicken thighsSprinkle with thyme, pepper, and bay leavesIn a small bowl, blend 1 cup water and seasoning packets from Ramen and stir to blend Pour over chicken and vegetables in crockpot, then add rest of waterCover crockpot and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until vegetables and chicken are tenderRemove and discard bay leavesStir in ramen noodles and coverCook on high 10-12 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring once during cooking6-8 servings
Easy Cheesy Spicy Ramen 1 package of Beef Ramen 1 teaspoon of Mayonnaise 1 teaspoon of Horseradish 2 dabs of Hot Sauce of your choice 1 tablespoon of Nacho Cheese (the dip kind) Boil your Ramen, then drain leaving no waterMix in the seasoning packet, mayonnaise, horseradish, hot sauce and nacho cheese thoroughlyEnjoy!
Take a zip-loc bag, size depends on how much you wantPut in the noodles with/without the powderChop up some Polish Sausage and Cheese and addYou can put whatever you wantDried Onions are goodMix and add hot water, not, much, maybe a 1/4 cup plenty for one bagSeal and roll it up and let sit for about 5-10 minutes until the Noodles softenYou not want this real wet, all the water should absorbThen take Flour Tortillas and make Burritos and eatYou can Fry them in a little Peanut oil (I prefer) any oil work.
I'll just tell you what I often do when I want something tasty and fast I very lightly cook - either in water, or steam which I prefer - the noodles, and set aside Then I get a packet of frozen stir-fry vegetables and lightly steam (they do really good in the microwave - just don't let them get mushy) Get a ;packet of stir-fry flavoring mix, make it up to the directions, and pour it over your steamed stir-fry veggies in a skillet, or wok if you have one When blended, add in your cooked Ramen Noodles, and mix well If you want to separately sizzle some little bits of steak, or chicken , you can then toss those in with the vegetable/noodle mix Then when I call the hungry guys to the table, I just try to look glassy-eyed and worn (maybe sigh a little) as if I had truly slaved over this meal, and then watch while they groffle it down with lots of mmms, and yummsLOL Especially good if you put a big bowl of mixed fresh salad on the table and some warm crispy french breadAnd if you just happen to have one of those packets of individual icecream fudge sundae thingies in the freezer, that you can break out and serve with spoonful of slightly warm fruit sauce, you might just be able to ask a favor or two, while the bliss is still washing over them.
The more the better.Your problem is that there probably isn't any in your wallsI'd put that foil backed foam(4'x8' sheets) up on the rafters and blown in (or fiberglass) at least 8 between the joists.Also make sure your attic has some ventilation(again the more the better.
