Kenneth writes from Newton, New Jersey: "I recently purchased a summer residence that has forced hot air oil heat. It is a one living level house with a unisulated basement, half concrete/dirt floor and cinderblock walls. I have two questions: The insulation under the living floor is falling down and needs to be replaced. What type of insulation do you recommend? The attic has two layers of insulation - one above the ceiling and one between the rafters of the peaked roof. Is this acceptable or should I do something different?"

Answer: In your area of the country, we recommend that R-25 Kraft-faced insulation be installed under the living space. The Kraft paper should face up toward the living space and may need to be held in place with insulation supports.

If the attic is not heated, it is recommended that you insulate only the attic floor. We recommend removing the attic rafter insulation. If it is unfaced, you can add it to the attic floor. If is faced, you can slash the paper to defeat the vapor retarder and then place it on the attic floor.