By MATT MAURY

As the brisk fall weather turns to the continual chill of winter, it might be time to think about insulation, or lack thereof.

In most homes, over half the energy used is for heating. And, a lot of that heat escapes through the floors, walls and ceilings!

But, with good insulation, a homeowner can both reduce energy costs and keep the home more comfortable.

In order to talk about insulation, it is important to understand R-values. It isn't really critical to know what one "R" equals, but rather to realize that it is a measure of resistance to heat loss. The higher the R-value of a material, the greater the resistance to heat penetration.

Virtually every material in a home - wood, glass, masonry, roofing, even dead air space - offers some resistance to heat transfer.

Of course, the most effective resistance comes from insulating materials made specifically for that purpose.

These materials act like a sponge with millions of tiny air pockets, each trapping the heat that is trying to pass through. The more air pockets per cubic inch, the higher a material's R-value, per inch of thickness.

In looking at insulation, there are some guidelines for our Pacific Northwest climate. The industry standards, based on the mild climate west of the Cascades, suggest floors have an R-value of 11, walls also are 11 and roofs (attacts) be at least 19.

In eastern Washington, the comparable R-values are 22, 19 and 33 to attain the same comfort level.

However, there is a trade-off between the cost of using insulation and the cost of energy.

Most of us are not skilled in figuring out how to get the most "bang for our bucks" when comparing insulation installation costs to our resulting energy bill savings. That is why the major energy providers have set up "Weatherization Service Departments." They will provide free home energy checks and often have low (or no) interest loans for insulation meeting certain requirements. Some of the Puget Sound area utilities offering this free help are: Puget Sound Energy, 1-800-562-1482; Seattle City Light, 206-684-3800.