Around Alabama

6-7 Boaz October Harvest Festival in historic downtown. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 225 arts and crafts booths, food court, kids’ area with free inflatables, antique car show, festival pageant, daily entertainment, Moon Pie and RC Cola contests. New this year is an antique tractor and engine show. 256-593-8154 or search for the event’s page on Facebook.

6-8 Athens 55th annual Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention, on the campus of Athens State University. Bring the family and enjoy a uniquely American musical and cultural experience. Tickets are $17-$25. Tvotfc.org

6-8 Sylacauga Marble Valley’s ninth annual open house and yard sale. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. 2373 Coosa County Road 5 (Marble Valley Road.) Daily drawing (one ticket per person); food will be available. All yard sale and event drawing proceeds go to the Marble Valley Fire Department. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.

6-9 Gulf Shores 49th annual National Shrimp Festival. Concerts on two stages at Gulf Place all four days, plus shrimp any way you want it and a variety of seafood and non-seafood favorites. Arts and crafts vendors, sandcastle contest and 5K and 10K run. Myshrimpfest.com

7-8 Troy Pioneer Days, Pioneer Museum of Alabama. Craftsmen will demonstrate rope making, woodworking, spinning, jewelry making, Dutch oven cooking and more. $12, with museum members and children under 5 free. Pioneer-museum.org

8Eclectic 29th annual Alabama Cotton Festival, along Main Street, First Avenue and in the pecan orchard. More than 150 food and craft vendors, dog show, classic car show, art and photo contest and a free kids’ zone featuring inflatables, carnival games, face painting, the “chicken run” and more. TownOfEclectic.com

8Alexander City Oktoberfest, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex, 1685 Arena Road. Kid-friendly event with kids’ activities, live music, lots of vendors, food and more. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.

8-9 Eufaula second annual Eufaulafest, formerly the Indian Summer Festival, in the Seth Lore Historic District. Artists, designers, craftsmen and makers of all kinds will gather to celebrate the arts and things of the South. Eufaulafest.art

14-15 Hartselle 2022 Alabama Gourd Show presented by the Alabama Gourd Society, Sparkman Civic Center, 406 Nance Ford Road SW. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Kids’ patch, demonstrations, ribbon competition area, vendors selling gourds of all kinds and classes available. 256-347-9480 or alabamagourdsociety.org 15 Gantt Fall Fest 7, Pier 7 Road, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free family-friendly community event with live music, car shows, arts and crafts vendors, food, kids’ activities including BIMO the Magician and bouncy house, horse and buggy rides, community awareness programs and more. 334-508-2797.

15 Dothan Fall Farm Day at Landmark Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sponsored by the National Peanut Festival. See how peanuts were harvested in the Wiregrass nearly 100 years ago. Cane grinding, syrup making, butter churning, soap making and other traditional farm activities. Music, antique tractors, wagon rides and quilt display. $8 adults, $6 seniors and military, $4 for kids, free for park members and children 2 and under. Landmarkparkdothan.com

15 Waverly Fall Boogie No. 10 at Standard Deluxe. This festival of music, art, food and Southern culture features live music on the outdoor stage, including Mike and the Moonpies and Vandoliers. Gates open at noon; bring chairs and blankets. StandardDeluxe.com

15 Enterprise Boll Weevil Fall Festival, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown near the Boll Weevil monument. This free outdoor event showcases Main Street merchants and restaurants, handcrafted gifts, décor, art, festival food and more. Enterprisealabama.com

15-16 Cullman Peinhardt Living History Farm Day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn what farm life was like in the 1930s and 1940s in north Alabama. Hands-on activities as well as pumpkins, cotton, sweet potatoes, bluebird houses, apple pigs, wooden pegs, crosscut saw rounds and more. $10 per person; ages 2 and under free. 1711 Talley Ho St. peinhardtfarm.com

22 Montgomery Oktoberfest Festival, Messiah Lutheran Church, 6670 Vaughn Road. Live music, German and American food, pet adoptions, used book sale, treasure room, beer garden, arts and crafts, community marketplace, children’s play area, raffles and more. 2 to 6 p.m.; free admission. Search for the event’s page on Facebook.

29 Clanton Fall for the Arts, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center, 1850 Lay Dam Road. Vendors will sell handmade items and other treasures. Food, fun, gifts, appraisals (trash or treasure) and silent auction. Free indoor event. Chiltoncountyartscouncil.com or 205-245-9441.

To place an event, e-mail events@alabamaliving.coop. or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. You can also mail to Events Calendar, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124; Each submission must include a contact name and phone number. Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations.

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Insulation made easy

Q: What cost-effective improvements will make my home comfortable year-round?

A: It isn’t pretty, but insulation and air sealing typically provide the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to home energy efficiency improvements. When installed together, they can save you money and make a big difference in comfort and energy use.

Insulation rating

Insulation is rated in R-value. The R stands for resistance to heat transfer. The higher your R-value, the slower the heat transfer, or less wasted energy. There are several different types of insulation, including fiberglass batts, blown fiberglass, cellulose and foam. Each has its own R-value listed on the packaging. To determine the R-value of your existing insulation, multiply the number of inches by the R-value per inch for the type of insulation.

Insulation level recommendations are based on your geographic location. Generally, the colder the climate, the higher the recommended R-value.

Where to insulate

The typical locations for insulation are the attic, walls and floor. If you have a forced-air heating or cooling system, your ductwork should be insulated, too. You want a consistent thermal barrier around your home for maximum efficiency. A bonus to insulation is it can reduce noise from the outside of your home.

Attic insulation minimizes energy waste and can help maintain a more consistent temperature throughout your home. Combined with air sealing, it also can prevent ice dams from forming on your roof in colder climates.

Attics can be insulated using batts or blown-in insulation. Recommended R-values range from R-30 to R-60. If you use your attic for storage, you can build a raised platform with room for insulation underneath. Add insulation and weatherstripping to access doors or hatches.

Exterior walls and walls separating heated and unheated areas of the home—such as garages or enclosed porches—should be insulated to an R-value ranging from R-13 to R-21, based on your location and wall construction.

Wall insulation can be installed during construction or a remodel. If your home wasn’t insulated when it was built, you can have the insulation blown in by a contractor. Blown-in options include cellulose, fiberglass and foam.

Your home should also be insulated between the floor and crawlspace or unheated basement. If your basement is heated, install insulation in the box sills—the area between the foundation floor of the home’s main level.

Consider building and insulating the exterior walls in the basement or installing foam insulation on foundation walls. Check your local building code requirements. Recommended R-values for floor insulation range from R-13 to R-30. Also insulate heating and cooling ductwork located in unconditioned spaces to prevent energy waste.

Miranda Boutelle is the vice president of operations and customer engagement at Efficiency Services Group in Oregon, a cooperatively owned energy efficiency company. She also writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

Importance of air sealing

Think of insulation as a cozy sweater and air sealing as a windbreaker for your home.

You know that cozy sweater is no match for winter winds, so you need an extra layer to stop it from ripping through. The same goes for your home. Air sealing prevents drafts and air infiltration from outside. It can improve efficiency, comfort and indoor air quality. Air sealing can be done as a DIY project, but it is challenging to pinpoint and properly seal air leaks. Consider hiring a contractor to complete a blower door test and seal leaks. Typically, air sealing is done around plumbing and electrical penetrations with spray foam or caulk. If using spray foam around gas appliances, temporarily turn off pilot lights. Spray foam is extremely flammable.

Sheet metal and high-temperature heat-resistant caulk should be used to seal gaps between framing, chimneys and metal flues.

DIY considerations

If you are considering a DIY approach, protect yourself when going into spaces with insulation. Wear a properly fitted mask or respirator. Wearing a Tyvek suit and gloves also is recommended. Kneepads can come in handy and make the crawling more bearable.

If you are planning a DIY approach for air sealing, do your research about best practices for the proper home ventilation. Before going the DIY route, contact two or three local contractors for a project estimate. Sometimes the contractor can get cheaper bulk pricing on insulation.

Making insulation and air sealing a priority adds comfort, efficiency and savings to your home.