Thinking about insulation? Take a whole house approach to insulation. When contacting insulation companies for multiple quotes, homeowners often have done some research. If the research is misleading or not applicable to their structure, they can make the mistake of paying for an insulation treatment which yields little to no benefit. These 10 questions about insulation are in addition to the obvious top 10 you find on google such as:
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1. How can you help me identify moisture transfer, and is there a moisture issue creating a food source for mold?
2. How can you help me identify air transfer which is making the home drafty and making some rooms colder than others in winter and hotter in summer?
3. What are the existing types of ventilation, and how are they calculated?
4. What gaps in the pressure barrier ( building envelope) exist at present and what action can be taken to seal them?
5. Type of existing insulation, please identify the R-Value and Material?
6. Pros and cons of adding new over existing insulation?
7. Did you find or attempt to locate any entry points of critters, birds, bugs etc?
8. Did you identify and provide a solution for multiple air escape paths / routes?
9. What areas for improvement need to be completed by me the homeowner that your company does not provide paid services for?
10. Cost comparisons of different insulation materials and breakdown of costs and breakdown of sq ft treatment ?
Make sure to ask for bids to be submitted (in writing) with the following:
Ask the insulation contractors things like:
Tackling Air Leakage : Making your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter while lowering gas and electric bills.
Green Attic Insulation can insulation over the attic floor or between stud cavities of walls, but insulation cannot solve air flow. It can only prevent heat escape. Let that dominate the conversation through the remaining information.
Insulation and Air Leakage – Unintentional or Accidental Air Movement – Ask your insulator about air leakage.
Often referred to as draftiness, unintentional and accidental air movement account for a host of undesirable conditions, which can be treated and resolved. Green Attic Insulation has offered comprehensive whole house approach energy audits for many years now.
In the process our our years of case studies, we have compiled valuable information on the variables of creating a comfortable home. Some simple and affordable fixes, where the treatment plan would be similar for most homes on the block, and complex and seemingly insurmountable problems which took thermal and blower door testing. This being said, we are careful not to place a percentage on energy bill reduction without achieving meaningful improvements to strengthen the air barrier. Air sealing will stop air infiltration.
What do you absolutely need to know by the time you finish reading this? A stable, healthy, consistent, comfortable , and conditioned living space is the goal. Treatment of the air flow, heat flow, and moisture flow through the conditioned space are the clear objectives. Each of these three have a considerably different treatment application; however, some treatments may overlap reducing the movement of one while directly targeting another.
It is essential to break down these three types of movement into their own conversations and separate the diagnosis and treatment of each. This is a separate but equal conversation when discussing insulation.
Starting with Air Flow. Also referred to as the “pressure barrier” of the structure, air flow ( unintentional / unwanted air flow ) through the conditioned living space is the cause of over-running the furnace in the winter and cooling system in the summer.
Air Movement / Air Infiltration Methods Whole house approach identifying methods of Air Exchange ( per hour)
Insulation and Wind Effect – Think the flag in the yard blowing in the wind. Ask your insulator about wind effect.
Wind / Breeze creates a positive pressure on the windward face and negative pressure on the non-windward facing walls, which pulls the air out of the building. Wind causes infiltration on one side of a building and exfiltration on the other. Wind effects can vary by surrounding terrain, shrubs, and trees.
The most effective treatment would be a continuous air barrier around the entire exterior of the home. This is not achieved with more insulation between stud and drywall cavity.
We find the most vulnerable point of the structure is the seam between the foundation and siding. This can be achieved with exterior caulking or one part spray foam ( depending on the size of the gap and the aesthetics of the building material.
The untreated seams at the foundation level will result in cold first floors around the parameter of the home and cause substantially higher heating costs as cold air is being drawn in through breaks in the pressure barrier.
Wind defense is often overlooked due to seasonal restrictions. For example, the caulking around the window, doors, facia, and any other seams of the external structure cannot be done when the temps are below 40 Degrees per manufacturer recommendations for adhesion and proper curing.
So if a contractor meant to schedule the air sealing of the exterior and spring and never got around to returning, the homeowner ( while the home is new and beautiful) has a major air leakage problem, and resulting higher cooling and heating costs for many years to come.
Insulation and Stack Effect -Think Lava Lamp or Coffee Mug – Insulation ,the mug material, the lid is the ceiling.
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The “stack effect” is warmer air moving upward in a structure. This happens in summer and winter, but is most pronounced in the winter because indoor-outdoor temperature differences are the greater. Warm air rises because it’s lighter than cold air. The rising warm air creates positive pressure above, neutral pressure between, and negative pressure on the lower levels. Reduction in pressure in the base of the building, forcing cold air to infiltrate through open doors, windows, or other openings. The stack effect basically causes air infiltration on the lower portion of a building and exfiltration on the upper part.
Indoor Combustion and Ventilation – Indoor bath fans, dryers, range hoods, etc.
Mechanical ventilation air movement varies by device, and can cause substantial pressure differences. A common bathroom fan generates between 90-110 CFM ( cubit feet per minute , a cubic foot is about a basketball of air) , while a range hood over the stove can draw as much as CFM. These devices must be balanced with air intake or result in unwanted air flow through the building envelope.
Now having identified three types of air movement / air flow, we can separate treatment of the air leakage by targeting the same corresponding air movement paths. For example, partitions, pathways, and intersections of the exterior to reduce wind movement. In the attic top plates and wall to wall connections are sealed to significantly reduce stack effect. This includes recessed lighting, attic hatch or pulldown stairs. Openings around flues are flashed and fire-caulked to prevent stack effect though flu clearance framing.
Together we can ask better questions, raise energy consumption through heat escape awareness, improve ventilation, create healthier homes and happier families.
Insulating your home with the right insulation product for specific areas is one of the most crucial building components when it comes to energy efficiency. It also plays a vital role in protecting the structure as a whole. Installing the wrong type of insulation can lead to a reduction in energy efficiency, condensation problems, mold, fungus, water stains, and even rotting framing members and plywood sheathing.
It’s quite understandable that a lot of homeowners are lost when it comes to knowing which type of insulation product they should use to insulate specific areas of their home, such as an attic, walls, floors, windows, doors, and basements. They have a lot of questions about home insulation. This guide is going to take a look at the most frequently asked questions for home insulation and explain the answers in more detail.
Here are the top 10 questions most frequently asked by homeowners:
The first thing you need to know about insulation is what the R-value means. The R-value of any insulation product measures its resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value it has, the greater the insulation’s effectiveness and power.
Pro Tip: R-values can increase when used with other building components such as drywall, plywood sheathing, house wrap, and siding.
If you live in a warmer climate, you do not need to insulate the exterior walls of your foundation. Typically, a variety of sealants are applied to the exterior walls for waterproofing and dampproofing, and that’s generally all the insulation you need.
On the other hand, if you live in areas subject to deep snow and frigid temperatures, you should consider adding 2-inch foam boards to the exterior walls after the sealant is dried to maximize the R-value of your foundation before it’s back-filled.
The most common type of insulation for exterior wall cavities is fiberglass batt insulation. It’s been used in home construction for decades, and R-19 is typically the standard R-Value for fiberglass batt insulation. Fiberglass batt insulation is available with or without the paper facing, and it can be easily cut to fit into smaller crevices.
Cellulose and cotton are also good choices, and they can be applied with loose-fill or blown-in methods. Both materials can be used in the walls as well as the attic. Additionally, a relatively new application is spray foam insulation; it expands as it dries and creates a hard, thick foam.
The attic is the most important place to install insulation because heat rises; therefore, to make your home more energy-efficient, it’s vital to insulate the floor of the attic. Attic insulation also prevents condensation, bacteria, and mold from forming on your framing members and plywood roof sheathing.
Depending on your geographical location, the US Department of Energy recommends either fiberglass batt insulation or cellulose with R-values between 38 and 49 for attic insulation.
Insulation can be installed in many different areas of your home. House wrap that goes on before the siding can even be considered a type of insulation. When installing new windows and doors, a lot of homeowners are unaware that before the siding goes on, the perimeter of the window or door should be insulated with 6-inch self-adhesive rubber flashing. It drastically stops drafts from entering the structure and prevents interior heating/cooling loss.
Other areas of the home that should be considered for insulation include:
As mentioned above, there are several types of insulation available in today’s marketplace. When it comes to residential applications, cellulose and fiberglass batts are both standard and common types of insulation. Depending on certain factors such as your budget, geographical location, and R-value desire, other factors to consider include:
Pro Tip: Most homeowners who lack experience and knowledge have discovered it much easier to contact a professional insulation contractor for a home energy audit as opposed to just winging it. A professional insulator can quickly provide you with the best information on what types of insulation that you should be using as well as the total price for materials and labor.
It doesn’t take rocket science to install fiberglass batts; however, it does take specialized air equipment for blown-in or loose-fill insulation. Therefore, you will need to hire a professional insulation contractor for those two applications.
On the flip side of the coin, if you’re like the average homeowner, the idea of installing fiberglass batts is an itchy one at best, so most homeowners just let the contractor do the job.
There are generally a couple of good options. Home improvement stores and local hardware stores will offer the best in-person prices. Shopping online is another option; however, sometimes the shipping fees don’t make it very feasible. The best option is to utilize your insulation contractor’s connections.
Most insulators get their supply from the same sources as the big retailers; therefore, the savings can be passed on to you when you have them provide you with a written proposal for the materials and installations.
Several factors come in to play when insulating an entire structure. Some considerations include the number of floors, crawl spaces, attic design, location, and the number of square feet to insulate. According to Homeadvisor.com, the national average to insulate a home is between $1,400 and $2,300.
For example, let’s consider a small 500sqft DIY insulation project versus hiring the job out? The DIY cost could vary between $150 and $200, and for professional installations, you can add another $150 to $300 to the final bill. The total cost for material and labor for 500sqft averages between $300 and $500 for about 6hrs of work with the materials included, which by most people’s standards is quite reasonable.
There are several ways to find a qualified insulation contractor in your location. Perhaps, you may know of one or one of your friends happens to know one. It’s understandable if you don’t; therefore, your next option is to perform an online search for “insulation contractors near me” and view the top results. The top results will list the top vetted insulation contractors in your area; however, it also requires some research and time on your end.
If you’d like more information on insulating your home, fill out our contact form, and a member of our team will be in touch to answer any questions you may have.
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