If you’ve lived in your home for a few years’ worth of seasons and your home insulation is good, then you are well aware of how different the temperature can be when you are inside versus being outside. That’s because your insulation is of good quality—able to keep the heat out in the summer and the cold from entering in the winter. Other homeowners, however, may benefit from new residential insulation installation—especially with the cooler months approaching. Still not sure whether replacing your home insulation is right for you? Let’s take a look at the advantages of having spray foam insulation in Petaluma, CA during the cold winter months:
- Lowers heating bills: First and foremost, spray foam insulation can contribute to lowering your winter heating bills. In fact, you are sure to notice a significant decrease right away, and your furnace won’t have to work extra hard to maintain a consistent, comfortable indoor room temperature. That’s great news with the holidays coming up!
- Creates a consistent indoor temperature: In addition to spray foam insulation acting as a barrier to keep out undesired cold air, the insulation itself helps to create even temperatures throughout the house. This means that, unless you have a ductwork issue, there should be a consistent temperature in each room of the house. The wintertime benefit is that you will stay pleasantly warm.
- Keeps moisture out: Although mold growth is not as big of an issue during the winter as it is in the summer months, you do need to be aware of the potential for moisture. If there are leaks in the roof, ceilings, walls or flooring, you may run into problems this winter. The good news is that spray foam provides an airtight seal that lasts for years, even decades. It’s an exceptional moisture barrier, keeps water from getting inside and prevents costly damage. With a strong foam installation, there’s less worry when stormy winter weather arrives.
- Eliminates unpleasant cold drafts: Because spray foam insulation in Petaluma, CA is airtight, that means it gets into every crack and tiny corner of the area where it’s installed. Foam provides an incredibly high quality seal in any room, but works especially well in attics and crawlspaces where a lot of air can sneak in.
- Reduces noise: Spray foam has the ability to reduce noise from entering the room where it is installed. An exterior facing wall will block out a majority of any outside noise—like street traffic, loud neighbors, loud music and road construction. It’s also a layer of insulation in between individual rooms of your house, as well as the plumbing in the walls.
The fact of the matter is that you and your family deserve to be comfortable in your own home. If there are drafts coming in through walls, it’s consistently cold inside, moisture is building up in spots and you can hear everything going on outside, there’s a good chance your home insulation material is inefficient. Call the professionals at Ace Insulation Inc. for more information about the benefits of spray foam insulation in Petaluma, CA during the winter months—and all year round!
Although the fall season has just begun, there’s no better time than right now to consider the benefits of spray foam insulation installation for your home, or at least schedule a professional inspection of your current insulation materials. After all, insulation is the main barrier keeping the outside elements from entering your home, and you’ve gone through enough winters to know that chilly air is right around the corner. You may be wondering, why get new insulation when winter is still months away? Read on to learn more!
Here are six excellent reasons to install spray foam insulation in Petaluma, CA before winter comes:
- Let the furnace rest longer: Like having to turn on the air conditioner with the arrival of the summer heat, there’s no question that you will be reaching for the furnace thermostat here shortly. But there is a way to delay having to power up the furnace early in the winter season or during the cooler fall months. Make sure your insulation is in good condition and still able to do its job before the weather gets really cold.
- Expand home storage space: As winter approaches, so do the holidays. Let’s say you want to get some household stuff into storage—like boxing up warm weather clothes to make room in closets for winter attire—or you are anticipating picking up more holiday decorations this year. If you insulate your unvented attic properly, you will be creating extra storage space to safely store your possessions now and later.
- Reduce uncomfortable drafts: You may have noticed warm drafts inside your house this past summer, which means cold drafts are inevitable this winter. The key to ensuring you remain in a comfortable indoor living environment all year long is to install spray foam insulation in Petaluma, CA before uncomfortable cold drafts start.
- Keep hands and feet warm: Some folks choose to bundle up instead of turning on the heater. They wear socks, sweaters, fleece pants and even gloves to stay warm by choice. For those who have to bundle up when the heater is on, that means your home insulation may not be as efficient as it used to be. Get it checked early!
- Keep home improvement projects from piling up: Every homeowner has a to-do list that just seems to get longer and longer from one season to the next. If installing new insulation is on your list, call in the professionals to avoid having an unfinished project while hosting family for the holidays.
- Service appointments are still available: Insulation installers’ schedules will fill up fast in the colder months. Keep in mind they need to do an estimate before getting you on the schedule. Don’t wait to insulate!
If your home is poorly insulated or you’re dealing with old and inefficient insulation, then it is likely your household will experience things like cold drafts, freezing floors and an overall uncomfortable indoor temperature. Contact the experienced team at Ace Insulation Inc. to learn more about the benefits of residential spray foam insulation in Petaluma, CA!
If your attic is uninsulated, you’re simply letting heat and cool air pour out of your house. Attic insulation installation in Petaluma, CA can be a great way to make your home more energy efficient, and once you do it, you’ll notice the results on your energy bill right away.
Perhaps you’re asking, though, “What is the most cost- and energy-effective way to insulate an old attic?”
Here are some of the best options.
Loose-fill spray insulation
This is a great option for old attics, which often have irregular joist spacing (as batts are cut to fit regularly spaced joists). Loose fill is sprayed in, which means it can even work if your attic has existing insulation. The loose fill will be forced into whatever gaps are currently there in your insulation.
Your options for loose fill are:
- Cellulose: It’s made from recycled paper, and is probably the most common of all loose fill insulation. It can mold if not treated, and also has to be treated to be fire and insect resistant. But it’s an effective, inexpensive option, and excellent at limiting drafts.
- Fiberglass: It’s made of recycled glass that has been turned into fibers. It’s an excellent and easy-to-install insulator. It has to be put on much thicker than other loose-fill choices, as it settles quite a bit over time.
- Mineral wool: Made from slag from blast furnaces that have been spun into fibers. It’s naturally fire and insect resistant, but it’s also more expensive than both cellulose and fiberglass.
Batt insulation
If your attic is up to current code standards, batt insulation is a sound choice, as it’s already cut to fit perfectly in between joists and studs, and is easy to roll out and tack on. It’s easy to measure your attic to determine how many batts you’ll need to insulate everything, and easy to return excess batts if you have leftovers after attic insulation installation in Petaluma, CA, meaning you won’t waste money.
Your options for batt insulation are:
- Cellulose: Has the same benefits of loose-fill cellulose, with the added benefit of being easy to install on your own.
- Fiberglass: The long-time insulation standard. Fiberglass batts are an affordable way to insulate your attic.
- Mineral wool: Benefits are the same as with its loose-fill form, but it’s still more expensive than fiberglass and cellulose options.
- Wool: A really unique form of insulation. It’s 100 percent sustainable and natural, excellent at keeping in heat and cool air and naturally resistant to mold, as it’s very good at releasing moisture. It’s usually more expensive than fiberglass, but an excellent natural alternative.
- Cotton: Made from recycled denim, cotton is another excellent natural insulation choice. It doesn’t insulate quite as well per inch as wool, but is about on par with fiberglass. It’s more susceptible to mold than wool, and also needs to be treated to be flame resistant.
Spray-foam insulation
This is probably the best insulation option––especially if you’re refitting your attic to be lived in––but requires professionals to install it. It doesn’t need a vapor barrier or any help keeping it from absorbing moisture, and putting up sheetrock over it makes it more effective and safer to use.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for pros to handle your attic insulation installation in Petaluma, CA, give us a call here at Ace Insulation Inc. We install a variety of types of insulation, and can help you insulate or reinsulate your attic to save you money every month on your energy bill.
Good insulation helps keep your house warm when it’s cold outside, and cool when it’s hot outside. For a long time, fiberglass insulation was the go-to choice for home insulation, but with our society’s growing focus on going green, a number of more eco-friendly insulation options have gained in popularity.
If you’re in the market for insulation—say you’re building a house or refinishing an attic––and it’s important to you that your insulation be green, here are some of the best options according to your favorite source for insulation installation in Petaluma, CA:
- Wool insulation: This is an excellent and convenient green insulation solution. It comes in rolls just like fiberglass, so it’s just as easy to install. And unlike fiberglass, it’s easy on the lungs. You can install it without wearing protective gear. Obviously, wool is highly sustainable. It’s also an excellent insulator, and resistant to moisture and mold. It needs to be treated to be fully flame retardant, which somewhat diminishes its eco-friendliness.
- Cotton insulation: Similar to wool, it’s also sold in rolls, and is safe and easy to install. It’s often made of recycled denim, making it of very low environmental impact. It’s good at absorbing moisture and allowing it to evaporate, meaning it doesn’t often attract mold. However, it must be treated to become flame resistant. Also, it can be quite expensive, so it’s not always the best option for large, airy places.
- Cellulose loose-fill insulation: This is made from recycled paper. It’s a sprayed or blown loose-fill insulation. Because it’s a spray insulation, it provides a tight seal as a wall and attic insulator, preventing too many air leaks, which are a major cause of loss of heat/cool and higher energy costs. It’s about as effective per inch as fiberglass, very environmentally friendly and one of the most affordable insulation solutions around.
- Spray-foam insulation: This is sprayed on to about the thickness of paint and then expands to about 100 times that size, meaning it provides a totally airtight seal—so airtight that you’ll likely need to install a ventilation system if you use it. Icynene spray-foam insulation provides the energy-saving benefits of spray-foam insulation, with the green benefits of the other naturally sourced insulations, as icynene is made from castor oil and is a water-based foam. Unlike wool and cotton, however, it needs to be installed by a professional.
- Mineral wool: Mineral wool is made from recycled smelting slag, so its eco-friendliness is because it is recycled, not necessarily because of the material itself. Mineral wool is made by taking molten slag rock and converting it into fibers that are spun together into a wool-like insulation. Because of the treatment of the slag rock, mineral wool is naturally fire resistant, and doesn’t need to be further treated to prevent mold. It is also an excellent insulator. Mineral wool can be irritating to your respiratory system, though, so take care to wear protective gear when installing this material.
Since 2001, Ace Insulation Inc. has been on the cutting edge of eco-friendly insulation installation in Petaluma, CA. We’re a locally owned and operated insulation installation company, and whether you are building a new home or renovating your existing space, we are the team to call.
Did you know that your home insulation plays a huge role in your indoor comfort? When the insulation in your walls, attic and crawlspaces is properly installed, it provides protection against outdoor elements throughout the year. Insulation keeps undesired air from getting inside and throwing off your indoor living environment. It’s important to replace it when it becomes inefficient.
Unfortunately, the problem most homeowners run into is not knowing when their home insulation needs to be replaced. The best thing to do, if this is the case, is consult a professional for an inspection to assess the condition of the insulation. Fortunately, as a homeowner, you can also take some useful preventative measures. Here are five telltale signs of inefficient home insulation in Petaluma, CA to watch out for:
- Inconsistent indoor air temperatures: Two top signs you might need new insulation are the indoor temperature constantly changing and an inconsistent temperature in individual rooms. This could mean the insulation in the attic is shifting due to age or damage. Either way, insulation that has shifted will let in the cold air or heat, wreaking havoc on your HVAC system as it struggles to maintain a consistent indoor air temperature.
- Noticeable indoor drafts: If you are feeling air drafts inside your house when all the windows and doors are closed, then your insulation may need upgrading. You need enough insulation material to act as a block between the outside air and the indoor environment to avoid air leaks, which are often the result of poor insulation installation.
- Dependency on AC, fans or heater: Although body temperature regulation is different for everyone, there should not be a need to keep the heater, air conditioner or fans on all the time—that is, unless the insulation is failing to protect your house. Having to leave any of these on all the time to keep your home comfortable could point to a problem with your home insulation in Petaluma, CA.
- Wet or damaged insulation: There are many ways your home insulation can sustain water damage. The roof could have a leak; your home could flood during a storm; there could be a plumbing leak. Whatever the cause, the insulation is no longer usable and needs to be replaced immediately. If left unaddressed, the insulation will breed mold, mildew and bacteria, all of which are unhealthy for people to come into contact with.
- Increased energy bills: Compare your energy bill with your bill from the same time last year. Is there a significant difference between usage and energy costs? A rising monthly energy bill is a sign of inefficient insulation. This happens when indoor air escapes and the HVAC has to work harder than usual to maintain your desired indoor temperature.
It’s easier than you think to find the best insulation solution to ensure your indoor comfort and a consistent home temperature. If you are concerned about your home insulation in Petaluma, CA or are interested in replacing the current material, don’t hesitate to contact the exceptional team at Ace Insulation Inc. Call to schedule your appointment today!
