If you are a homeowner or business owner, you probably already know the basics of insulation: it keeps your building more energy efficient, it helps with temperature fluctuation and it can even improve air quality. But you might not be aware of just how effective insulation is, or where the concept even came from.
Here at Ace Insulation Inc., we are passionate about what we do, and we love sharing our passion with our customers. Here are a few interesting scientific and historical facts we have learned about insulation in Petaluma, CA over the years:
- Insulation was first invented in the Middle Ages, which took place between the 5th and 15th People lined the walls of their homes with mud, dirt and straw to help stay warm during the winter.
- Asbestos insulation was first created by the ancient Greeks, who were looking for a safer alternative to mud and straw. The word “asbestos” means “inextinguishable.” After finding out the harmful effects of asbestos in the 1970s, insulation services switched to using fiberglass and other, safer materials.
- Like many great inventions, fiberglass was originally created on accident. A young scientist was trying to make a vacuum seal between two pieces of glass, and tested his work with a high-pressure air jet. The air created fibers in the glass.
- Today, insulation is touted for being energy efficient. In fact, insulation is over 600 times more effective than other energy efficiency products, such as compact fluorescent lights, Energy Star windows and Energy Star appliances.
- Insulation is measured in “R value” meaning resistance to the flow of heat. The higher a particular insulation’s R value is, the more effective it will be in insulating your home.
- There are over 10 different materials currently being used for insulating purposes today. These insulation materials include but are not limited to the following: spray foam, blown fiberglass, cellulose, injection foam and many more.
- A home with proper insulation uses, on average, 42 percent less energy than a similar home without proper insulation. That energy savings translates to lower utility bills for property owners.
- Insulation does not only protect your home or business from harsh weather and excess energy use. It also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in your air supply. In fact, it is estimated that insulation cuts down on 780 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
- If you do not have insulation in your attic, your home could be losing up to 60 percent of its energy everyday.
The more you learn about insulation, the easier it is to see that this crucial material plays a big role in keeping your property safe, comfortable and affordable to maintain. From the Ancient Greeks and the Middle Ages to the present day, insulation has always been a useful and necessary innovation.
If you are in need of new insulation in Petaluma, CA, please get in touch with Ace Insulation Inc. today. We look forward to making your home or business more energy efficient.
As a local insulation service in Petaluma, CA, the team here at Ace Insulation Inc. is proud to have strong connections to the community that we work in. But does being locally owned and operated give us an edge over the competition? While some customers favor large businesses because they have larger marketing budgets or shinier gimmicks, our customers find that local businesses are more reliable, more friendly and a better overall economic option. With that in mind, here are six reasons why you ought to consider hiring a local insulation service in Petaluma, CA for your next insulation project:
- Better references: If you hire a company that has locations all over the state or country, then the references they post on their website or provide for you when asked might not have much connection to your community. But a local business will likely have referrals from your coworkers, neighbors, friends and other local folks whom you know and trust.
- Friendlier service: A nationally owned company looks at you and sees one out of tens of thousands of customers to be dealt with. Meanwhile, a local insulation service in Petaluma, CA looks at you and sees a fellow community member and a chance to continue being a part of the local business community. Would you like to guess which business is going to treat you with more respect and kindness?
- More consistency: Over the years, we have worked with many customers who have hired us repeatedly to complete different insulation jobs in their homes and businesses. Our employees’ familiarity with these properties allowed us to jump right in and do a quicker and better job. You will find the same consistency once you become our valued lifelong customer.
- Encourage competition: If only large, national companies existed, it would be pretty easy for them to have a monopoly on the entire market, meaning prices could skyrocket for consumers. Encourage competition and keep prices reasonable by hiring a locally owned and operated insulation company.
- Support the local economy: When you pay a local business for insulation installation in your home, that money will go toward paying local wages, which will then go to funding local projects and spending at other local businesses. This keeps the entire community financially and culturally strong. Large corporations, meanwhile, redistribute their profits at will, and most of it ends up at the top.
- Local character: Finally, we cannot exactly put a finger on what defines our local character. But we know that without the strong local business community in Petaluma, it just would not be the same place. Keep Petaluma unique and welcoming by hiring locally owned businesses to fill all your needs.
Whatever reason you have for supporting local businesses, the experienced team here at Ace Insulation Inc. is happy to serve you. We have been your locally owned and operated, reasonably priced and highly respectful insulation service in Petaluma, CA since 2011, and we cannot wait to help improve your home or business.
If your attic is currently cold, rickety and unusable, then you are sitting right under a complete waste of space—and money. While many folks have pipe dreams of building an entire addition for their homes, an attic is a fully attainable and manageable extra space that too many homeowners fail to consider as a possibility. But with a little hard work, a little money and the foundation of solid attic insulation in Petaluma, CA, there are few things you cannot do with your attic. Here are seven ideas to help get your creative juices flowing:
- Guest room: Hosting family and friends from out of town does not have to be a pain, especially when you have a nice, spacious attic to accommodate them. Insulation will help keep your attic clean and comfortable, and you just have to add appropriate flooring, paint the walls and provide the furniture. You might even have enough room for an entire family up there!
- Kids’ room: Having a living space just for the kids allows them some safe independence, and makes it easier for you to keep the regular living space clean and uncluttered. Whether you have little ones who like playing make-believe or teenagers who need a space where they can hang out with friends, and insulated attic is a great starting point.
- Home bar: Whether your dream home bar includes pool tables and beer kegs or wine racks and elegant furniture, you can have full control by converting your insulated attic into a space that is ideal for both relaxing and entertaining.
- Hobby room: If you have an intensive hobby like woodworking, loom weaving or model car building, then your family probably complains from time to time about how much space it takes up. An insulated attic will give you a space that is entirely your own, so you can spread out and truly enjoy your hobby.
- Home gym: Staying in shape is difficult enough without the added hassle of driving miles to the gym. Cut the excuses and maximize the convenience by turning your insulated attic into a home gym, complete with your favorite weights and workout machines.
- Music room: Whether you are a serious musician or just like to jam with friends from time to time, having a designated space for your passion will make it much easier to engage in. The proper insulation will ensure that you have the perfect acoustics as well.
- Home theater: Finally, a home theater will make it so that you never again have to wait in long ticket lines or spend $10 on popcorn. Again, insulation can help maximize the acoustics, as well as make the room comfortable regardless of the season. Escape into a comfy recliner and watch your favorite movie on a big flatscreen TV.
Your attic is the gateway to a whole slew of possibilities, and all you have to do is pick one—and then give Ace Insulation Inc. a call for high quality and reasonably priced attic insulation in Petaluma, CA.
A balanced and comfortable indoor temperature is the main reason homeowners use quality insulation products. But while selecting home insulation in Petaluma, CA may seem easy enough to do, there are indeed differences between the types of materials. Let’s look at spray foam and fiberglass insulation, which are two common options.
Spray foam insulation
- Versatility: Spray foam is the one insulation material that offers great versatility in your home. Did you know that this type of lightweight insulation was originally designed for and applied to military aircraft? Spray foam easily adheres to the surfaces it is sprayed onto, and unlike other insulation options, spray foam also stops air leaks—hence its popularity for aircraft use. Because of its spray-on application, it can be applied to open ceilings or in closed attics and walls.
- Energy efficiency: With proper installation, spray foam insulation is exceedingly effective at keeping in cool air or warm air and aides in reducing noise. Comfortable temperatures, little to no air leakage and less noise is all thanks to the insulation spray reaching and settling into every nook and cranny of a space. And according to studies dedicated to understanding energy savings, spray foam can help you save up to 40 percent on your home energy costs, leading to reduced monthly bills.
- Cost: The costs associated with new construction of a home or commercial building can add up quickly, especially since spray foam requires professional installation. While spray foam insulation is inexpensive, it is just as effective (if not more effective) as many other types of insulation materials, and it almost immediately proves to be a quality choice for your home or business. Also, if you have this insulation installed, check with the county you reside in to find out about a possible tax credit.
Fiberglass insulation
- Versatility: Since fiberglass is rolled out or blanketed into a space, it can be laid over an area and then cut to fit directly into different sized spaces. But an installer should be careful with their cutting so the shaped fiberglass can create a tight fit for temperature and noise control between beams, electric sockets and ductwork.
- Energy efficiency: Although less energy efficient than spray foam, fiberglass insulation is rather effective for homes that are not in areas where extreme cold is common. You can use it in the attic and interior walls for a moderate level of energy savings, making it a better option than having no insulation at all.
- Cost: Fiberglass continues to be a popular choice for home and commercial building insulation. The material itself is cheaper than spray foam, plus homeowners who prefer to do their own home improvement work have had success installing rollout fiberglass insulation themselves. When you do the labor, you save money on installation, but it’s important to consider your capabilities. Can you do the job right without having to call for help halfway through? Don’t use this project as practice—you may end up adding on the costs instead of saving.
When it’s time for new home insulation in Petaluma, CA, give the team at Ace Insulation Inc. a call for more information on insulation options like spray foam and fiberglass.
Hot summer days at the beach are fun, but hot summer days creeping into your home? Not so much! And what about cold winter nights? Since ensuring indoor comfort is a big part of owning a home, check that your insulation is up to date and in good shape for year-round temperature control. Here are four reasons why proper attic insulation installation in Petaluma, CA is more important than you may think:
- Heat retention: Nothing is more frustrating than the constant motion of having to get up to readjust your thermostat because your house is literally letting the heat escape. While this could be tied to a number of things—poor seals around doors and windows, single pane windows, drafts coming in from vents and chimneys—home insulation plays a substantial role in keeping precious heat inside your house. Gaps in attic insulation material, missing wall insulation and old or damaged insulation can substantially reduce the effectiveness of your home’s heating and cooling system.
- Cold air retention: If your home is not well insulated, it will not stay cool in the hot summer months, either. You may keep your air conditioner running day and night to maintain a comfortable temperature, but if the cold air is escaping or heating back up quickly, what’s the point? You will just be wasting energy, overworking your HVAC system and watching your dollars float away. If your home was built several decades ago, or you have no idea the state of the attic, it may be worth it to have an insulation professional evaluate and inspect your situation to determine if you need to upgrade to modern, more efficient insulation.
- Long-lasting: Measuring space in the attic that insulation will cover, getting expert recommendations and using the best material type for different areas—when attic insulation installation in Petaluma, CA is done right, there should not be a need for replacement anytime soon. Along with professional installation work, good quality insulation material can stand up to years, or even decades of hot and cold air circulating throughout your attic. Think about it: regardless of cost, if you are going to upgrade or replace any part of your house, invest wisely for your future as well as to boost the value of your property.
- Saving money: Over time, proper residential insulation is credited with saving homeowners between 40 and 60 percent annually when it comes to heating and cooling their homes. And the energy savings from running your heater or A/C less often is not too shabby, either. Too often, however, homes are not properly insulated and utility costs skyrocket. By ensuring your attic, crawlspaces and exterior walls have been well insulated with the right type of insulation material for your needs, you have great potential to make a substantial reduction in your annual utility bills.
If you are in the market for affordable attic insulation installation in Petaluma, CA for new construction or to replace old materials, contact the team at Ace Insulation Inc. today. We’ve got your attic covered!
