The days are getting hotter and the air conditioners are starting to blow, which means it’s time to start thinking about how you can save on energy bills. For many families in California, summertime can mean significantly higher energy bills as the air conditioning works overtime to keep the house cool. Insulation is your best bet when it comes to keeping the cool air inside and the hot air out.
Luckily, there are a few easy ways to tell if your home is suffering from poor insulation. If your home doesn’t pass the following do-it-yourself inspections, then it’s time to call the pros at Ace Insulation today:
High monthly energy bills
Dig up your energy bills from the last few years to see if there are huge increases over the years. You may want to consult an insulation professional if you’re noticing quite a big difference over time.
Over time, the insulation in the attics and walls may have settled, making the insulation less effective. This lack of protection can cause the warm air to leak in. A qualified technician can easily add insulation layers to the inside of your walls, basement ceilings and underneath the attic.
Hot spots
During the hot summer months, certain areas of your house may feel a sauna as hot air seeps into your home around window frames and door ways. Inconsistent temperatures throughout your home can affect how hard your cooling system has to work.
If you’re noticing temperature variances of more than 10-15 degrees between each room, then it’s time to call an insulation company. A professional will use spray foam insulation to seal any cracks and crevices that may be letting in hot air. Not only will these help regulate he temperature in your home, it will also help keep your energy bills under control.
Bugs
Everyone knows that summer is prime time for bugs, but that doesn’t mean you want them in your home. Centipedes, mosquitoes and cockroaches can make their way into your home through tiny crevices and holes around doorways and windows. Like most people, these little pests are just trying to beat the heat. Unfortunately, these openings are also how warm air enters and the cold air escapes. Avoid calling the exterminator by sealing any openings with spray foam insulation in Petaluma, CA.
Excessive moisture in the attic
There’s a high chance that water in the attic or a dripping ceiling may be caused by insulation problems. Attics are the perfect target because the intense summer heat can cause moisture to condense in areas that do not receive a significant amount of air flow. The smallest amount of moisture in a poorly insulated area can lead to a big problem. Mold can even form if the area goes unattended for long enough.
If you’re seeing any of these telltale signs, then it’s time to call the professionals at Ace Insulation today. Our qualified team will make sure your family is staying cool all summer long.
Summer is quickly approaching, and it is sure to be another warm one here in California. During the months of June, July and August, most Petaluma residents consider their home air conditioner to be their very best friend. But overusing your AC can drive up your utility bills, and may even cause your unit to break down.
To avoid this fate, many smart homeowners look at a variety of different ways to stay cooler during the summer without overworking their air conditioners. As an insulation service in Petaluma, CA, the team at Ace Insulation Inc. wants to help. To that end, here are six tips for beating the heat this summer without killing your AC:
- Use fans: Air conditioners create cold air, but fans are what circulate that cold air throughout each room. If you do not have ceiling fans, consider installing some, or at least buying a few freestanding or desk fans for rooms that see a lot of traffic in your home.
- Take advantage of shade: Keeping your blinds down during those few peak hours of afternoon heat can help keep the worst of the summer warmth out of your home. If you are also looking for more long-term solutions, consider planting a few trees on your property to provide natural shade and cooler temperatures.
- Eat cooler meals: Choosing to cook and eat cooler meals, such as salads or chilled soups, helps your AC in two key ways: it keeps you from turning on the stove and oven, and it keeps your body temperature nice and cool. Eating cooler meals is also often a healthier choice, so long as you don’t just have ice cream for dinner.
- Get out of the house: During those record heat days, it can be tempting to stay at home all day with the AC cranked up all the way. But getting out for even a few hours gives your air conditioner a chance to rest, just as long as you remember to turn it down before you leave. Try bringing your whole family somewhere with ample AC, such as a movie theater, mall or restaurant.
- Have your AC serviced: If you want to make sure your AC continues to be up to the task for many more summers to come, you need to invest in routine maintenance. Have a fully certified HVAC professional come to your home at least once or twice a year for standard service.
- Invest in insulation: All of the above tips are great, but one of the most effective solutions for beating summer heat is having new insulation installed in your home. Whether your house is fairly new or over 100 years old, your insulation service in Petaluma, CA can provide affordable insulation to keep the hot air out, and keep the cool air inside.
Ace Insulation Inc. is proud to be a locally owned and operated insulation service in Petaluma, CA. Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help you stay cool this summer.
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.
