Category: Home Insulation

As you prepare to purchase new insulation for your home, you might be surprised at how many options you’ll have available to you. So how do you determine which choice is right? There are a variety of factors you’ll need to take into account.

Here are just a few things to consider when purchasing insulation in Petaluma, CA.

Are you building a new home or renovating an existing one?

If you’re starting from scratch with your insulation, then you don’t really have any limitations for your insulation type, as long as you meet the requirements of the National Construction Code.

However, if you’re adding insulation to a home that’s already been built, the job could be a little trickier. Most of the areas in your home that would house your insulation have likely been sealed off already. You might need to put holes into the walls and use blown-in insulation.

What materials is your home made out of?

The construction materials used in your house will determine your home’s thermal mass, which is an important feature to know for insulation as it indicates how much heat your materials can store.

What R-value are you hoping to achieve with your insulation?

For all new homes, there are minimum requirements for R-value, which is essentially the measurement of your home’s ability to retain heat. The R-value is measured by a wide variety of factors, so you need to have your plans assessed and determine if you need to make any improvements before construction begins. You want to have a high R-value for your home so you can avoid spending too much on your heating and cooling bills.

Improving the R-value of a home is also one of the reasons people most frequently upgrade their existing insulation. In older homes especially, R-value was not nearly as big of a consideration as it is today. Plus, the quality of insulation used in homes has improved significantly over time. While retrofitting a home with new and better insulation can be an expensive process, it can also be financially worthwhile in the long run when you factor in your energy savings.

Are you aiming to soundproof your home?

For people who live near a major highway, railroad or any other area that has a lot of background noise, the soundproofing capabilities of a particular type of insulation can be an important factor. You might also wish to soundproof specific rooms, such as home theaters or recording studios. How much soundproofing material and the type of insulation you’ll need will depend on how loud the noise is that you’re trying to isolate and how frequently you experience it. There are many types of commonly used insulation that have a certain level of soundproofing, but when you are aiming to block out as much noise as possible, it can take a little extra planning to make sure you meet your needs.

For more tips about purchasing new insulation in Petaluma, CA, contact the team at Ace Insulation Inc. today.

Whether you purchased an older home or contracted a new home build, one of the best decisions you can make is installing quality insulation materials for comfort and energy efficiency. With that in mind, let’s review the different types of home insulation in Petaluma, CA:

• Roof insulation: For some homes and buildings, it may be better to insulate the roof instead of the attic. This is considered a smarter option when you’re using the attic to store a lot of items, or if your home’s HVAC equipment is installed up there. As with attic insulation, the right amount of roof insulation will keep your rooms at a comfortable temperature throughout the year.
• Ceiling insulation: You might notice that your energy bills go up during certain times of the year, like in the winter and summer, even if you aren’t using your HVAC all that much. To avoid higher energy costs, make sure your entire home is properly insulated, including the ceilings. Ceiling insulation is an important factor when you want to protect the inside of your home from seasonal weather temperatures and changes.
• Crawlspace insulation: Oftentimes homebuilders forgo adding crawlspace insulation, or homeowners install the incorrect type of insulation for these types of spaces. Without quality insulation in crawlspaces, your home or building can quickly become uncomfortable during the colder and hotter months. Furthermore, unprotected crawlspaces can get damp, which can cause mold growth or wood rot. Talk to your insulation contractor about insulation that is specially made for crawlspaces to prevent moisture buildup.
• Attic insulation: If heat or cold air can pass through your attic’s insulation materials, then you are likely to see a significant increase in your energy bills. You do not want a poorly insulated attic because, when heated interior air rises, like in winter, heat is lost through attic air leaks. An insulation expert can tell you whether you have air leaks in your attic, as well as seal off discovered leaks and either replace or add attic insulation.
• Floor and wall insulation: Insulating your home all around is the most effective way to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. You should have insulation on all sides of the house, including the ceilings, roof and basement walls, but especially under your flooring and within the walls. Unfortunately, though they’re important types of insulation to install, wall and floor insulation are often overlooked.
• Duct insulation: Your home’s ductwork is out of sight, so making sure it is properly insulated can be difficult. Most commonly, you’ll find un-insulated ductwork in your attic, crawlspace or basement. Keep in mind that the ductwork will usually have the same temperature as these mentioned spaces, meaning your ducts have to heat up or cool down before heating or cooling your home—your HVAC will have to work much harder! Quality duct insulation will increase the comfort of your indoor living environment and improve energy performance.

For more information about the different types of home insulation in Petaluma, CA, feel free to call Ace Insulation Inc. We offer quality insulation options and provide exceptional installation services!

When considering what to do for your next home improvement project, take a moment to assess your insulation situation. You will need to schedule a professional insulation inspection, but it’s worth it since insulation plays a major role in overall home comfort all year round. For now, here are the top benefits of proper home and building insulation in Petaluma, CA in spring and summer:

• Efficient cooling: While a properly insulated house keeps the heat inside during the frigid winter months, it also maintains coolness during the warmer months. In other words, because the transfer of heat slows, it keeps the heat out during the summer. For this reason, an insulated home allows for way more efficient cooling than a home with poor quality or insufficient insulation in place.
• Improved indoor air quality: The spring season is such a beautiful time of the year. The sun is out, flowers are blooming and the breeze is pleasantly cool, but those suffering from seasonal allergies tend to be a bit less excited about the pollen produced by blooming trees and plants, and understandably so. To maintain healthy indoor air quality in your home, make sure that you have sufficient insulation in place. Insulation can prevent allergens and air pollutants from passing through into your home. Also, remember to change your home’s air filter each month to ensure cleaner indoor air.
• Better comfort: It’s not unusual for some areas of your home to be better insulated than others. You can observe this when the temperature is more comfortable in some rooms. This can lead to uneven cooling, as unwanted heat gain can compromise your comfort, as well as put excessive strain on your air conditioner. Hire an exceptional team of insulation technicians to ensure your overall comfort at home this spring and summer.
• Prevents air conditioner burnout: The quickest way to need air conditioner repairs—or a unit replacement—is to run it hard for long periods of time. Making things even worse is having insufficient or poor quality insulation in your home, or not sealing up your home against air leaks. All these things leave you reaching for the thermostat all the time, though this might not help improve the indoor temperature much. Too much stress on your air conditioner can shorten its lifespan. And the filter will get dirty quicker, which affects the indoor air quality in your home.
• Lower energy bills: Sure, if you have a central air conditioner you will want to use it when the warmer months arrive. But you don’t want to rely solely on your air conditioning system for indoor comfort—proper home insulation and air sealing helps out greatly in this area. Running your AC less often or on a less powerful setting will significantly decrease your energy usage, thus lowering monthly energy bills and saving you money.

Do you think you can benefit from new or improved insulation in Petaluma, CA this spring and summer? Call the residential and commercial insulation professionals at Ace Insulation Inc. today to learn more!