Category: Insulation Installation

No matter where you live, every homeowner knows that insulation is an essential element of every home. Insulation helps improve the integrity of your walls, keeps moisture out, reduces noise and keeps warm air in during the winter and cold air in during the summer. What most homeowners are less certain of is what type of insulation they should get.

Spray foam and fiberglass are two of the most common forms of insulation, and they both have certain pros and cons. At Ace Insulation Inc., your local source for insulation installation in Petaluma, CA, we’ve often discussed with our customers the differences between spray foam and fiberglass insulation. With our experience with this topic, we’ve decided to put together a homeowner’s guide to spray foam vs. fiberglass.

Cost

Fiberglass insulation is significantly cheaper than spray foam, although the difference in cost has been diminishing over the years. On average, fiberglass costs about $0.40 per square foot, while spray foam costs $3.

Installation

Fiberglass is also less expensive to install. It requires less special equipment and less expertise. In fact, in some cases, fiberglass can be self-installed, depending on your skill level and where the insulation needs to be installed. Fiberglass insulation can be purchased at most home improvement stores. While spray foam may cost more to install, it is ideal when insulation needs to be installed in hard-to-reach or cramped spaces because it can simply be sprayed into areas that are difficult to access.

Performance

While spray foam may cost more than fiberglass insulation, it also performs better. Fiberglass insulation is less effective than spray foam, particularly in extremely cold temperatures. Fiberglass uses air pockets to create insulation to help keep cold air out, while keeping warm air in. Spray foam, on the other hand, creates an airtight seal. Because of this, the temperature is usually more consistent throughout your home with spray foam. Spray foam can also help reduce your energy costs, since your HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Return on investment

Finally, which type of insulation offers a greater return on investment? While fiberglass costs less up front, it does not offer the same savings in the long run as spray foam insulation. Spray foam insulation not only reduces your energy bill, but it can also help reduce home maintenance costs, such as replacing your furnace or having to deal with mold and mildew problems. Spray foam insulation also lasts longer, which means you can save money on having to replace your insulation.

Overall, while fiberglass has a lower up front cost, both in product and installation costs, it does not offer the long-term quality of spray foam insulation. Which insulation you decide to go with depends on your long-term goals and budget. Regardless of which type of insulation you choose, Ace Insulation Inc. can help. We offer both spray foam and fiberglass insulation installation in Petaluma, CA. Just call us today to learn more or to schedule your installation service!

The fall is one of the busiest times of year for insulation contractors. We tend to get lots of calls from homeowners who want to get their insulation jobs done before winter hits, so they can keep their home temperatures better regulated without having to worry about heat and energy loss during the cold weather.

However, many homeowners do not have much knowledge about insulation in general, and what they should be looking for when purchasing and installing it. With this in mind, here are a few of the most important things every homeowner should know about insulation in Petaluma, CA.

Insulation does not prevent airflow leakage

There are some frequent misunderstandings about what insulation actually does. Many people assume that because insulation is installed in areas of the home where air tends to leak out, it blocks these leaks. The truth is that insulation really doesn’t do much of anything to prevent airflow leakage. Instead, it is meant to slow heat transfer.

Think of insulation as a tool that turns your house into a thermos. It keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, decreasing the amount of energy you have to expend to regulate those temperatures. Air can still get through the insulation, but the temperature transfer slows significantly.

You don’t always need to use vapor barriers

Vapor barriers are thin polyethylene sheets (or other materials, in some circumstances) that are designed to control how much water vapor gets into an attic or crawl space. Despite what most people think, they’re not always necessary. They’ll be helpful in particularly humid climates or those that see big temperature swings, but relatively dry climates that don’t see extreme temperature shifts probably can get by without.

You need to seal up your home before adding insulation

Remember how we said insulation doesn’t prevent airflow leakage? Well, that’s the job of sealants. Air sealing is a crucial process in preventing these leaks from occurring. You should hire a professional to go through some sealing processes in the attic and basement, as these are areas of your home that are most prone to air leakage. Sealing up walls in an existing home isn’t always practical, but there are still some areas you can seal, such as gaps between the foundation and siding, as well as corner joints and other exterior gaps.

You measure efficiency of insulation with R-value

One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing and installing insulation is its R-value—the unit of measurement for thermal resistance. This tells you how effective the material is at slowing down heat transfer, which is really the entire point of adding insulation in the first place. Just because a material is thicker than another material does not mean it automatically has a higher R-value—there are some materials that are simply better at retaining heat than others. Your area might have guidelines for the kinds of R-values you should be looking for in your insulation.

To learn more about insulation in Petaluma, CA, contact Ace Insulation Inc. today.

As a homeowner, you are all too familiar with the never-ending list of home projects and repairs that will all need your attention at some point. But deciding which of these are okay to do yourself and which ones are best left to the professionals is not always easy. For instance, home insulation installation looks like a simple process from the outside. However, it’s not a DIY project for many homeowners. You might be considering hiring a skilled contractor to save you time and money, but what else can they do for you and your home?

Here are some of the pros that come with hiring a licensed contractor to install insulation in your Petaluma, CA home:

• A contractor is organized and efficient:
  A top reason to hire a professional for insulation installation is efficiency. The installation process is not as simple as laying or spraying materials into the walls. With the help of a pro, the outcome of this highly technical work can be successful. Working with a contractor, you’ll have to decide what work needs to be done, the work schedule and your budget. This is discussed after they inspect the areas of your home that are to be insulated. Communication is key!
• A contractor takes care of inspections and permits:
  Ask to see the installer’s business license and proof of bonding and insurance. It’s important that the installer is legit and experienced, since wiring and plumbing are often exposed during inspections. Building permits can be confusing for someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. In the case of insulation installation, your contractor will obtain all the necessary permits. This ensures that your insulation project will be up to current building codes. Most of the time, permits are required for major installation projects (for example, if structural or mechanical changes will be made).
• A contractor can prevent home hazards:
  You might not have considered potential hazards and the health of your home. In many older homes (those built before the late 1970s), it’s not at all unusual to find asbestos in insulation products. Removing and agitating the material is likely to send asbestos fibers traveling through your house. For this reason, a licensed asbestos professional will come in to test your old insulation for this health hazard. The insulation pro you hire can help you choose the best insulation material that works best for your home and the region/zone you live in.
• A contractor’s work can lower your energy costs:
  When your home is well-insulated, you can bet money that you will see a reduction in your monthly energy bills, an increase in indoor comfort and fewer airborne issues like mold spores, bad bacteria, dust, pollen and other allergens. A properly insulated home contains heat during the winter and coolness in the summer. You’ll also experience more consistent air dispersal throughout all the rooms in your home because air is not escaping through cracks.

Contact Ace Insulation Inc. today to learn more about home insulation and the benefits that come along with hiring a contractor to install insulation in Petaluma, CA!