Category: Insulation Installation

You probably know you have several building insulation material options to choose from. But which one is best for your home or commercial building? After all, there are many significant benefits to some of the available options, while others can leave you wishing for more. Here’s a look at some of the key differences between spray foam insulation and other forms of traditional insulation installation in Northern California.

The main difference

Spray foam insulation differs from more traditional types, like fiberglass and cellulose, in that it’s an air barrier and thermal barrier all rolled into one. Traditional forms of insulation don’t provide any barriers to the flow of air.

Attic insulation options

Before upgrading your attic insulation, you want to be sure you are choosing the right type of insulation for your needs, energy efficiency and indoor comfort. Below are the three main types of insulation materials:

• Spray foam insulation: When it comes to easy-to-install insulation, spray foam takes the cake. This dense foam is applied onto the surfaces in need of insulation and expands to fill the space around it. Unlike rolled fiberglass and blown-in materials, foam seals air leaks and creates a barrier from moisture. Closed-cell foam is generally more rigid and hardens after application, while open-cell is spongy and a bit softer. If you need to access an area coated in the foam, it must be removed by cutting or scraping. Afterward, replacement is as simple as respraying the affected area. The foam will naturally close the gaps as it expands.
• Batt insulation (fiberglass): It’s generally pink, looks like cotton candy and is always itchy if you’re unlucky enough to get any on you—this is batt insulation. This is a tried and true solution to the needs of millions of American homes, but it has something to be desired when it comes to longevity, moisture protections and performance in nooks and crannies. It’s fairly easy to install and doesn’t require any curing time or special magic to get it working. If you need to work on an area with this type of insulation, simply roll it up and try not to let it touch your bare skin.
• Blown-in insulation: Blown-in insulation is another popular option these days, but it’s way messier than batt or spray foam insulations. Essentially, blown-in insulation is cellulose that is pumped into spaces like attics. Because it is largely made of paper, it isn’t great at sealing out moisture or killing air leaks once and for all. In fact, it does the exact opposite and can soak water up. This can mean wet material sitting around in your attic waiting to grow mold and cause rot. Working on an area with this insulation will require scooping it out by hand before work can proceed.

So, which is better? Talking to Ace Insulation Inc. is a great place to start. Not every house is an ideal candidate for every type of insulation, so be sure to do your homework before making an investment in insulation installation in Northern California. Otherwise, the wrong choice could have you regretting your decision down the line!

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.