Useful Tips for Home Weatherization

Posted by Home Weatherization Comments Off   Sep 28, 2011 @ 04:09
Useful Tips for Home Weatherization1 Useful Tips for Home Weatherization

When it comes to improving a home’s energy efficiency, home weatherization is one of the best options today. This is the process involves various techniques and materials with the goal of improving air circulation and consistency. In doing so, the less energy is wasted and the homeowner will be able to save money on utilities.

According to a study conducted by the US Department of Energy, an average home has about half a mile of cracks on the wall. This can lead to air leaks and outside air getting in which disrupts the natural air flow inside the house. When that happens, the air inside the house loses its conditioning thus making it either too hot or too cold depending on the outside weather. This will lead to the homeowner cranking up the heat or air conditioning unit to counteract the effects thus wasting more energy. All of this can be avoided through proper home weatherization.

In performing this process, the first thing an individual has to do is to find key problem areas in the house. This can be done through the use of blower door testing to check if each door leading outside is a major air leak source and through insulating the walls. Basically you have to inspect each part of the house for major leaks including windows, ceilings, and floors along with doors and the walls.

Once the problem areas are identified, the next step in home weatherization is to provide a solution for each one. The simplest is caulking which can be applicable to windows, doors, walls, and cracks. In plugging cracks and holes, it is best to make use of foam insulation which is a specialized material that is perfect for these kinds of situations.

For single pane windows, it is best to replace them with storm windows. This will perform better at preventing air leaks and keeping air consistency due to a higher R-value.

If a home has a chimney, it is best to keep it closed when not in use. This is designed to let smoke out and if it stays open, warm air will keep pouring out.

A homeowner can effectively improve the comfort and energy efficiency of a house through these steps. However, for an average person, home weatherization can be a complicated matter. In fact, most people who try to do this on their own end up with a less than admirable job. If you want to get the best results out of weatherization, it is ideal to get the services of an expert.

Today, there are a lot of different companies offering this service for homes and buildings alike. It is best to consult with them since they can provide a better report and solution to each individual structure. These people have studied the process of weatherization closely and they are the ones who have the most experience in getting the job done in a more efficient manner. Simply put, if you want to get the most out of home weatherization, get an expert to do it.


Top Reasons to Consider Home Weatherization Service

Posted by Home Weatherization Comments Off   Sep 27, 2011 @ 06:09
Top Reasons to Consider Home Weatherization Service Top Reasons to Consider Home Weatherization Service

Home weatherization service is starting to become the next big thing when it comes to green home improvement. It has a lot to offer for any homeowner in the United States. This is basically the process of finding and fixing cracks on the wall and other possible areas where air leaks out of the house. The goal is to maximize air flow inside the home through a series of improvements and repairs. Today, experts believe that this industry is bound to boom in the future simply because it is innovative and beneficial. That being said, listed below are the top benefits this service can provide a homeowner.

Improve Home Comfort
With weatherization, the comfort of a home can be doubled. An average home in the United States would have half a mile of cracks on the wall according to the Department of Energy. This causes the conditioned air inside the home to leak out, hence making a room too hot or too cold. With home weatherization service however, this will never happen. It ensures that proper air circulates properly inside the house and not simply leak out.

Increase the Value of the Home
Simply put, home weatherization service is a green home improvement. Because of that, having this service done increases the value of the house which is always a good thing.

Increase the Lifespan of the House
Another huge advantage of this service is that it is able to increase the lifespan of the house itself as well as the things inside. Weatherization is able to prevent the build-up of molds and mildew, which can permanently damage the foundations of the home. At the same time, molds can also damage anything made of wood and also lead to decay. By preventing them from appearing in the first place, the house is preserved.

Health Benefit
Not only does weatherization protect the home and the items inside, it also makes the house a healthier place to live in. As mentioned, home weatherization service can prevent the build-up of molds and mildew which can also lead to respiratory problems. This process allows air inside the house to stay clean and free of dust and other harmful particles.

Environment-Friendly
According to the Department of Energy, a typical home wastes 32% of its energy. Weatherization optimizes that which results to less energy consumption. That leads to less carbon footprint, less pollution, and overall, a greener home.

Cost Efficient
In line with consuming less energy, the homeowner will be able to save money on heating and air conditioning costs. Thousands of dollars can be saved simply because of weatherization.

Government Incentives
A homeowner can save money in more ways than one with home weatherization service. Federal and state governments encourage people to go green. By spending on weatherization, the homeowner becomes eligible for various tax and cash incentives from the government.

Conclusion
Weatherization can truly benefit an average home in many ways. It makes a house a cleaner, safer, and more comfortable to live in. At the same time, by taking up home weatherization service, you can save thousands of dollars and receive incentives from the government as well.


Tips in Choosing the Right Home Weatherization Company2 Tips in Choosing the Right Home Weatherization Company

Acquiring the services of a home weatherization company can be the best thing any homeowner could do. It is one of the best ways to conserve energy since basically, this process aims to capitalize on the energy a house generates. This is done through fixing the cracks on the wall and optimizing doors and windows so that conditioned air will not leak out of the house. In this way, the homeowner will be able to save money on electricity and heating. On this alone, an average home can save up to 32% of their heating costs according to a study conducted by the US Department of Energy.

The problem now is looking for and hiring the right home weatherization company to do all the work for you. Of course, there are some things to look at before making a decision.  It is always a good idea to check the background of the company first and get as much information as you can.

Credibility and Reputation
One of the main things to look at is the credibility of the company. This would usually go hand in hand with how long the company has been in business, but considering that this industry is very young, it will be difficult to rely on age alone. So when it comes to credibility and reputation, the best thing to do is to ask around. Check the internet for reports and comments regarding a particular home weatherization company you are looking at. By doing so, you will get an idea on how they do business and if they are worth the price.

It is also a good idea to ask around for referrals regarding a good company to hire. If you can, interview some of the homeowners who have hired the same company you are investigating.

Knowledge
When it comes to weatherization, the key thing here is the company’s knowledge about the topic. If they’re not experts in this field, then it would be the same as doing it yourself. The proper home weatherization company knows what they are doing on the field, and they should know what to look for and how to fix particular problems.

Equipment
In line with knowledge, the company should also have the right tools to use in order to get the job done. They should not only know what to look for, but should also be equipped to fix it and know how to do it in an efficient manner. They should be able to perform caulking, blower door testing, sealing, and other types of weatherization techniques to ensure that the home is properly optimized.

Weatherization is a growing industry. More and more companies are opening up to offer this service to homeowners. It is important to know who to choose in order to get the service you deserve. If you are not careful, then you would simply be wasting your money. But choose wisely, then the home weatherization company will prove to be the best improvement you’ve done for your house.


Sealing the Air Inside a Commercial Establishment A Good Business Move Sealing the Air Inside a Commercial Establishment – A Good Business Move

The use of cellulose insulation has a lot of great benefits not just for residential homes, but for commercial spaces and businesses as well. Basically, this can lead to an improved atmosphere indoors making it much more comfortable for people and safer as well.

The first step before applying insulation in a commercial building or space is energy auditing. This refers to the method of determining how to best improve the airflow inside a building or room. An energy auditor checks on walls, doors, windows, and basically any barrier that leads to the outside. This is an important step before applying cellulose insulation so that they know exactly where it is most needed. The idea of an energy audit is to initially determine how to completely seal off the establishment from outside air. This is done because leaks are the main cause of wasted energy. What happens is that when there are cracks on walls and leaks on windows or doors, the conditioned air produced by air conditioners or heaters inside the establishment simply leaks to the outside. At the same time, outside air gets inside the establishment. This destroys the balance of temperature which results to wasted energy.

Benefits of Energy Auditing and Insulation
So, what business owners normally do is simply to crank up the heat or air conditioner to keep the establishment comfortable for the customers. This turns to huge electricity bills in the long run. But, with cellulose insulation, you never have to worry about this ever again.

What’s great about this material is that it efficiently blocks heat from passing through it. So, by placing this inside walls, on the windows, on doors, and on every leak or crack, the airflow inside the establishment is maintained. Nothing is wasted, no air leaks out, and no unconditioned air gets inside to ruin the balance. Because of this effect, business owners will not have to spend a lot of money in operating heaters and air conditioning units. This is particularly helpful in hotels and restaurants wherein the customers should be as comfortable as possible. And this material is the way to do that.

On top of keeping the commercial establishment comfortable, cellulose insulation is also able to keep it safe and healthy as well. You see, dust and other unwanted particles can easily get inside commercial establishments through these cracks and gaps on the wall. This basically pollutes the air inside the establishment which can be very dangerous to the customers. So, to keep people safe, proper insulation is essential.

All in all, by turning to energy auditing and the use of insulation, businesses can be greener, healthier, and most of all, save a lot of money on utilities. It has become the latest trend nowadays simply because it is a great way to save money and create and better image for the business.

These benefits are an arm’s reach away.  All you have to do to get cellulose insulation is to call Brad Harris at (504) 383-3261 right now.


A Simple Guide on Various Spray Foam Insulation Equipment A Simple Guide on Various Spray Foam Insulation Equipments

Today, almost every house owner is focused on making their homes more environments friendly and economical. One of the simple ways is to insulate the house properly so that you can control a high volume of energy wastage. The traditional method of fiberglass insulation has been outdated and other types of insulation have been found to be more efficient that the older method. One of them is Spray foam insulation, where two liquid chemicals are mixed together to create a foam as a result of the chemical reaction.

Spray foam insulation is generally applied using specialized equipment which needs to be handled only by trained, experience and professional teams. The equipment may be a plural component proportioning equipment, prepackaged cans or large pressurized bottles. The liquid chemicals are usually stored separately in fifty five gallon drum sets, and when ready to use, they are transformed to the specific equipment with the help of transfer pumps. The chemicals come together only in the spray gun, where they gets mixed to create the foams.

When purchasing the proportioning machines, various factors need to be considered such as, the type of the drive system, pressure and the output capacity, electrical system and the heating capacity of the machines, as these factors can directly affect the minimum and maximum lengths of the hoses to be used. The drive system helps the pumps to move in all four directions, while the metering pump controls the proportion of the materials to come out of the spray gun.

Even though pneumatically driven systems are available at lower costs, good companies prefer hydraulically driven systems due to its high performance. The technology of impingement-mixing is commonly used for mixing the chemicals in almost all the spray guns. Once the two chemicals come in contact with each other, the chemical reaction occurs on the spot and the resultant foam will come out of the spray gun. This foam will get hardened within ten to fifteen seconds and all the materials should be used from the gun as soon as it is ready.

If not, the material will get solidified in the gun and it will become useless. The process which prevents this action inside the spray gun is termed as ‘purging’. There are mainly three types of purge systems that is used in the spray guns namely, air purge, mechanical purge and solvent purge. When applying the spray foam insulation to the roofs, it is not possible to lift the machine along with its auxiliary parts to the roof and that is where the hoses are used.

For the proper processing, the spray foam needs to be heated to a temperature between 140 degrees to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, which is done by the pre-heaters in the proportioning machine. When applying the spray foam insulation to the roofs, these chemicals are delivered to the spray gun using a heated hose, which has the capability to maintain the liquid chemicals at the right temperature till they come into contact for the chemical reaction. All these can be handled with ease by professional contractors who are well experienced in this field.

Looking for one such contractor? Give a call to 504-383-3261 and if you get Brad Harris online@ www.ecostarfoam.com


Three Types of Spray Foam Insulation

Posted by Spray Foam Insulation Comments Off   Sep 05, 2011 @ 07:09
Three Types of Spray Foam Insulation Three Types of Spray Foam Insulation

Spray foam insulation is used in homes as an alternative to the fiberglass insulation. Each house is built in a different way and hence the type of insulation required for each house is different. Generally there are three types of spray foam insulation, namely, half pound foam, two pound foam and three pound foam. A half pound (0.23 kg) spray foam, commonly known as open cell spray foam, is the cheapest as well as the most popular type of spray foam insulation that is generally preferred by the house owners.

In most houses, it is mainly applied as a primary insulation material for the walls in order to reduce the airborne sounds from getting transferred through the walls. For example, the sound in a music class will not disturb the other class rooms if treated with half pound spray foam insulation. It has a very low R-value due to which it is not an approved type of foam insulation for fume and vapor control. Two pound (0.90 kg) spray foam is popularly termed as closed cell spray foam and it has a much higher R value than that of a half pound spray foam.

It is mainly used in small buildings for the insulation of tanks and walls, where fume and vapor control is essential. Three pound (1.36 kg) is the most expensive among all the three types of foam insulation and it is generally used for roof as well as attic insulation. It has a higher R value of six, which means that it can trap those gases that are denser than air. Three pound spray foam insulation is more beneficial to people who live in hot or dry climatic conditions, as it maintains the temperature in the attic within a limit of 12.22 degree Celsius of the room temperature.

For the same reason, three pound spray foam insulation is a disadvantage for those living in cold weather as the moisture will get trapped in between the roof and the insulation which can cause the roof to get rotten over a period of time. Even though the type of foam to be used is an important matter, more important is the installation process. Hence it is important to get an experienced team to do the spray foam insulation process for your house.

Don’t go for the price alone, as the companies which offer lower quotes may be using low quality foaming materials which cause the insulation to deteriorate in a very short period of time. It not only wastes your time, but also your money. Spray foam insulation can be applied to a new house as well as to an existing house.

If you are still confused what type of spray foam insulation is best for your house, just relax, because Brad Harris, with his extremely professional team is waiting for your call to provide you with a wide range of guaranteed cost effective services with regard to the spray foam insulation process. What are you waiting for? Simply dial 504-383-3261, and then, just sit back and relax!