For people who live in areas where the neighbors can get too noisy at times, sound deadening can help solve the problem. It is not uncommon for us to experience noise in both our work and personal spaces.  However, this can eventually lead to long term problems such as stress and increase of tension within the home. Noise also interfere communication which may endanger production in the workplace. More importantly, external noise can contribute to internal noise and affect a person psychologically.

Sound deadening, also known as soundproofing or sound insulation, can help ease the problems brought on by too much unwanted noise. Buildings with rooms that are closely attached to each other such as condos should have walls that are soundproof.

There are many ways in which sound can be reduced. Sound deadening is a way of creating noise barriers so that the energy of the sound waves are either reflected or absorbed. The practice of exterior soundproofing has been around since the 70’s. It has become common in the United States primarily on areas that are close to major highways. This protects residents from the roadway noise that are oftentimes very loud and disturbing.

Different materials are used to block off noise. A combination of masonry, earth, and wood are the most common. Since its popularity in the 1970’s, the technology for soundproof materials has improved. In fact, education on noise standards has been prevalent lately.

According to the standards, residential noise limits should be around 60 dB during daytime and 55 dB during nighttime. These limits have helped in litigating builders and sellers who do not follow accepted noise levels for adjoining units. This policy is mainly based on the growing demand for better privacy in condo units and other establishments.

The standards have been set so it is better to address the issue during construction. This is much cheaper compared to correcting it afterwards. The accepted construction technique today prioritizes sound abatement. This means sound deadening methods are being applied in most major and minor buildings today.

A room where noise and vibration are controlled has decreased coloration and resonance. For vehicles, sound insulation means less engine, exhaust, and road noises. If you are planning to resale your vehicle, soundproofing will help increase its value.

There are different types of soundproofing or sound insulation products that you can choose from. There’s the composite, damper, barrier, and absorber. The most common among these types is the damper. It is usually used in vehicles to lower resonance and absorb vibration. The absorber, on the other hand, absorbs sound waves in the air. Unlike the absorber, the barrier blocks sound waves. Finally, the composite offers the best result among the different types. This is due to the fact that it is a combination of the different types mentioned.

It is true that sound deadening can add expenses to a construction. At the same time, the effects are not as evident since it is not reflected on your monthly bills. However, the benefits transcend visible outcomes. For more information about these sound insulation,  visit EcoStarfoam.com.

When it comes to insulation, one of the most important things to consider is the R Value. This basically indicates the efficiency of the material in improving a home or building’s comfort. It is a measurement of how well the material is able to resist heat flow. Basically, the higher R Value an insulation material has the more effective it is at what it does.

Determining how high the R Value one would need in optimizing the energy efficiency of a home would happen during energy auditing. This is perhaps the most crucial step in optimizing the energy efficiency of a home or building. Through this process, all the details of what needs to be done are determined. From materials to be used to where improvements should be made, all of these things can be pre-determined through a proper energy audit.

Another factor in what R-Value to use for insulation is of course, the weather. If the home or building is located in warmer climates, then materials with higher R Value are required. In this way, the walls, door, windows, roof, and floors are able to resist the heat flow better and maintain a cool atmosphere in the home or building.

The climate plays a huge role in determining the material to use based on R Value that you need. But that’s not the only factor. The type of cooling or heating system used inside the building is also very crucial to determine what material to use.

After the energy audit has been done and all of these factors are configured in, there are several materials to choose from for insulation. Of course there’s wood, fiberglass, and blankets. Although these materials perform okay, they are not really ideal when it comes to improving energy efficiency for several reasons. One, they are not easy to work with in filling cavities, gaps, and cracks. They are also difficult to work with when you need to insulate the roof or attic. Secondly, they do not have high R Values as well which means they do not provide good house insulation.

Now, there are particular materials that work well in these situations. One of the most popular choices today is cellulose insulation. This is a very flexible material which can be easily applied between walls, in attics, the roof, and almost anywhere that you might need it. The great thing about this material is that it can simply be pumped into the area it is needed and it is able to properly cover the entire area.

On top of that, cellulose insulation has better R Value compared to any of the other materials previously mentioned. It is perfect for keeping a home or building warm during winter and cool during summer. It has slowly become the most popular choice for builders and owners because of these characteristics.

If you want to see firsthand how effective and efficient this material is when it comes to insulation, get to the nearest phone now and call (504) 383-3261 for more details.

When it comes to insulations, there are two factors that must be taken into account: air flow and moisture. The rate with which air flows into your homes will determine how stuffy or cold it will be because air from the outside will naturally carry whatever temperature is predominant. On the other hand, moisture dictates how healthy a home is. This is because molds and bacteria thrive in moist environments so your chosen insulation system should be able to reduce the presence of moisture in your home. Of all the insulation systems available today, the spray foam is the most well known because of its ability to control both factors mentioned above. But choosing the right contractor can prove to be such a daunting task. If you are in New Orleans, go with a local New Orleans Spray Foam Insulation contractor.

The Contractor Knows the Predominant Weather Condition in Your Vicinity
The density of your spray foam insulation depends on the predominant weather condition. The sub-tropical climate in New Orleans means that you would need an insulation system that reduces the transfer of moisture from the outside environment to the inside your home.

Further, choose a New Orleans Spray Foam Insulation contractor who is well-knowledgeable on the theory of weatherization. Weatherization is the process of protecting a building from direct sunlight, precipitation and wind in order to reduce the consumption of energy. According to the Department of Energy, applying the principles of weatherization to properly seal a home can help save energy of up to 32% . So if your contactor lives in the same district as you, he or she would know firsthand how to seal your home properly.

It is Easy to See Samples of Previous Work
With a local New Orleans Spray Foam Insulation contractor, you can easily see samples of their previous work and know their past customers’ feedback on their services. Also, if you see any problems with the work done, you can easily call the contractor up for redoing the job.

It’s Cheaper
Compared to using the help of contractors that are from other districts, selecting a local spray foam insulation contractor will more likely charge you less because they would not need to travel to get to you. Getting a quote is also faster and easier and if you happen to have common acquaintances, you might even some get discounts and/or extra work done free of charge.

Some Contractors Invite a Trained Energy Specialist to Your Home
Most local New Orleans Spray Foam Insulation contractors have friends who are trained energy specialists. Hence, the specialist could make recommendations and even estimates of energy savings prior to the completion of the installation of the spray foam insulation system.

Choose a Local Contractor Who Is More Concerned About the Environment
Choose a contractor who is concerned of the environmental impact of the material that will be used. One environmentally friendly material that he would likely use is a polyutherane product that is made of at least 8% agriculture materials.

Keeping in mind the tips above will help you choose not only an affordable New Orleans Spray Foam Insulation contractor but also a professional who can offer you and the environment long-term benefits.

Former U.S. vice president Al Gore launched a 24-hour multimedia event on September 15 to revitalize his campaign on raising awareness about global warming. Ever since Gore premiered his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” the increasing temperature of the earth has become one of the hottest issues on the face of the planet. Just recently, Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist Dr. Ivar Giaever served his abrupt and controversial resignation from the American Physical Society (APS). This is after the APS released its statement that “global warming is occurring.”

Global warming refers to the ongoing and definite rise of temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. Gore has shown in his documentaries how scientists have determined that global warming is largely caused by human activities. These include rampant deforestation, serious pollution, and burning of fossil fuels – all causing the rise of greenhouse gases concentrations and trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Global Warming and Your Home
The consequences of global warming can be encompassing, such as wildfires or glacial meltdowns. But its most instant and noticeable effects is felt by the ordinary citizens right inside their homes.  Hot air and rising temperature can greatly lower the quality of life inside your residence. Fortunately, there are projects you can undertake, such as home insulation, to make life a little more comfortable – with or without global warming.

When talking about the worth of your home, there’s another variable to consider aside from its financial value: the R-value. This figure reveals how well your home is properly insulated, making it sufficiently resistance to heat flow. A correct R-value means your property receives the right temperature and ventilation. It means enjoying a host of other benefits that keep your home a comfortable, healthy place to live in.

Ensuring R-value
To figure out the right insulation process for your home, you need to consider factors such as your heating, cooling and ventilation systems, the structure of your house, and the climate in your location. After taking in this information, you can now decide on the type of insulation, and its material and dimensions (i.e. thickness, density). Types of insulation include concrete block, rigid foam, loose fill, reflective system, sprayed foam, structural insulated panels, among others.

To ensure the type of insulation will be effective in resisting heat flow, you will need to be certain that it is properly installed. There are reference guides you can look up to match the insulation type with your requirements. Better yet, you can ask help from certified professionals to help you with this project.

Among all types of insulation systems, experts recommend the use of spray foam insulation. Aside from guaranteeing your home is well-cooled and ventilated, spray foam offers other benefits. It adds a layer of support to the house structure. It keeps dust and foreign air particles away from your interiors. Plus, it helps you save on energy costs as your heating, cooling, and ventilation systems become more efficient. In the end, proper house insulation makes for a sufficient R-value that reflects the quality of living in your home.

Lately, more and more people are opting for foam for home and building construction mainly because of the long-term benefits it offers. Today, there are two main types of foam to choose from: open cell insulation and closed cell insulation. But because have their own advantages and disadvantages, it is essential  to first learn about what these services are and which one is best for you.

Both types are use the same materials and work in the same manner. They trap air or gas in a plastic matrix to create a foam wall for insulation. The differences between the two types start with the blowing agents used with the foam.

Blowing Agent
With open cell insulation, the blowing agent used to achieve reaction is water. This will react with the air inside to create CO2. The air bubbles created expand the material until it sets. The same reaction is made with closed cell insulation. However, it uses HFCs as a blowing agent. So basically the open cell is the greener option between the two.

Weight
Because CO2 expands quickly, the bubbles formed usually burst before the plastic actually sets hence the term “open cell”. The result is a lightweight and spongy foam substance that weighs is 0.5 pounds per cubic foot. The closed cell foam, however, is heavier than its counterpart weighing in at 1.7 to 2 pounds per cubic inch. It uses a chemical blowing agent that turns from liquid to gas. The bubble doesn’t burst before the plastic settles hence a denser product.

R-Value
The R-Value of a material basically refers to its ability to reflect heat. Higher R-Value means better insulation. In this area, closed cell beats out open cell insulation. Although the latter has an R-Value of 3.6 which is the same with most materials, closed cell insulation boasts of 6 per inch.

That being said, open cell foam is a better choice for hot or humid areas for roof insulation. However, when it comes to overall performance in insulation, the closed cell is a better choice especially for walls and flooring.

Cost
Because it uses more materials, closed cell insulation is 20-30% more expensive for the same thickness than open cell foam.

Overall Comparison
When it comes to advantages, closed cell insulation is better at R-Value, overall strength of the material, and resistance to air and water vapour leakage. However, it is denser and more expensive. Open cell on the other hand is a lighter material to work with and performs well in hot and humid areas. Also, it is worth noting that open cell produces a bit more jobsite waste compared to closed cell.

In cases wherein thickness and R-Value is important, then the insulation of choice should be closed cell foam.On the other hand, if these characteristics are not the main consideration, then the open cell foam is the better choice considering that it is a lot cheaper.

Overall, it is difficult to say which foam is better. There are situations wherein closed cell insulation is the better choice while open cell insulation is also great at certain circumstances.  To learn more, call (504) 383-3261 or talk to an expert at EcoStarfoam.com.

Building insulation refers to the process that utilizes low thermal conductivity to sort out and separate internal climate and sounds within building structures from that of the climate and sounds from outside. This then brings us to cellulose insulation, which is that plant fiber used on wall and ceiling cavities for the purposes of separating the thermal and acoustic elements within the structures from those outside.

Cellulose insulation has a lot of important uses in the home, especially in keeping it warm from the cold nights outside and keeping cold air from escaping out into hot summer nights. Here are the top benefits of cellulose insulation that you might want to know.

1. Thermal Performance
Compared to other insulation procedures, loosely filled cellulose functions better in terms of thermal performance. The thermal conductivity of such loose fill cellulose arrangement is about 40 mW/m·K, or an R-value of about 3.8/inch. This barrier is just as hard as rock and glass wool, or probably much better. There is more though; its thermal performance features are well affected by how well the building is enveloped and sealed from all the air infiltration, thermal bridging and connective airflows.

2. Long-term Savings and Cost Considerations
Compared to other conventional methods like foam insulation, the cellulose insulation procedure may present a much lower R-value for every inch, but at the same time is much less expensive. This is one good reason why this particular insulation procedure is much better and feasible compared to others. Also, cellulose qualities in the insulation process have the potential to save homeowners about 20 to as high as 50 percent on utility bills. This is very handy especially if you consider long-term implications.

3. Sound Insulation
The cellulose material is fully capable of achieving sound insulation. Since this particular material is well able to fill all areas especially those hard to reach portions, it prevents sound from coming through small air pockets that sound supposedly travels with. Cellulose material is also well able to trap air. It is proven much denser than fiberglass.

4. Mold Prevention and Pest Control
The borates used in the cellulose insulation procedure provide for an effective control over molds and prevent them from spreading. There have been reports that months of water saturation after post insulation procedures never resulted into the manifestations of molds over.

5. Fire Retardation
Again the borate treatment allows the cellulose materials the highest possible fire safety rating (Class I).  This prompted companies to utilize a blend of borate and ammonium sulfate.

Various Insulation Methods That Make a Difference
Wall, floors and ceilings within your home will never be without obstacles and cavities like air ducts, plumbing and especially wiring systems running around. For insulation to work effectively, all areas must be absolutely covered.

The cellulose insulation procedure is the perfect method to have all those obstacles covered so your home can achieve that perfect insulation that will surely protect your home and your family against the harsh elements outdoors.

Give us a call at (504) 383-3261 or talk to an expert at EcoStarfoam.com.

An energy audit is the first step towards a new and improved home or business. This is the method of assessing a building on how it can use less energy while staying efficient or even more efficient than before.

Most people may not realize it but the fact of the matter is, an average home or building consumes more electricity than it has to. One of the main causes of this is gaps and cracks on walls, floors, the attic, and roof. Basically what happens is that the air inside leaks outside. This leads to a less comfortable temperature inside. Either it becomes too cold or too hot. The tendency of people when this happens is to crank up the air conditioning or heater unit to make it more comfortable again hence using more energy.

Quite frankly, this is a huge waste of electricity. But, with energy audit, this can be completely avoided. What this does is check for areas to improve in the home or building. Cracks are covered, doors and windows optimized, and the entire structure is optimized with insulation. These will keep the conditioned air inside from leaking out and unwanted air outside from leaking in which causes an imbalance.

Thermal Imaging to Perform Better Energy Audit
It is not easy to spot areas where insulation is most needed when it comes to an energy audit. Temperature is not visible. So, the solution to this is to make use of thermal imaging.

Thermal imaging is a very powerful tool when it comes to energy auditing because it allows for a clearer view of what the home or building needs. In using it, the auditor will be able to find exactly where the leaks are and where spray foam is needed the most.

With the use of thermal imaging, energy audit can be done in a faster and an even more efficient manner. This is why it is recommended for any person who wants to have business or home energy audit services done to ensure that this technology is used to get the best and most accurate results for your energy efficiency improvements. With energy auditing, you will be able to save a lot of money. With the help of thermal imaging, you can save even more. This can really help home owners and business owners a whole lot.

On top of saving on utility costs, an energy audit can also lead to huge benefits in tax. Federal and local governments also give incentives to homes and businesses that take the initiative to go green. This is a way to promote a cleaner and better environment for all. At the same time, this is a way for people to help in their own way to protect the Earth and save some money in doing so.

Today, thermal imaging has become one of the most powerful tools in making a building or home safer, greener, and more cost efficient. In using this during, it will lead to huge benefits and incentives. If you want to enjoy the benefits of energy auditing, then it’s time to call (504) 383-3261 today.

The new trend in business today is energy auditing. With the rise of public concern regarding environment protection, energy audit is a welcomed service to keep homes and buildings more energy efficient and cost effective. Basically, in this process, a building’s energy consumption and factors that affect it is assessed by an expert in insulation and construction. Energy auditors then make recommendations, based on the findings, on how to make the building more energy efficient. This is done through various improvements including roof insulation with the use of spray foam and replacing particular materials among other things.

So, the main goal of energy auditing is to create a more comfortable indoor atmosphere. In doing so, the owner spends less money on heating, air conditioning, and other comfort utilities. And because of the money that can be saved with this service, this process has become really enticing to several business owners.

It is no secret that businesses in the United States today are looking for several ways in order to save money and make a profit. With the hits the economy is taking, more and more businesses are closing down. It is time to make changes. It’s time to take steps to save as much money as possible if you want your business to stay afloat. That being said, energy auditing offers this solution.

As mentioned earlier, one of the key factors why people go for an energy audit is the fact that it can lead to a lot of savings in terms of utilities. But, it doesn’t end there. Once your business establishment has been properly audited and the improvements are implemented, not only will it be much more comfortable, it will also be safer as well.

Due to foam insulation, gaps on walls, roofs, and floors will be filled up. No conditioned air will leak out. But this also means that no dust, particles, and germs from the outside will get in as well. In the long run, energy auditing makes the air inside your establishment cleaner and safer for you, your employees, and the customers. This is particularly helpful for restaurants and other businesses that need to keep their operation space clean and free from potential hazards.

By staying clean, businesses can also save on medical bills for employees and ensure the safety of customers.

Whether it’s a hotel, restaurant, retail store, or office space, each one of these businesses can greatly benefit from proper energy audit. This will lead to a cleaner, safer, and more cost effective business establishment which any owner will appreciate. But, it still doesn’t end there.

The public always appreciate a business or company that takes importance in keeping the planet clean and safe. That in mind, through these improvements a business can boast about being clean and green. This can translate to more customers, more sales, and a better overall image in the eyes of the public; and of course, that never hurts.

If you want to enjoy the benefits an energy auditing service offers, just give a call to (504) 383-3261 for accurate energy audit or talk to an expert at New Orleans – Efficient Energy is Better Business- Energy Auditing a Business Establishment