Today, homeowners are looking for environment friendly house, along with Eco-friendly insulating options. There are wide varieties of insulating materials available in the market, and being a homeowner, you can choose from among fiberglass, blown, and even spray foam insulation. In the recent days, the popularity of the blown in cellulose insulation has increased because it is very Eco-friendly option for homes.
In fact, your entire house can be insulated with the help of this material. Right from the exterior walls to the ceiling and walls of the garage to even the floor can be insulated with the help of this material. There are many homes that have the problem of dams, especially in colder regions. The Blow in insulation has been designed in such a manner so that it can easily reach the corners of the corners of house and seal the leaks.
There are several reasons for which the blown in insulation can be considered to be the ideal option.
- It can be applied tightly in case of any leaks in the piping system, wiring or outlets. This in turn, can prevent the air leaks compared to the any other material like fiberglass. Being made of post-consumer, recycled paper and mostly newspapers, it is completely Eco friendly.
- It offers high R Value that can increase the comfort level in your home. Moreover, it can also largely reduce the use of different appliances thereby reducing the electricity bills.
- Compared to any other full proof insulation, this is certainly a cheaper option for you to invest.
- Blown in insulation is very easy to apply compared to fiberglass or any other insulating material that takes significant time for the installation.
- If you hire a professional expert for installation, you can be assured that they would install it easily and appropriately.
EcoStarFoam.com is a leading service provider that can help you in installation.
About the Author
Star Spray Foam Insulation is locally owned and operated by Brad Harris. Our Office is located in New Orleans and operates in the Gulf South region to include Biloxi to Venice. Baton Rouge to Houma. Brad Harris has been a residential builder since 1996 and has a complete understanding of Residential and Commercial business and considers the most efficient and effective means of accomplishing the job under any circumstances.
Home insulation has many benefits. For one, it is cost effective. At the same time, you get to help the environment by saving energy. In other words, it is a guilt-free way of adding comfort to your home. As far as the general cost for insulation is concerned, there are a couple of things that you should know about.
Naturally, warm air flows toward space that is cooler. When you insulate your home, this process no longer happens. Insulation slows down the flow of hot air from indoors to outdoors during winter. Then it slows down the flow of hot air from outdoors to indoors during summer. This is the main reason why an effective insulation can reduce a huge amount of cooling and heating costs.
The cost for home insulation is generally based on the materials used and contractors. Before you begin setting up a budget, you have to first consider the level of R-value or thermal resistance that you need for a particular space. Know that a material with good insulation capacity has higher R-value.
Aside from the quality, there are other variables to consider when it comes to determining the cost of insulation. For instance, if you are planning to hire a contractor for the project, you will have to consider the labor cost. Most contractors charge based on the standards that you are expecting as well as the climate and size of the area.
On the other hand, there are do-it-yourself materials available in the market. Prices for these materials vary. Although technically, you may be able to save a considerable amount of money should you decide to do it yourself. However, a contractor may be more knowledgeable when it comes to this type of project. If you do not know anything about installing insulation, then you better get a professional to do it for you. Mistakes in installation may cause problems in the long run.
Aside from the cost, you should also think about other things that should be included in the project. For one, you may want to weatherize your home. Understand that there is no point in insulating if there are leaks and unsealed areas in your home.
Before you invest on the project, you should also consider the structure of your home. Installing insulation is only recommended to houses that have no prior insulation. At the same time, it should be added if the floor, attic, and wall cavities will be exposed due to a remodeling project in your home.
If you are thinking about getting discounts, there are a number of utility companies that offer programs or rebates. These programs help encourage homeowners to use effective insulation. Not only does this project help you save up money. It also helps the community by minimizing the energy consumption in your area. In a way, you are helping preserve the environment.
There are many major manufacturers that provide environmentally-safe methods and materials for your home insulation project. The best part is they help save the general cost for insulation. At the same time, you can check out contractor referrals to make sure you get quality service.
For expert solutions, talk to a professional at Star Spray Foam Insulation through calling (504) 383-3261 or visit EcoStarfoam.com.
Roof insulation protects the roof from harsh weather elements, such as rain, snow or wind, for the purpose of controlling the temperature within your home. Basically, roof insulation is done to prevent these elements from affecting the temperature inside your home, thus helping you minimize your energy consumption.
Roof insulation is recommended for people living in areas that experience four seasons each year. By insulating your roof, you can experience the following benefits:
- Comfort- Insulators can trap warmer temperature inside the house, thus creating a tepid environment within the house despite the drop of the temperature outside your dwelling.
- Saving/energy efficient- As a domino effect of trapping warmer temperature, there’s no need for temperature regulator devices within the house so it will entail savings from electric bill and appliance procurement.
- Noise resistant- Houses with installed insulators are more peaceful as it not only traps temperature but also noises from outside.
There are three types roof insulation, and these are fiberglass insulation, cellulose fiber insulation, foam insulation. Fiberglass insulation requires the use and installation of fiberglass in rolls and sheets. Meanwhile cellulose fiber insulation requires use of recycled paper treated with fire retardant while foam spray insulation requires use of foam spray usually applied in the undersides of the roof and fills the gap in and between the tiles. While all these methods protect the roof from damage caused by rain, wind or snow, and traps cold air inside a home during the summer months and warmth during winter, spray foam insulation is preferred by many because it is more efficient and offers long term benefits.
Foam Spray Insulation for the Roof
Foam spray insulation is considered the most efficient insulation methods for the roof for it protects the roof from harsh outdoor elements such as wind, rain and snow, as well as pests and moisture.
This type of insulation works well for the roof because it covers the entire roof with no gaps, making the roof astonishingly air tight as compared to other materials. The best thing about this insulating procedure for the roof is that it does not alter the look of your roof, thus you won’t have to spend more money for reconstructing your roof or house just to properly seal it. With foam insulation, the foam is only applied beneath the roofing material to seal the room so that cool air from your air-conditioning unit does not leak out during the summer months and cool air from the outside during winter cannot get into your home. This way, you can save a lot of money with this roof insulation method in the long run. Aside from this benefit, you will also enjoy tax incentives, depending on your state, for availing this environmentally friendly procedure.
Aside from the economic benefits it offers, this roof insulation method also prevents moisture that can facilitate growth of molds inside your house. This keeps you and your family safe from health risks that molds can cause.
Cellulose insulation is an organic material used in homes and buildings to provide proper protection and comfort. There are a lot of different choices for insulating a home such as fiberglass and spray foam, however cellulose is becoming much more popular due to its performance and other characteristics that the others don’t have.
One of the most enticing things about cellulose insulation is the fact that it is an organic and recycled material, which means it is safe to use. It has no harmful effects on people and the environment. Performance wise, it is at par or even better than other materials and it’s cheaper.
The building industry has been using fiberglass as the main insulation for structures. However, it doesn’t really do a great job and it’s not very flexible. In response, spray foam was invented. It is a great insulating material that can envelope an entire house or building thus effectively increasing the comfort inside for people. It has a lot of practical characteristics however, it contains toxic chemicals.
Basically cellulose insulation has the same practical properties as spray foam insulation. It is easy to use and it can be deployed fast. In terms of R-value or ability to resist heat, dense packed cellulose has 4.0 R-value per inch, spray foam has 3.67 R-value per inch, and fiberglass only has 3.2 R-value per inch. Simply speaking, cellulose can resist heat better.
Cellulose insulation also has the ability to wick moisture which is something that fiberglass isn’t able to do. This is important to avoid water damage on the property.
Another area that this material is particularly good at is air infiltration. Densely packed cellulose is able to block outside air from coming into the house through cracks and other holes on the wall, floor, windows, or door of the home in the same manner as spray foam. This creates better air circulation in the house and keeps temperatures consistent.
When it comes to sound proofing, cellulose insulation performs far better than both fiberglass and spray foam. As a matter of fact, most music studios today opt for this material for sound proofing. Music bars and clubs also choose this material for the same purpose.
On top of all the performance advantages of densely packed cellulose, it is a far cheaper option for insulation compared to other materials and it has far less risks. As mentioned earlier, it is a non-toxic material. Compared to spray foam, it also does not expand radically which may cause bulging on walls.
When it comes right down to it, insulation is a very important part of any building or home. It is responsible for keeping the place comfortable by blocking outside temperatures, noise, and moisture from entering the house. But the efficiency of insulation is dependent on what material is used. Although there are a lot of choices in material, the reality is only a handful can really perform the job well. And only cellulose insulation can offer almost all of the advantages of these materials at a lower cost.
For expert solutions, talk to a professional at Star Spray Foam Insulation through calling (504) 383-3261 or visit: EcoStarfoam.com.
One of the most important home fixtures that must be considered is insulation, which is a method of keeping cold air and warm air from leaking out. In a recent study, forty six percent or almost one half of the total electric consumption of an average American household goes to heating and cooling of the house alone. That’s a lot of money, which can actually be saved if your house is properly insulated. With a properly insulated home, you won’t need your HVAC units constantly to maintain the thermal comfort in your house.
One of the most important parts of the house that needs insulation is the wall mainly because the wall covers the most part of the house. Thus, when it is properly insulated, your energy consumption can be significantly reduced.
Wall Insulation: Benefits and Types
Like roof and attic insulation, wall insulation helps keep your house sealed. With a properly insulated house, you won’t have to constantly use your heating or cooling system to regulate the thermal comfort in your home. This indeed clearly represents a lot of money saved, in addition to the obvious fact that it can lengthen the life of your HVAC units.
There are several ways to insulate your wall, but one of the most popular and widely used today in wall insulation is foam. Foam wall insulation comes in two types: foam board and spray in. These materials are often used interchangeably, but the fact is that they differ and both have their own pros and cons.
Rigid foam board insulation is also an efficient way of sealing your home and maintaining your home’s thermal comfort. The problem with this type of wall insulation , however, is that it tends to be a fire hazard and thus should not be installed without installing a proper fire protection or without consulting a professional. This is why many people go for the blown-in wall insulation, which is good for sealing crevices or cracks. This type of insulation is often used by professionals for interior wall insulation. While this works wonders on your energy consumption, the drawback of this application is that many areas can be missed. This is why it is of utmost importance to hire a professional energy auditing firm to make a thorough evaluation of your home and determine all aspects of your home that need foam wall insulation.
Although initially wall insulation may seem expensive, the cost for insulation is actually worth it, with all the long term positive effects you may enjoy from insulation. In addition to decreased energy consumption and savings, you may also enjoy several tax incentives from the government for employing such “green” techniques in your home. Just check your state guidelines on this and see how much tax benefits you can enjoy from having your wall or home insulated.
For expert solutions, talk to a professional at Star Spray Foam Insulation through calling (504) 383-3261 or visit: EcoStarfoam.com. Star Spray foam Insulation is one of the top firms that offer insulation services in New Orleans.
Technology ushered in a plethora of things that make people’s live easier. The things which were once unthought-of such as thermal imaging technology are now slowly becoming household names due to their relevance in the day to day lives of almost all individuals. Thermography, as another term for thermal imaging, is widely used in military operations because it provides the armed forces with vision even in extremely dark places. But the use of this technology is no longer confined within military activities alone as it has been applied in house or building maintenance, too.
Thermal Imaging in Home Energy Auditing
This technology is now also being used in home energy auditing, an essential method necessary before insulating a home. Aided by thermal imaging cameras, service providers can now determine the areas where heat transfer is unbridled or where air leaks are severe so that necessary actions such as insulation can be employed. This device displays images represented by temperature and detects infrared radiation which is emitted by almost all objects. As radiation increases relative to the temperature, warmer objects are highly visible compared with cooler ones. So determining which area needs the immediate attention is done in no time.
With the help of thermal imaging, it is easy to locate or determine which part of your house needs insulation. In fact, thermal imaging is even still necessary even after roof insulation or attic insulation. With the help of this technology, you can determine whether your house is properly insulated or not.
In addition to determining which part of your house has holes or where air leaks, this tool is also used alongside a moisture meter to determine presence of moisture or water ingress without the need to cause any damage to the building and before it becomes visible to the human eye. With this tool, you can prevent growth of molds inside your home, which can pose threat to you and your family’s health. Of course, using thermal imaging, you can also prevent molds or moisture to cause further damage to your house.
Thermal imaging is a very efficient and accurate method, thus you are assured that you won’t be spending money for insulation that you do not need. The home energy auditing process can also be made faster with thermal imaging. In fact, using this tool, an auditor can complete home energy auditing in a few hours. Thus, when selecting an energy auditing firm, make sure that they use thermal imaging as this method assures you accurate evaluation.
Proper evaluation of your home is an essential step to proper insulation. When evaluation and insulation are done properly, you are not only assured of savings on your energy bills but also a more efficient moisture management, and better thermal comfort.
For superior house insulation and home energy auditing services in New Orleans, one of the top companies to go to is New Orleans Spray Foam Insulation. Talk to a professional from this firm now by calling 504-383-3261 or visiting 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.
To prevent heat from leaking outside your home during cold months and prevent cool air from escaping out into the hot summer nights, you need to have your home well insulated. You may choose from a variety of insulation solutions and services available in the market these days, but blown-in cellulose insulation is one trick that really works. It’s your best option to make sure that you have all areas around the house covered, especially with all those tight and unreachable surfaces.
Here are some common sense tips that professionals do when they install blown-in cellulose insulation inside your home. Knowing them can be worth your while.
1.You may think that you can handle the job yourself, but if you are equipped with the knowledge on how to pull this particular stunt, your finished work would be unfortunately less superior when compared to how the professionals do it. Generally, they come into your home armed with all the knowledge and experience that they have learned through the whole time they were in the business. These days, you can get hold of a number of highly skilled insulators and insulation companies who were properly trained for this kind of job.
2. With that settled, these skilled insulators can now commence their insulation tasks by preparing your attic. They do so by determining the exact coverage requirements through making careful measurements in the length and width of total space in your attic. Getting exact square footage figures of the attic determines the amount of cellulose needed to complete the job. Keeping your attic access-free is vital during the operations to avoid accidentally blowing cellulose on top of it. What they do is to situate cardboard materials all around the access.
3.As with any type of insulation procedures used today, keeping all insulation materials away from fixed and recessed lighting fixtures is very important. They utilize flashing components just to block out those recessed fixtures, maintaining a safe distance of air space between the flashing and the fixture. They also install these metal flashing components all around heating fixtures, including chimney flues and other fixtures that function to generate and give off heat all over the area. Good air circulation is also important during and after the operation. They employ chute materials and staple them over vents to maintain the air circulation.
4.When ordering cellulose, determining the costs is made convenient by the charts posted in cellulose bags that list the amounts of material needed. This is in accordance to specific coverage areas and their corresponding desired R-values. Once the necessary computations and cellulose purchases are made, work can begin right away. The materials will be blown into the prepared attic space using specialized blowers.
5.Insulation specialists utilize tape measures in gauging the thickness of the cellulose that is blown into the designated area. Professionally, they work their way around in one direction: from the farthest area going to the attic access. Cellulose material is blown around chutes over the vents for proper coverage all over the attic.
These are the important procedures in the blown-in cellulose insulation operation. This is one of the best ways of protecting your home against the harsh elements outside.
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.
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. Molds 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 Makes 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.
Star Spray Foam Insulation is locally owned and operated by Brad Harris. Our Office is located in New Orleans and operates in the Gulf South region to include Biloxi to Venice. Baton Rouge to Houma. Brad Harris has been a residential builder since 1996 and has a complete understanding of Residential and Commercial business and considers the most efficient and effective means of accomplishing the job under any circumstances. Call for your FREE consultation Today – 504-383-3261
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