Spray foam insulation is a polyurethane foam widely used to insulate walls and ceiling in homes and offices. A spray foam insulation is the best way to protect your homes or offices from severe hot summers and extremely cold winters and to reduce your energy cost remarkably and significantly. This foam performs a dual role of acting as an insulating material and as an air sealer. It is a mixture of isocyanate and a resin which combines to form an expanding foam that is sprayed to fill the cracks and cavities.

It is a liquid polyurethane which after application dries into a hardened foam. Being a liquid foam it is easier to spray into the small cracks and crevices where it expands to fill the void spaces providing an effective protection. It covers and seals the entire area and does not permit air or moisture to penetrate it as it fills and seals insulation voids that other types of insulation failed to reach or protect.  Mold and mildew formation can be curbed as moisture is controlled. There is absolutely no other superior and finer home insulating material available than the spray foam to seal your home from air and moisture invasion, to save on your energy bills and to protect your family from air borne contaminants and allergens.

Spray foam has an exceptionally high insulation R value and can effectively withstand heat flow which is the main purpose of insulation. Apart form temperature and moisture control spray foam insulation also controls noise as it acts as an obstruction or barricade to air borne sounds and noises by reducing sound transmission through the walls of the buildings. As it is non-toxic in nature it is absolutely harmless and also lasts a lifetime giving your home a better seal by regulating the indoor temperature.

Spray foam insulation is also considered as a best environment friendly insulation as it does not contain any harmful chemicals or formaldehyde. Though this type of insulation is a bit costly,  the cost of spray foam insulation can be easily recovered in a period of four or five years time simply through energy savings alone. Moreover as spray foams fill into every crack and void space in the home there is definitely no possibility of bugs and other pests infestation and you can also cut down on the extermination costs.

The do-it-yourself spray foam cans are available at all leading home improvement stores which helps to perfectly seal and cover up cracks and gaps in doors, windows, pipes, fittings and other appliances. However to undertake large projects  it is best to take the help of a professional to get it done in a perfect and impeccable way.

Spray foam insulation excels and surpasses the traditional insulation methods on account of its superior quality and commendable features. Spray foam insulation is the ultimate choice to stop air and moist infiltration, save on your energy bills, add strength to your building structure and to make your home a more relaxed and comfortable place to live in by making it truly noise-proof.

If a homeowner wants to make his home more energy efficient, he will often change out a large part of his HVAC system, such as replacing window air with central air or replacing a boiler. However, these changes can result in thousands of dollars for the unit alone. Homeowners can expect to pay twice the price of the unit after the unit is installed. After the new unit is installed, homeowners may not notice much of a difference in the comfort level of the home if air is escaping through holes in the building and the insulation. Homeowners may be able to make a more dramatic change in the home’s efficiency and comfort level by changing or adding insulation. This process is much more affordable than reconfiguring an HVAC system.

As many companies and homeowners strive to save money, they recognize the amount of money that they lose from energy waste. They also recognize the environmental impact of using fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources to heat and cool their homes. These changes in the construction industry have made the R-value of a building a much more important factor to consider when constructing and remodeling a building.

When determining whether a homeowner needs new installation, the R-value of the existing insulation will be assessed. An R-value is a measure of the insulation’s resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value of the insulation, the greater energy efficiency that the insulation possesses. If a house has a high R-value, the house likely does not need new insulation. However, if the R-value is low, this can indicate that the insulation is ineffective and needs to be changed.

A variety of factors affect the R-value. The type of insulation that is used, the thickness and the density can all impact the R-value. Some houses feature multiple layers of insulation and this requires adding the R-values of each layer of insulation together with the other layers.

When air flows around the installation and into studs and joists, the R-value is less. It is also less if the insulation is compressed. For these reasons, spray foam insulation is often preferable to other forms of insulation. Spray foam can expand and contract with the seasonal contraction of the home. It can also enter the crevices and fill small spots that thicker insulation cannot.

The optimal amount of insulation that you need depends on the location of the building, the typical climate, they type of HVAC system you have installed and the location of the area where you are installing the insulation. Before making any important changes to the insulation or HVAC system, a homeowner or building owner should have the building inspected by an HVAC specialist. This specialist can assess the R-value of the home and can offer specialized recommendations related to the need for insulation and other ways to increase the energy efficiency of the building. The R-value is an important factor to consider when evaluating the energy efficiency, but a specialist can help determine other problems and solve these efficiency problems.

Installing an effective house insulation system is one of the best ways to save on energy consumption expenses while providing comfortable living conditions for the family. In this time of economic uncertainty, significantly lowering the home’s energy consumption will surely bring greater economic and environmental benefits in the long run. There are different types of home insulation system, one of which is spray foam insulation.

Most homeowners would agree that this is a time of economic and environmental uncertainty – prices of commodities are going up while most people are out of work and cash-strapped and carbon dioxide emissions are rising, posing a risk to health. A wise homeowner knows how to balance the two with the choice of the insulation process for their home.

It is necessary to have home energy audits to determine how effective your current insulation system and find out what steps to take to make improvements. Home energy auditing also ensures that the areas that need air sealing are accurately identified as this is a requirement prior to house insulation. Hiring a qualified home energy audit services company is the first step. Aside from considering the cost of insulation, it is also imperative that you consider how you can save on your energy bills in the long run.

Aside from being eco-friendly, spray foam insulation is a guaranteed to be the best solution to lower your energy consumption. There are a lot of benefits to get from this insulation process. For one, you save on energy bills by as much as 60% that is a considerable amount of savings during a time when most homeowners are in deep financial difficulty. Cracks are properly filled so air doesn’t flow out of the house, saving you tons of energy.

It is noteworthy to mention that you stand to get tax credits from the IRS for installing energy efficient materials in the home. Likewise, utility companies offer rebates.

Its health benefits are significant since it effectively fills in cracks and holes, thus harmful toxins, pollen, and air dust are kept away from the air your family breathes. It is also good at preventing and controlling moisture.

The benefits of foam insulation are not strictly confined to energy and health concerns. This also acts as an excellent sound barrier, hence outside noises and disturbances are minimized and you maintain your privacy. It also ensures that your home is protected as it strengthens the home’s structure.

It is good for the environment because aside from being energy efficient and doesn’t emit harmful carbon dioxide. It is permanent, meaning no repairs will have to be done in the future, therefore no waste materials will be dumped to the environment.

Once energy audits for your home determine that your house needs to replacement or improve insulation, it is imperative that a reliable and reputable house insulation company is tapped to do the job. While you will find a lot of do-it-yourself insulation process, this should still be done by the experts.

It is not yet too late to improve on your home’s insulation system by installing spray foam insulation. If you are looking for a professional spray foam insulation provider in New Orleans, visit www.ecostarfoam.com for more information or call (504)383-3261.

Energy Efficiency Tips To Cut your Heating Costs

When winter comes heating costs can go through the ceiling, leaving you with a light pocketbook and feeling like you may have just wasted a lot of energy uselessly. Heating bills account for at least half of your energy costs every winter and in some cases even more, but with upwards of 60% of that being wasted energy there is plenty you can do to improve energy efficiency.

Most wasted heat escapes through small holes in your home, things such as window that are old or poorly installed poorly insulated doors, key holes, power outlets and poor insulation can all contribute to how much power you use. If you are unsure how to go about tracking down these leaks or what to do with them when you find them that is where Star Energy Audits can help, they will help you find all of the air leaks in your home and show you how much energy you are losing.

Star Spray Foam Systems, LLC is committed to the propagate use of green insulation processes. We are a full service spray foam insulation coating company providing services in and around Mississippi, New Orleans, Venice, Metairie, Hammond, Slidell, Houma. We use latest equipments and technology along with high performance spray foam insulation. Spray foam insulation can permanently lower heating and cooling energy costs up to 50-60% enabling you to significantly lowering the “Carbon Footprint” of your home and save large amount of energy. Our Professionals perfectly seal off your home or office from outside heat, cold, moisture, mildew, mold, airborne fibers and pests. It also completely eliminates termites and creates an ideal thermal seal. Air quality of your residential or commercial building improves, thus lowering chances of diseases and allergies. Spray foam also provides additional structural support to your building and roof system. We specialize in insulating attic or rafters which offer a cool envelop and help air conditioning system to work more efficiently.

Air sealing of living space is very important because air leaks carry in and out moisture and result in higher consumption of energy. This movement of air generally takes place in direction in which we don’t want. In winter air can carry cool and dry air inside or in summers it can carry hot humid outdoor air into your house. Most home owners know air infiltrates in living space from unheated parts of the house like attics, basements, and crawlspaces or through window frames, small openings around doors and fireplaces and chimneys. Following measures should be taken to stop air leak:

• All the cracks between walls and ceiling should be filled.

• All spaces around near interior door frames should be packed or filled.

• Gaps around attic access and pull-down stairs should be closed.

• Fill all cavities around finished attics adjacent to unconditioned attic spaces.

• Seal all utility chase ways for ducts and plumbing and electrical wiring holes.

• Fill all electrical outlets, switch boxes, and recessed fixtures.

• Seal pack holes and cracks in cabinets, and furred or false ceilings in kitchen or bathroom.

Heat has natural tendency to flow from a warmer to a cooler space. In summer season heat flows from heated surroundings to cooler space inside and in winter season all heated living spaces to unheated attics, garages, and basements, or outdoors space. This heat transfer takes place mainly through interior ceilings, walls, and floors etc. For enabling living comfort the heat lost in winter must be replaced by heating system of home and the heat gained in summer must be removed by your air conditioner. Insulation provides an effective resistance to the flow of heat. All insulators are rated by R-value or thermal resistance indicating resistance to flow of heat. Density, thickness and type of material decide the R-value of insulator. For calculating the R-value of a multi-layered insulation, R-values of the individual layers is summed up. The efficacy of insulator depend on how, where and what type of insulation is used. Increasing R-value of insulator, increases resistance to heat flow. The over all R-value can differ from R-value of insulator due to heat flow through studs and joists. Insulators stops heat transfer by resisting flow of heat.

Basement is a common area from where frequent leak of cold air occurs. It broadly accounts for 20% of heat loss in poorly insulated home or non-insulated residential and commercial buildings. It is also the place from where lot of moisture gets into the house. The most important area to insulate is not the basement walls, but the area where the house meets the foundation. Leaks at the top around the floor joists and leaks at the sill plate are common in older houses. If gaps are present in sill plate then they should be filled. All care should be taken to properly insulating Crawlspace Walls and Joists and you will surely be able to feel the difference the insulation makes. Properly insulating basement of residential or commercial can save you lot of money by stopping air leaks and thus greatly reducing your energy need for heating and cooling of the building.

Solar powered fans use solar energy for its working. As it uses renewable source of energy, so you do not have to pay for energy it consumes while operating. Keeping the attic ventilated increases the life of roofing materials and also minimizes the growth of moss, mildew and molds which are harmful for health. In properly insulated attic moisture does not increase making place damp, which is a prerequisite for them to grow. The major and marked advantages of using solar powered fan for attic are:

• They are easy to install.
• No wiring is required.
• Considerably reduces cooling load on cooling systems.
• Uses renewable and free source i.e. solar energy.
• Adjustable solar panel.
• Can fit all roof types.

Star Spray Foam Systems, LLC provides energy audit services to its clients. It provides audit facility for residential as well as commercial buildings for New Orleans and its surrounding areas. Energy auditors of Star Spray Foam Systems largely stress on attic insulation, radiant barrier, attic ventilation, HVAC leakage, roof insulation, overall home tightness and insulation seal. Our energy auditors will advice you about repair/ maintenance or the re-furnishing your home or office and help you attain optimum utilization of energy. Energy audits help to make to make your home or office more energy efficient and green. We provide home owner with a detailed energy audit report for efficient energy management. Our energy auditors use advanced equipments to measure the leakage from your doors, attic, roofs etc. Our experienced energy efficiency & energy management auditors will provide you a detailed report that details deficiencies and give you an estimated ROI for each repair and installation.