Whole Home Approach
We pride ourselves on providing whole home solutions, not a “blow and go” attitude of doing a job quickly and moving on. We consider the housing envelope (the outside walls, attic, and roof), HVAC system (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), attic ventilation, smart energy saving tactics and more. Every house is different which is why we shy away from over the phone quotes: we want to examine each individual home and recommend the best solutions for you and your budget. We feel that after experiencing our personalized service you will be comfortable entrusting your home to our care, even if we are not the lowest bid. After all, we are not out to be the cheapest, but rather the best.
Cost Effectiveness - What to do when you can only do one thing now
We'll recommend which item(s) you should do first on a limited budget.
Attic Insulation
Why: Most heat is lost through the attic and this is also the easiest and least expensive place to insulate. This is the first place to make sure has proper insulation. The US Department of Energy just increased their recommendations for our region to R49-R60 in the attic. We will check what you already have in your attic and recommend what you need.
Process: We run a hose from our blow truck into your attic to spray insulation to your specifications.
Air Sealing
Why: Air leakage contributes to utility bills nearly as much as lack of insulation, so it is vitally important to consider this as well as the insulation. A few areas to consider are attic eaves, top of the basement walls, around outlets, doors and windows, chimneys, plumbing stacks, and recessed lighting. We will examine these at your free customized estimate and recommend the best options.
Process: Closed cell foam or siliconized caulk is applied to recommended areas.
Wall Insulation
Why: This is one of the more challenging areas to add insulation in an older home; however, it is a vital part of energy savings. Around 25% of heat loss is through the walls.
Process: We carefully peel back or remove key pieces of siding, drill holes and blow insulation into wall cavities. Then, we put the pieces of siding back into place, and no holes will be visible.
Ventilation
Why: Ventilation allows for proper airflow in your attic, removing moisture in the home and keeping the attic cool, preventing ice dams.
Process: We use a combination of power fans, gable vents, or soffit vents.
Solar Power Vents
Solar Powered vents are a great way of providing proper ventilation in the attic using the sun’s free energy. These automatically activate to reduce your attic temperature in the summer, helping the home remain cool with or without use of an air conditioner.
Energy Saving Packages
A few inexpensive upgrades offer fast payback. These include low-flow showerheads, compact fluorescent bulbs, water heater insulation, water pipe insulation, and programmable thermostats. We offer these in several packages for your convenience.
Insulating Materials Comparison
| Material | Description | Pros | Cons |
| Fiberglass | Spun glass fibers are made like cotton candy only at 2000 degrees. | Made from sand, a rapidly renewable resource. 35% recycled glass. Most forms are formaldehyde free. Greenguard certified for excellent indoor air quality. (link to this certification) Higher wall R-value (explain R-value) than others except closed cell foam. Inorganic substance – won’t support mold or rodents, won’t break down over time. Excellent sound absorption properties. | Allows more airflow than other options. Some forms are itchy. |
| Cellulose | Shredded recycled newspaper with fire, mold, and rodent retardants. | Approximately 80% recycled content, least expensive option, good at stopping airflow. Formaldehyde-free. Excellent sound absorption properties. | Settles 15-20% after installation in attic, additional settling possible over a long time. Will settle some in wall cavities. Since it is organic it will break down over long periods. |
| Rock Wool | Also called mineral wool. Spun slag fibers made from the remains of the steel manufacturing process. | Arguably the best fire retardant and sound absorption properties of any insulation type. Sound absorption is only slightly better than fiberglass and cellulose. Mostly recycled material. | Rare in blowing wool form. Very itchy and irritating. |
| Open-Cell Foam | Water or soy-based light density foam material, 0.5 pounds per cubic foot. It is soft like angel food cake. | Excellent air-sealing agent, good-R-value per inch, doesn’t settle. **check about formaldehyde | Can absorb water. Newer product that has not had thorough health testing. It is also quite expensive, generally about 2-3 times the cost of fiberglass or cellulose. Some materials have high expansion pressures and can break interior drywall. Tends to shrink from original volume. |
| Closed-Cell Foam | Oil based high-density foam product, 1.5-2.5 pounds per cubic foot. Very firm to rock hard texture. | Arguably the most effective insulation technology on the market. The highest R-Value/inch of any common insulating material, R5-7 per inch. Foam materials are the best air sealants as well. | Expensive, often 4-5 times the cost of fiberglass or cellulose. It is not very environmentally friendly since it is oil based. Just OK sound absorption properties. It also cannot be used for cavity fill in existing walls as the expansion pressures will break the drywall on the interior. Tends to shrink over time, although less than open cell foam. |
| Cotton | Ground up denim blue jeans in batt form with fire, mold, and rodent retardants. Similar formulation to cellulose. | Environmentally friendly as they are mostly recycled denim. No itchiness. Average R-Value per inch. | Expensive and rare. Only a few companies manufacture it, most are on the west coast. Very difficult to cut to size. Only available in batt form so it can’t be used in many retrofit applications. |
| Soft Touch | Made by Dow Chemical of spun plastic, similar to fiberglass being spun glass. | As the name implies, it is soft to the touch and does not itch. | Oil based and not environmentally friendly. 2-3 times the cost of fiberglass and cellulose. Very difficult to cut to size. Only comes in batt form so it can’t be used in many retrofit applications. |
What We Think
All insulation technologies have their plusses and minuses. We use a hybrid of several technologies to accomplish the most cost effective solutions including fiberglass, cellulose, and closed cell foam.
Rock wool, cotton and Soft Touch are all valid technologies but do not apply well to retrofit insulation for various reasons.
Open cell foam is the newest and least tested insulation technology. Because many types tend to absorb moisture and the shrinkage rate can be high, we tend to avoid it.