Don&#;t spend thousands of dollars upgrading to so-called energy efficient heat pumps without taking other steps to reduce energy waste. And before you rush off to install that brand new electric pump, understand that the refrigerant used by heat pumps are powerful greenhouse gas emissions.
Insulation saves money, increases home comfort, and protects the environment by reducing energy use. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the typical U.S. family spends close to $1,500 each year on energy bills. DOE statistics show that, typically, 44% of a homeowner&#;s utility bill goes for heating and cooling costs. DOE states that homeowners may be able to reduce their energy bills from 10% to 50% by taking certain steps. One of the major steps is increasing the amount of thermal insulation in their existing homes or purchasing additional insulation when buying new homes.
Unless your home was constructed with special attention to energy efficiency, adding insulation will probably reduce your utility bills. The amount of energy you conserve will depend on several factors: your local climate; the size, shape, and construction of your house; the living habits of your family; the type and efficiency of the heating and cooling systems; and the fuel you use. Energy conserved is money saved, and the annual savings increase when utility rates go up. Insulation upgrades also add to the value of your home.
Q.Why insulate?
A. Insulation is one of the few products/services that you can perform on your home and actually see a return on your investment within 5 to 10 years, WHEN installed properly. For example... according to greenandsave.com they say the average WI home costs $ to heat and cool per year. Let's say that for an average s.f. home it costs $ to insulate your attic space. Insulating it saves you $20/month ($240 annually). Insulation would pay for itself in as little as 6 years (4.5 years if you factor in 5% annual utility rates increases). This means that you have extra money for &#;fun stuff&#; or other home projects.
Q. How much insulation do I need?
A. Insulation levels over the years have changed, and there are a lot of myths out there about insulation settling, contractors not installing enough, etc... Truth is, some insulation settles (by design), but as the years go on building codes change, and therefore the amount of insulation needed also changes. Currently new construction code requires an R-49 in our attic spaces, and R-21 in the walls. Differing products have differing depth requirements, so it's important to make sure that the product you have installed in your home, are installed to the manufacturers specifications.
Q. Are all insulation products created equally?
A. All insulation products are created and tested in a laboratory setting to see their associated R-Values. However, when you take these products and apply them in a real world scenario their R-Values could drastically change. Such items that affect insulation R-Value include: proper/improper installation, air infiltration, dew point (moisture management), and location. Click here for a link to see the effective R-Values for fiberglass according to Building Performance Institute and see below 3rd party tests.
Q. What kind of insulation do I have in my home?
A. Below are some pictures of common insulation, hover over the photo so you can determine what type you have.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Linghui.
Q. If I choose to have my home insulated, how long will it take?
A. Depending on what kind of work your home needs, the length of time it will take to insulate the home will also change. For instance, insulating the attic in a ranch style home that already has adequate ventilation and very few attic to living space penetrations will take less time than a ranch home that needs ventilation installed, plus has drop soffits (over cabinets), recessed can lights, chimneys, etc... However, most attics can be insulated in one or two days.
Q. I have an existing 's home, and the walls are freezing, can you help me?
A. Yes, most homes that were built before the 's can have insulation added to the wall areas. Depending on the siding type, and how tight the siding was installed, TNT Insulation can insulate these walls from either the interior or exterior of the home.
Q. What kind of insulation does TNT Insulation install?
A. TNT Insulation installs ally types of insulation products. We specialize in higher performance products such as closed cell spray foam insulation, open cell insulation, and cellulose insulation. On occasion we will also install denim and fiberglass insulation. We insulate existing homes and new construction. We insulate attic spaces, exterior walls, sill boxes, and foundation wall areas. For those older style homes, we can even insulate those wall cavities to eliminate cold and drafty homes.
Q. I'm building a new home, is insulation selection really that important?
A. Yes, insulation selection really is an important step when considering new construction. Insulation installed in your wall cavities will more than likely be very expensive and very difficult if you choose to change the products, or have problems with a drafty home, uncomfortable home once construction is complete. Even though products like spray foam and cellulose may be a little more expensive, the extra costs will pay for itself in energy efficiency, comfort, and indoor air quality within the first couple of years. If you've ever lived in a properly insulated home, you know exactly how comfortable and energy efficient these homes can be!
Q. Is there a right and wrong way to insulate a basement?
A. There are several factors that should be considered when insulating a basement. Including, but not limited to proper material selection based on the location of your home, if your in a flood zone, and whether or not you have an exposed/walk out basement. Building science corporation has a couple of best practices for basements, click here to get an idea on what methods may be right for you, and our experts can work with you regarding the details.
Q. Is foam safe?
A. Spray foam is a safe product in your home or business when installed properly. We at TNT Insulation have successfully installed spray foam in each and every project that we work on. It is however, important that home owners and other trade members vacate the premises during and up to 24 hours after the installation of spray foam insulation. If entrance to the premises is needed before the described time limit, then proper PPE (personal protection equipment) may be required. Please feel free to ask us about how long it will take to install and when you can re-occupy your space/home.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Construction Insulation.