Benefits of Insulation

Benefits of Insulation

Insulation will help keep your home comfortable while saving you money on your energy bills.  Whether you use natural gas, propane or electric, the more you have the better.  With less ‘calls’ to the furnace, heating elements or AC - you can save money all year long!!

Installing of Insulation

Can be done in two different methods:

One way is for batt insulation to be hand installed over the drywall, if no insulation exists, or over existing material. The drawback with hand installed material is that it can inadvertently cause gaps during the installing process, by no fault of the installer, around fixtures, pipes, etc. Although minimal, it can cause heat loss.  This is usually best for small areas or areas that will have boards placed down for storage, without compressing material.

The other process involves specifically designed materials to be ‘beat up’ for a blown-in application.  This involves a truck that can handle large enough volume and air pressure to do a job quickly.  It is applied via a hose that is brought into the attic and an installer directs the material to be placed.  Doing this optimizes coverage and leaves little to no gaps.  Big box stores supply rental ‘blowing’ machines when you purchase insulation products.  These do not have the capability to do large jobs quickly and may take days to complete.

Different Types of Insulation – Pro’s and Con’s

For practical purposes there are 2 types.  One being fiberglass and the other cellulose or recycled paper.  Both products are designed to hold heat, yet studies show that cellulose is more effective in resistance of heat.  So dependent upon your budget, this may determine what’s best for your home.

Why would cellulose be better you ask?  The product has a bit more weight to it than fiberglass so when it is applied in the blown-in process, it tends to have less air pockets than its fiberglass counterpart.  Also, gravity will settle the cellulose in less than a year virtually eliminating any air pockets.  Fiberglass, being a much lighter product, will retain air pockets for a much longer period so heat retention is not as good – during any time of the year.   Our manufacturer treats the product with borate for fire and mold retardant.