Custom Insulation Blog

At Custom Insulation, this is some feedback we received from a customer who purchased a wood burning stove from us, and had their second floor bedroom ceiling insulation replaced.

“I have an antique home, and last winter we got ice dams. During the repair process, I the attic insulation replaced in my bedroom ceiling. The difference in the warmth of my home throughout the winter was very noticeable. I realize that this was a more mild winter, but cold is cold, and you still have to heat your home.

We use our wood burning stove primarily to heat our home, and with increased and better insulation in the second floor ceiling, the oil heat barely ever came on - all winter long.  The upstairs of our home used to be very cold throughout the winter and very hot throughout the summer. I can’t wait to see what happens this summer. I suspect that it will be so much cooler and enjoyable.
 
The difference in my oil heating bill was outrageous, in fact we have not used an entire tank! The difference was so great, that this spring I am going to have the rest of the upstairs and attic insulation replaced.”

This winter may not have had a lot of snow so far, but the house still gets cold. A great way to increase your homes heating (can cooling) efficiency is to increase your home’s insulation. Adding additional insulation, especially in the attic, can make a huge difference in the temperature of your home all year round.

At the same time that you are checking your attic insulation, you should be sure that there is proper insulation around your pipes as well.
 
Typically, a home loses heat in the following areas: ceilings, walls, floors, windows and doors, and “infiltration (air loss).” Even though your home loses heat from all these areas, they don’t all lose the same amount of heat.
 
Here is how each area stacks up in terms of percent heat loss in a home:

• Infiltration / Air Leakage: 35%
• Windows and Doors: 18 – 20%
• Floors and Below Grade Space: 15 – 18%
• Walls: 12 – 14%
• Ceilings: 10%

Contact Custom Insulation for your insulation needs.

There are many ways to increase your home’s efficiency for the upcoming winter. Properly insulated homes have significantly lower heating and cooling bills. However, often homeowners do not think of insulation when looking for ways to lower their heating costs.

Your attic may be insulated, but check out your attic access way. In the form of a hatch, pull-down stairs, or a knee-wall door, attic accesses often go uninsulated. This gap in the attic insulation increases heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

Also, attic accesses often aren't sealed properly. A 1/4-inch gap around the perimeter of an attic access can leak the same amount of air supplied by a typical bedroom heating duct.

Knee walls are often found in houses with finished attics, they are vertical walls with attic space directly behind them. These walls are usually leaky and often uninsulated. A knee wall and the attic floor in the attic space behind it should be properly insulated and air sealed.

Properly insulating air ducts located in unconditioned spaces such as attics, crawl spaces, garages, or unfinished basements can also help improve your home's energy efficiency.

Air ducts supply conditioned air from your space heating and cooling equipment to your living spaces. They also return an equal volume of air back to the equipment to be conditioned again. Ducts are typically made out of thin metal materials that easily conduct heat. Therefore, uninsulated or poorly insulated ducts in unconditioned spaces can lose 10%–30% of the energy used to heat and cool your home.

If you properly insulate your crawl space—in addition to air sealing and controlling moisture, you will save on energy costs and increase your home's comfort.

Contact Custom Insulation for more information on making your home more energy efficient.

Properly insulating and air sealing your attic will help reduce your energy bills. Attics are often one of the easiest places in a house to insulate, especially if you'd like to add insulation.

Warning: if you think you have vermiculite insulation in your attic, there's a chance it could contain asbestos. Don't disturb it. Only insulation contractors certified to handle and remove asbestos should deal with vermiculite insulation.

Loose-fill or batt insulation is typically installed in an attic. Loose-fill insulation is usually less expensive to install than batt insulation. Often, loose-fill insulation usually provides better coverage.

Also, before having any type of insulation installed in your attic be sure to seal all attic-to-home air leaks. Most insulation does not stop airflow.

Also be sure to insulate and air seal your attic access if it's located in a conditioned part of your house.

You'll want to properly insulate and air seal any vertical walls with attic space directly behind them in your home as well.

Contact Custom Insulation Company for ideas on how to better insulate your home to decrease your energy bills this winter.

As the days get warmer you might start dreaming of air conditioning. But, there are some other ways to keep your house more comfortable during hot summer days that are easier on your wallet and the environment.

Attics can reach temperatures over 140 degrees F on hot summer days. If there isn’t much insulation between the ceiling and attic a lot of this heat is going to be transferred into the house.  Increasing attic insulation can make a big difference in the comfort level of a home and will also cut your heating costs in the winter. By adding R40 insulation to a poorly insulated attic the temperature inside the house will drop by 6-8 º F on hot days.

Proper attic ventilation is also important in keeping your house cool and extending the life of your roof. Without it, as the sun goes down your attic won’t cool off as much and will continue to heat your house throughout the night.

The use of spray foam insulation has been rapidly growing as Architects, Builders and Homeowners become aware of the long term energy savings and comfort benefits associated with using spray foam. However, if you have a walk up attic, blanket insulation would be fine to use.