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.

If you have not taken advantage of the energy tax credit, the time is now.  Several federal energy tax credits originally slated to end in 2010 were extended through December 31, 2011.

Here's how the energy tax credits work:

You may claim a credit for 10% of the total cost of various home energy-efficiency products for your existing primary residence, including: insulation and biomass stoves.

For biomass stoves, the maximum combined credit is $300 (10% credit for the purchase of a 75% efficient biomass stove, insert or fireplace).

For other qualifying products, the maximum combined credit is $500 (10% percent of $5,000 in total cost) for all allowable products purchased between 2006 and 2011.

Tax advantages are just one of many reasons to conserve energy. Besides helping to protect the environment and reduce your carbon footprint, you can also save a lot of money on home heating. According to the Department of Energy, you can reduce your heating and cooling bills about 10% per year by simply turning your thermostat back 10°-15° for eight hours. Supplementing you home heating with a wood or pellet stove can let you do this.

Other cost-saving ideas include:

Insulate your home. Up to 30% percent of heated or cooled air can be lost through leaks, so add weather stripping and caulking wherever air escapes.
 
Heating water is the third-largest home energy expense, after heating/air conditioning and electrical appliances, so try lowering your water heater temperature to 120º F or lower.

Install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system to your fireplace to re-circulate warmed air; and always close the damper when not in use.

Bottom line: Take advantage of financial incentives available to make your home more energy efficient, now before the winter's chill.

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

Excerpts from Huffington Post

The cooler weather is here, and there are plenty of ways to decrease your home heating bills. Obviously, doing a home energy audit is a perfect place to start. But better insulating your home is a great place to start.

You need insulation in your home to provide resistance to heat flow. The more heat flow resistance your insulation provides, the lower your heating and cooling costs.

Ducts that move air to and from a forced air furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump can waste energy. Sealing and insulating these ducts can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20%. Start with the attic, basement, and garage. These are areas where your ducts are often not insulated. By insulating your air ducts you can maintain the  temperature of the air flowing through them and into your home.

One of the most basic ways to make your home more energy efficient is by adding insulation. Energy typically escapes through a house's top floor or attic, so add more insulation there to save.

Contact Custom Insulation to improve the existing insulation in your home.

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.

Many homeowners are making home improvements to save energy this winter. Right now, all over Massachusetts, people are feeling the cool breeze and are beginning to think about getting their homes ready for winter. At Custom Insulation we thought we would remind you of the tax credit and how you can take advantage of it.

To qualify for the energy tax credit, the improvements must be on an existing home and your principal residence.

Insulation: Adding adequate insulation is one of the most cost-effective home improvements that you can do.
The tax credit amount is 10% of the cost, up to $500.

Typical bulk insulation products can qualify, such as batts, rolls, blown-in, and spray foam insulation.
Insulation that air seals (reduces air leaks) qualify, as long as they come with a Manufacturers Certification Statement. Keep in mind that the tax credit doesn’t include installation costs.

Biomass stoves:  Pellet stoves burn biomass fuel, wood pellets, to heat a home.

The tax credit amount is $300 and the thermal efficiency rating of the pellet stove must be at least 75%.

If you are interested in learning more about the Energy Tax Credit, or how Custom Insulation can help you with energy efficient products, contact us.

Retrofitting an existing home to be more energy efficient is an effective way to save energy and reduce the cost of homeownership. Retrofitting includes a variety of projects from replacing old light bulbs to installing new insulation. Practical home improvement has become popular among savvy homeowners looking to save.

According to the US Department of Energy, 80 percent of homes built before 1980 were built with insufficient insulation. Old dishwashers waste up to 6,700 gallons of water per year — enough water to run an efficient dishwasher for seven years. Replacing old, single-pane windows can save a homeowner hundreds on energy bills.

Retrofitting an existing home to make it more green and an energy efficient structure is easier than some homeowners might realize. Some tips for homeowners looking to make their home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly are:

•Windows — Energy efficient windows are better insulated, allowing a home to stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter. If homeowners are not able to replace their home’s windows, closing cracks and seals with caulk to reduce air leakage is a great alternative.

•Insulation — According to the US Department of Energy, more than 50 percent of the energy used is for heating and cooling the air. Energy usage for heating and cooling is high because conditioned air often escapes through poorly insulated walls and attics creating a never-ending cycle of circulating air. Updating a home’s insulation may allow homeowners to retain conditioned air and spend less to keep the home comfortable. Homeowners can receive up to $500 in tax credit for updating insulation in 2011.

•Doors — Old or improperly sealed doors can significantly affect a home’s energy efficiency by allowing conditioned air to easily escape. Installing a new door can provide more effective insulation than older ones.
•Programmable thermostat — The US Department of Energy reports that homeowners can save roughly 10 percent on heating and cooling bills by turning their thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day.

Original Article - News Telegram

One of best solutions to saving energy in your home is to use Spray Foam Insulation. While it saves energy and keeps your house warm; it protects your home from pest, fungus and molds.

Spray foam insulation keeps residential and commercial building warmer in the winter and cooler during the summer. It does not allow air to escape through cracks and holes thus completely insulating walls and roofs of buildings.

Spray Foam Insulation is environmentally friendly and holds the highest oxygen index and zero fuel contribution compared to other petroleum based insulation products.

Studies have proved that Spray Foam Insulation has helped minimize the cost of cooling and heating by more than thirty to thirty five percent.

Spray Foam Insulation is fire resistant, water proof and rodent and pest proof.

Spray Foam Insulation can be easily applied and it lasts longer than other insulation, adhering to surfaces without falling.

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.

With the difficult conditions and volatility of the real estate market, investing in home improvement projects to keep your home in its best shape will give you the upper hand in a housing market where competition is fierce. For the home seller, there are a couple of tasks that you can take care of to significantly add value to your home.

Focus on the curb appeal
The front of your home is the first thing that can be seen from street. It is important to put effort into updating this part of your home. Assess your property from the street. One great improvement option is the installation of copper gutters.  For your home, only the best will do.  Copper gutters are a popular choice for new and remodeled homes, and they are growing in demand because they look beautiful and they are unique and durable.   But most of all they are also very low maintenance.

Improve your home's energy efficiency
Those home improvement tasks that are focused on improving the energy efficiency of your home will turn in significant gains with reduced energy consumption and lower energy bills. For instance, you can reduce your energy loss and raise the level of comfort in your home by improving the insulation quality of your home.

By improving your home’s insulation, you can also extend the life of your home itself, reducing repair and maintenance costs. To improve home energy efficiency the “thermal envelope” must be improved. This is the barrier to winter heat loss and summer heat gain, which protects and separates the indoor living space from the outdoor climate.  Insulation is the heart of the thermal envelope, so improving insulation is the first step.