Did you know that 9 out of 10 homes in the U.S. are under-insulated? Having your home well insulated is critical to keeping the temperature comfortable and your energy bills low.
With summer temperatures that often exceed 100 degrees here in Lake Havasu, efficiently and effectively cooling a home (that contains insufficient or outdated insulation) can be very costly and challenging at best.
HOW REPLACING OR ADDING INSULATION SAVES YOU MONEY: While a home might be built with insufficient or missing insulation, the fact is that insulation can 'fall' or even deteriorate over time, causing inefficient heating or cooling. In order to maintain comfort, the summer heat gained inside your home must be removed by your cooling system and conversely, the heat lost in the winter must be replaced by your heating system. Properly insulating your home will not only reduce your energy costs and provide more comfort, but will additionally extend the life of your heating and cooling systems.
EXAMPLE OF INEFFICIENT INSULATION: As an example of inefficient insulation (shown in these images taken with our infrared camera) the homeowners complained of one room "always being warmer than the rest of the house." In the first image, you can easily see that the room was not properly insulated. In the second image of an attic knee wall, you can also see that the insulation has fallen, causing heat gain (indicated by the red spots). As a result the air conditioning must work overtime to compensate for this loss.
Insulation has 'fallen'
Improperly insulated attic
Types of Insulation Explained:
Blown-In Insulation
Rolled Insulation
Spray Foam Insulation
BLOWN-IN INSULATION: The main benefit to using blown in insulation is how perfectly and completely it fills the space in between the walls, floors and ceilings of your home. These tiny pieces of insulation do a great job at insulating because they spread evenly throughout the space wrapping around any obstacles like the outlets, wires, pipes and ductwork.
ROLLED FIBERGLASS INSULATION: This cotton candy like insulation earns its R-value by trapping air in between tiny fibers. These tiny air pockets slow down heat as it tries to pass through the insulation. Compressing the insulation squeezes out some of the air pockets decreasing its R-value. Typically made with 20-30% recycled industrial waste and similar post consumer content.
SPRAY FOAM INSULATION: Spray foam insulation is generally used in areas where there are no wall cavities to contain other types of insulation – on concrete slabs or unfinished walls. As the foam expands, it forms a continuous even layer of insulation and creates an air tight seal. It can be used in small quantities to fill tight spaces while increasing structural stability and providing sound insulation.
Sealing Air Leaks:
Air that leaks through your home’s outer walls, windows, doors, and other openings wastes a lot of energy and increases your utility costs. A well-sealed home, coupled with the right amount of insulation, can make a real difference on your utility bills.
EPA estimates that homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs (or an average of 11% on total energy costs) by air sealing their homes and adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces and basements.