Based on new research, the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) estimates that roughly 90% of existing U.S. homes are under-insulated. That means that the occupants are less comfortable, and both energy and money are being wasted. Most likely, the main reason for this is twofold; first, construction standards and codes don’t require enough insulation to be used when building, and second, because insulation is out of sight, most homeowners don’t think about it! When they think of energy savings, they think windows and doors, but not attic and wall insulation. A+ Insulation breaks down this nationwide problem a bit more below.
Boosting Insulation in Existing Homes Could Cut Costs, Reduce CO2 Emissions, and Increase Comfort
“If all U.S. homes were fitted with insulation based on the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), residential electricity use nationwide would drop by about 5 percent and natural gas use by more than 10 percent,” said Dr. Jonathan Levy, Professor of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health and lead researcher on the Boston University team that investigated the subject. But more importantly, for you, you could save energy and money while being more comfortable in your home.
Curt Rich, President and CEO of NAIMA, says the top reason people aren’t adding the insulation they need is that they just aren’t aware that their home most likely has far less insulation than a home built to modern standards. For instance, did you know that insulation has a three times greater impact on the average home’s energy and comfort than windows or doors do?
How Do You Find Out if Your Home Needs More Insulation?
The easiest way to determine whether your home needs more insulation is to have an energy audit performed. At A+ Insulation, we go through your home from room to room, inside and outside, to see which areas of your home are leaking the most energy. Then we can seal and add insulation to those areas to drastically reduce the loss.
Related Read: See the Energy Leaks in Your Home with a Thermoscan
Typically, a home energy audit can run from $300 to $400. But at A+ Insulation, we do it for free. It just makes sense for us. Nobody wants to pay for something unless they need it. With 90% of homes under-insulated, we rarely run an audit on a home that doesn’t need more insulation. We look at it as a service to our customers. We can show you where your home is leaking and then make sure it doesn’t leak there anymore. Properly insulated homes have helped people reduce bills by up to $1,000 per year, so what are you waiting for?
If you think your home is possibly under-insulated, give A+ Insulation a call at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511 and schedule your free home energy audit.
At A+ Insulation, we see a lot of insulation jobs that are sub-par. Some of these jobs are done by homeowners and sadly, some are done by “professionals”. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, and you want to do the job right, you’ll want to read this article first! We’re not saying you can’t do it on your own, but we want you to know all of the factors to consider before taking on insulation as a DIY project.
An ice dam is a thick ridge of solid ice that builds up along the eaves at the edge of your roof. Ice dams prevent melting snow (water) from draining properly off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into your home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas. Plus, dangling icicles are dangerous to people below. So what’s a homeowner to do? The pros at A+ Insulation explain the causes and the solutions for homeowners with ice dam problems. Read on to make this winter ice-dam free.
What’s the purpose of insulation? It mainly serves as a barrier that provides resistance to heat flow. Heat always wants to mix with cool to equalize the temperature. The more heat flow resistance your insulation provides, the lower your heating and cooling costs. Properly insulating your home not only reduces heating and cooling costs, but also improves comfort. So what else do homeowners need to know about their home’s insulation? A+ Insulation breaks it down for you!
We all want to save money. That’s a given. But how much money will you actually save by insulating and sealing your home? That’s a fair question. A+ Insulation did some research and got some answers for our customers. Read on to find out if insulation is an investment worth making.
Are your energy bills high but you don’t know why? A home energy audit will help you determine the areas of your home that are losing energy. The experts at A+ Insulation offer you some tips with this DIY home energy audit.
Cool weather is coming, Kansas City. Before we know it, Old Man Winter will be blowing below-zero gusts down the backs of our necks. But before that happens, you need to take a look at your home and decide if it’s prepared to keep you warm and keep utility bills from skyrocketing when temps plummet. There are some easy ways to check your home for snugness. A+ Insulation created this checklist to follow:
August is the hottest month of the year. How much money do you think you’re paying to keep your home cool? According to the Energy.gov website, heating and cooling account for about 48% of the energy used in a typical home. That’s about half of your total energy bills! Go ahead and take a look at your July or August energy bill. Think there’s room for improvement? In our business, we know there is.
Attics are the number one place to benefit by adding insulation. Most homes and businesses are built with the minimum amount of attic insulation required by code. Almost every building can increase its energy efficiency by adding attic insulation. Your home acts like a large chimney. Heat naturally rises and energy loss through attics can be substantial. When warm air rises it increases the air pressure near the ceiling. The difference between that pressure and the lower pressure outside on a cold day drives the warm air through any opening it can find. Plus, the high pressure created at the top of your house causes cold air to be pulled in through the bottom near your foundation. Energy experts refer to this phenomenon as the stack effect. Before you add insulation, it’s wise to seal any cracks or crevices where air is getting through from the living area below. Adding blown-in fiberglass insulation is recommended. R-49 is code, but R-60 will provide optimal energy savings. You could also add spray foam insulation. While more expensive, it automatically seals the attic fixing air leaks as well as adding the thermal barrier. You must be careful not to block the attic vents in the eaves as some attic ventilation is necessary.
We recommend spray foam insulation in basements and crawlspaces due to the moisture common in these areas. Spray foam insulation creates a vapor barrier that keeps moisture out and closes any small air leaks that let cold air in during the winter due to the chimney effect. Vapor barriers will always seal best controlling air leaks and insulating at the same time.