Category Archives: Residential

Getting Proper Ventilation for Your Attic – It’s a Breeze

At A+ Insulation, we understand the importance of insulating your attic to keep warm air in your home in the winter and cool air in your home during the summer. But there’s another secret to attics that many homeowners don’t know – proper ventilation. An attic without proper ventilation not only wastes energy and money, but can cause other problems.

Summer Advantages of Adding Insulation

In the summer, your attic gets hot. Because heat rises naturally, it is critical to have a way for that superheated air to leave your attic. Natural airflow in a well-vented attic moves super-heated air out of the attic, protecting roof shingles and removing moisture as well. The insulation we add will keep that heat from seeping into your house below.

Winter Advantages of Adding Insulation

It may seem counter productive to add insulation for warmth and then purposely allow cold air to enter the attic through vents in the winter, but in the winter, allowing a natural flow of outdoor air to ventilate the attic reduces the potential for ice damming (snow that melts off a roof from an attic that is too warm and then re-freezes at the gutters, causing an ice dam that can damage the roof). It also reduces the moisture in the air that seeps into the attic. If it isn’t well ventilated, the moisture will condense when it hits the colder air in the attic and cause mold, mildew or rot problems.

Make Sure Your Attic Is Properly Sealed

Proper insulation and air sealing also keeps attics cold in winter by blocking the entry of heat and moist air from below. You don’t want to pay to keep your attic warm when no one is ever up there. Conversely, in the summer, you don’t want your cool air to escape to your attic. You want to keep it in the living areas. Keeping it sufficiently sealed will help year round.

Don’t Make This Attic Insulation Mistake

The most common mistake homeowners make when installing insulation is to block the flow of air at the eaves. Never cover attic soffit vents with insulation – use rafter vents and soffit vents to maintain airflow. You want the air to be able to move freely to so it will easily leave your attic.

If you’re not sure your attic is properly ventilated (or insulated), call the attic insulation specialists at A+ Insulation for a free evaluation. Call us at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511.

Insulate and Seal with Spray Foam Insulation

At A+ Insulation, we install many kinds of home insulation. From fiberglass to cellulose to spray foam and batt style to BIBs (blow-in-blanket) to closed cell foam. We’d like to talk to you about spray foam insulation and the differences between it and other types of insulation, pros and cons, and where it makes the most sense in your home. We like to give you all of your options to help you make the best decision. Here’s a quick rundown on spray foam insulation from the insulation installation pros at A+ Insulation.

What Is Spray Foam Insulation?

Icynene spray foam insulation is an insulation and air barrier material that seals walls, floors and ceiling cavities against air movement. The biggest advantage to spray foam insulation is that besides providing a temperature barrier, it also seals out air. By creating an air barrier, it minimizes air infiltration through walls and ceilings, preventing drafts, cold spots and energy loss. By restricting outside air from entering your home and condensing, it minimizes the possibility of moisture entrapment and buildup within the walls and ceilings.

How Does Spray Foam Insulation Work?

Spray foam insulation works by expanding up to 100 times its original volume within 4-10 seconds of spraying it on. After about 24 hours, spray foam insulation is completely hardened and safely cured. It won’t shrink or sag. Because it expands, it can fill small cracks and holes around electrical wires, outlets, light fixtures, etc. The solution can be safely sprayed directly onto electrical and plumbing with no overheating or corrosion issues.

Are There Any Harmful Emissions?

Icynene spray foams are safe for both you and the environment. Most spray foam products are water-blown, and do not emit HFCs or HCFCs. Extensive testing in North America have shown that no VOCs are detected after 30 days following installation. Because of this, spray foam is ideal for environmentally-conscious homeowners.

Does the Foam Entrap Moisture?

Icynene’s open cell spray foam insulation products are vapor permeable to allow water vapor molecules to flow through the foam. This means any moisture in the home’s concrete or lumber can escape through the insulation as the building dries out, thus eliminating moisture that could potentially cause rot or mold.

How Is Spray Foam Insulation Installed?

Icynene foam insulation is installed by fully trained, licensed insulation professionals who spray the solution into open walls, ceilings and floors. For homes that are already built, a slightly different kind of pour foam solution is used so it can be injected into small holes drilled into plaster or gypsum faced walls, or from the outside of the wall, whichever provides the easiest access.

What Makes Icynene Spray Foam Better than Traditional Types of Insulation Such as Fiberglass?

Icynene insulates and seals air out in one step. Traditional cellulose and fiberglass insulation can’t do without the use of extra sealing materials such as vapor barriers. Traditional types of insulation also leave small gaps and seams around electrical boxes or light fixtures.

Can Spray Foam Insulation Be Installed by a Homeowner?

No. Spray foam insulation is not a DIY product. A fully trained, licensed Icynene contractor must install the product. If you’d like more information about spray foam insulation, call the home insulation experts at A+ Insulation and we’ll be glad to answer any questions you have. Call us at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511.

If You Added Home Insulation in 2014, Don’t Forget the Federal Tax Deduction

Adding insulation is one of the best ways to lower your energy bills. Many smart homeowners in the Kansas City area added insulation to their homes with A+ Insulation in 2014. If you are one of these homeowners, you are eligible for a federal tax credit. Just how much money can you claim on your 2014 taxes? Here’s a breakdown to make sure you get every penny you deserve.

How Much Can You Claim for Adding Insulation Installation?

If you add insulation to your home, you can claim 10% of the cost, up to $500. So, for instance, if you paid $2,000 to insulate your home, you can claim $200 on your 2104 taxes. These claims do not include installation costs, just the product costs are eligible. Also, these deductions are not valid for 2015. You must have already added insulation prior to Jan. 1, 2015.

What Insulation Products Qualify?

Your basic bulk insulation products qualify including batt insulation, blown-in insulation, rigid boards, expanding sprays and pour-in-place insulation. Air seal products such as weather stripping, caulk, house wrap, and spray foam designed to air seal also qualify providing they come with a manufacturer’s certification statement.

Don’t Miss These Other Tax Credits

Also, there are other tax credits available for making your home energy efficient. Heating and air conditioning improvements such as a new furnace, AC, heat pump, boilers, and water heaters qualify. New roofs and windows and doors also qualify. Visit the Energy Star website for more details.

As far as we know, 2015 improvements don’t have any official tax credits associated with them, but the government is notorious for extending tax credits. No matter if it qualifies for a tax credit or not, adding attic and wall insulation to your home will save you money on energy bills. Give A+ Insulation a call if you need home insulation. Call us at 913-281-2250 or 816-268-7511.

5 Two-Second Tricks to Prevent Frozen Pipes

If you’ve never had any pipes in your home freeze, count your lucky stars. If you have, you know the hassle and mess it creates. We want to make sure you don’t have to deal with frozen pipes – ever. So here are some simple steps from A+ Insulation to prevent freezing pipes.

Easy Fix for Pipes on Outside Walls

Most of the year, the temperatures in the Kansas City area are mild enough that they don’t cause problems with pipes. But once the temperature drops below 20 degrees, precautions should be taken. When temperatures plummet below 20 degrees, it can cause pipes on outside walls to freeze and burst. Pay special attention to pipes on outside walls. When you know the temperatures are really low, open the cabinet doors in front of your sinks. This allows the warm air inside your home to get to the pipes and raise the temperature of the water inside. All it takes is two seconds.

Trickle, Trickle, Trickle

Another 2-second fix is to turn your faucets on just to a trickle. Let them run overnight when temperatures get to their lowest. The moving water prevents the water inside the pipes from freezing solid.

Don’t Allow Indecent Exposure

Pipes that are exposed will freeze faster than insulated pipes – cover them! Check your basement attic, and garage where pipes can be forgotten about. Again pipes that are near outside walls or in a drafty area will be more at risk of freezing. A+ Insulation offers basement, garage, and crawl space insulation. But, in the meantime, insulating just your pipes is easy and affordable. Pipe insulation is usually a foam or cloth covering that clips right onto your pipe in two seconds to keep it from freezing. Your local hardware store should have a variety of foam and cloth coverings that are designed exactly for this purpose so they are fast and easy to install. (Okay, the two seconds doesn’t cover the trip to the hardware store, but the actual installation is easy peasy.)

Outside Faucets Have Nowhere to Hide

Outside faucets are outside, so they will freeze faster too. Double check for any hoses you forgot to detach at the end of the fall season. Hoses will hold water in the pipe and cause it to freeze. You can Install an exterior, insulated faucet jacket. Again, easy to install and affordable at your local home improvement store. Pick one up while you’re there getting the pipe cover above and save yourself the trip.

Don’t Be a Sump Pump Chump

Cold weather brings snow and snow piles up, so don’t forget to check the area where your sump pump drains. Snow can drift and restrict your water drainage. If the drainage area is blocked by snow or flowing into a puddle, the whole system could back up into your basement. Remember to check the area around your sump pump discharge line outside your home whenever it snows more than a few inches.

We hope these tips will help keep your faucets thawed and running this winter. One word of caution, if your pipes do freeze, do not try to thaw them with a blow torch. Too many homeowners have caught their homes on fire attempting to thaw pipes this way. Use a hair dryer instead.

Now that we’ve covered pipe insulation, give A+ Insulation a call if you need home insulation. We can save you big money on your heating and cooling bills.

Serious about Home Energy Savings? Do This First.

It’s fair to say that we all want to save energy to lower our utility bills. But what can we do that will make the most impact for the lowest investment? The answer is insulation. According to the US Department of Energy, if you spend $9,000 to $12,000 on windows, you’ll save 7% to 15% on your energy bill. But if you spend around $1,000- $1,500 for new insulation, proper caulking, and sealing, you’ll save 10% to 20% on your energy bill. So while replacing your windows will save energy, it’s not the first thing you should do to see the greatest savings.

Adding Insulation Gives You the Most Bang for Your Buck

This makes sense because at A+ Insulation, we know that insulation makes up for 70% of the total heat gain and loss in your home. The Department of Energy starts its whole discussion of energy saving in the home with insulation. While houses may have a variety of ways they are heated and cooled, insulation always provides tremendous energy savings. Luckily, insulation installation is one of the least expensive ways to achieve these energy savings.

Almost All Homes Can Use More Insulation

According to Energy.gov, unless your home was built especially with energy efficiency in mind, most homeowners can reduce energy bills by adding more insulation. Many older homes have less insulation than modern homes, but even adding insulation to a newer home can pay for itself within a few years. An energy assessment can tell you exactly where you need more insulation to reduce your energy bills.

Beyond Attic and Wall Insulation

If you’re serious about reducing your energy bills, there are a couple of other things you can do that will help. First, caulk and seal all air leaks including where plumbing and electric lines come into your home as well as adding new weather stripping to your windows and doors. Hire an HVAC professional to inspect your home’s ductwork for leaks and give you an HVAC tune-up. Make sure you are using a programmable thermostat. Replace all of your old incandescent light bulbs with LEDs. And finally, reduce the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees from the normal 140 degrees and wrap any old water heaters with insulating material.

There are lots of ways to save money on energy bills, but if you think your home could use more insulation, (and most can) that’s the best place to start. Give A+ Insulation a call to schedule a free home energy evaluation to see how much you can save. We‘ll show you where you can make the changes that will affect your bills the most. Call 913-281-2250 or 816-268-7511 today.

Stop Guessing and Get a Free Home Energy Evaluation

If we asked you if your home has enough insulation, what would you say? “I assume so.”? Have you ever gone up to your attic and looked? How do you know how much is enough? How do you check your walls? What about your basement or crawl space? Don’t feel bad. Most Kansas City area homeowners don’t know whether their home has enough insulation or not. But there’s a simple solution – a free home energy evaluation from A+ Insulation.

Most KC Area Homes Don’t Have Enough Insulation

What we do know, here at A+ Insulation, is that when your home was built, the insulation installed was only the amount required by the building code. And while every little bit of insulation helps, consider that according to the EPA’s Energy Star website, heating and cooling accounts for about half of your energy bills. Sadly, there’s a lot more you can do to lower those bills. Adding insulation to your home is an investment that will pay you back in a number of years and make your home feel cozier too. Check out our Home Insulation Savings Calculator on our website. Once you pay off the insulation installation, the rest of the savings are gravy for as long as you live in your home.

A+ Offers Free Home Energy Evaluations

Let A+ Insulation come give you a free home energy evaluation. We’ll be able to tell you where you can make the changes that will affect your bills the most. We offer many different kinds of insulation from rolled fiberglass to BIBs (blown in blanket) to spray foam. Each has different pros and cons. Let us help you decide which kind is best for your home and your budget and which will make the most sense for return on investment (ROI). We do this every day and we can give you the information you need to make the most informed decision.

Not Moving Soon? Call Us and Start Saving Today

If you have no plans to move for the next five years, you owe it to yourself to find out how much you can save by properly insulating your Kansas City home. It’s free, so call us and get informed about your home’s energy efficiency. Call 913-281-2250 or 816-268-7511 to schedule your free evaluation today.

FAQ: Is Adding Insulation Going to Make a Mess of My Kansas City Home?

We get this question all too often from customers at A+ Insulation. There is a misconception that this is a messy, nasty, gross process that is unpleasant for homeowners. But truth be told, it’s actually not a big deal when you hire A+ Insulation to add insulation to your Kansas City home. Our company and employees have a lot of combined experience in the industry, and together we have gotten this process down to an efficient science. Here’s what to expect from us when adding attic insulation, or any other type to your home:

Covering Our Tracks

We understand that homeowners want an efficient job, and as little disturbance to their everyday lives as possible. In order to keep out of your way and eliminate any mess in your home, we carefully line our path through your home with plastic, from door to work site. This keeps us on track, and ensures that no potential dirt or dust escapes the work zone.

Careful Insulation Technicians

Our insulation technicians are also well trained. They are courteous, and careful not to leave dirty tools, boots, or old insulation lying around your home. We also make sure we come prepared with everything we need in our truck when we arrive to do the job. This way we do the job efficiently, and are in and out of your home quickly.

Tidy Finish

Lastly, if we do happen to find bits of insulation in our workspace, we always vacuum the work site before we leave. We also clean up our plastic path through your house, and any other by-products of our work. Our goal is always to leave our workspace cleaner and tidier than when we started the job.
For the best insulation installation and customer service, call the insulation experts at A+ Insulation at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-751

Add Resale Value to Your KC Home with Insulation

Want to add more value to your Kansas City home? Start by insulating your home properly with A+ Insulation. This simple addition can drastically add value to your home immediately in the form of lower utility bills and later when you decide to put it on the market. Here’s what you need to know about insulating your home, and why it’s a great investment to make.

The Insulation Standards Are Changing

Insulation standards are not what they were a few years ago. Cities and towns within the Kansas City metro are raising the R-Value that your insulation has to meet in the 2015 calendar year. (R-Value is the capacity of your insulation to resist heat flow.) This means new homes, or homes for sale, need to have insulation with acceptable R-Values. The upside to this is that it will mean more energy efficient homes. The higher the R-Value of your insulation, the more savings you’ll see when it comes to your monthly utility bill.

See all the types of insulation that can add value to your home on our website.

ROI of Insulating Your Home

The return on your investment is huge when it comes to insulating your home. Attic insulation is one of the most important types to have in a Midwestern home. This type of insulation can pay for itself in just two years based on energy savings. In this amount of time you can save an average of $1,000 in energy savings. Take it from Mike O’Hara, the owner of A+ Insulation who says, “Updating your home’s insulation is a financially responsible decision.” Since insulation is responsible for up to 70% of the total heat gain and loss in your home, the proper type, amount, and installation of insulation can make a huge difference in your savings in the longterm.

Call A+ Insulation at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511 to increase the value of your home with new insulation.

3 Reasons to Hire a Professional Insulation Company & Avoid DIY

When it comes to insulation, it really is best to leave it to the professionals. DIY projects are okay for holiday displays and side tables, but when it comes to something as important as insulation, you really should think twice before you take it on yourself. Here are three major reasons why we suggest you call the insulation experts at A+ Insulation first.

R-Value of Your Insulation

Insulation installed by the professionals is more effective at doing its job for many reasons. One very important reason is that professionally installed insulation usually has a higher R-value. R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow through a given thickness of material. The higher the R-value of insulation, the more resistant it is to temperature fluctuation. In short, higher R-values mean the insulation does a better job at insulating your home. Without the proper practices, self-installation on insulation can lead to higher energy bills, undermining one of the main purposes of insulating your home in the first place.

Insufficient Insulation

Often times, when homeowners try to insulate their homes themselves they underestimate the amount of insulation needed to effectively insulate their home. We often fine wall cavities or attics that aren’t sufficiently filled when homeowners install it themselves. When this happens you’ll probably find your energy bills are higher than they would be if your home was properly insulated.

Poor Quality Insulation Equipment

The type of equipment used to install insulation can also affect its effectiveness. Many DIY-ers rent insulation equipment from home improvement stores, and many of these equipment pieces don’t have the capacity to do the job right. The quality of rented insulation equipment is usually lower, and the technology is older. We often find that rented equipment doesn’t properly break up product to give you the R-value you want. Sometimes we even find that untrained people using rented equipment damage the sheetrock in their homes. Professional insulation technicians are well trained on the best practices and with the newest and most effective technologies.

Read more about how properly installed insulation can help you save.

Call A+ Insulation today at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511 to get a free insulation quote for your Kansas City area home.

Attic Insulation: What to Expect from A+ Insulation

Insulating your attic is a big project, but at A+ Insulation we try to make sure it doesn’t interrupt your day-to-day life. Many Kansas City homeowners aren’t sure what to expect when they hire us to do the job. Here’s a quick rundown of what a typical attic insulation job looks like for A+ Insulation.

We Protect Your Home First

First and foremost, we understand that your home is the priority. That’s why we make sure to care for your entire home when we arrive to do a job. We lay down plastic all the way from the front door of your home to the attic entrance. We do this to block off the rest of your home from the work zone, and to make sure we stay within our work zone. This keeps outside interferences to a minimum, and keeps us from tracking dirt, leaves and insulation into other parts of your home. Blocking off the work zone also allows you to carry on with your normal activities while we do our work. We try our best to be non-intrusive, so you don’t even have to leave your home.

We Clean Up Afterwards

We take out time in your attic and make sure we cover everything on our list. Even still, a typical job usually only takes four to six hours to complete. After we finish installing the insulation, though, our job still isn’t done. We never leave a home without cleaning up our workspace. We make sure to remove the plastic coverings, and vacuum the entire route before we leave. Our goal is to leave your home looking and feeling even better than before we got there.

Don’t just take our word for it, read what KC homeowners are saying about their personal experience with A+!

Call us at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511 to schedule an estimate to insulate your attic with A+ Insulation today.