Excess moisture in your home becomes a dangerous and expensive problem if left unchecked. Controlling moisture will make heating and cooling your home easier, increasing energy-efficiency and saving you money. You will also prevent unsightly mold growth, leaving your home cleaner and more comfortable. But with these simple and effective strategies from the team at A+ Insulation, you can keep your home safe, sound, and free of unchecked moisture.

Excess Moisture: What’s the Big Deal?

Many homeowners don’t realize how devastating the effects of excess water vapor can be on their homes. As warm, moist air encounters a colder surface (walls in your home), the vapor reaches its “dew point” and condenses. This condensed water continually soaks into the walls, causing water damage to the surface. Your entire home can be affected by this process, but there are three key areas that are prone to expensive water damage from moisture:

• Attics
• Walls
• Foundations

These surfaces, when wet, allow the passage of more moisture, creating a problem that grows exponentially larger and more expensive to fix. If left unprotected, these areas can weaken from regular dampening, which is why it’s important to take early preventative measures to minimize the risk of water damage in your home.

3 Key Methods to Prevent Moisture Damage

Make sure that your home is protected before exposing it to excess moisture. This will save you from the extra cost of outfitting protection in an already damaged home. There are many ways to control excess moisture in your home, but these three key methods prove most effective in preventing damage from water vapor.

• Air Sealing
• Proper Ventilation
• Insulation

Air Sealing and Ventilation

Air leaks are one of the most common ways water vapor enters a building cavity. It is imperative that proper ventilation is installed and unwanted airways are sealed to ensure moisture doesn’t get trapped inside of your home. Air leaks in your home’s ventilation system should be properly filled with caulk. Components that can move should be sealed with weatherstripping to stop air leaks while not in use.

Insulation

Diffusion through materials plays a huge role in excess moisture reaching areas of your home. Improper, poor, or no insulation in an area of your home is sure to show the long-term effects of excess moisture. Effects range from material water damage to structural damage to mold growth to a drop in energy-efficiency through heat transfer. Here at A+ Insulation, we specialize in finding the perfect insulation for any area of your home. Here are some of the many insulation options available for your unique situation.

Foundation Insulation

• Blanket: Batts and rolls of fiberglass, mineral wool, or other fibers offer an inexpensive and quick installation for unfinished foundation walls, ceilings, floors, and attics.
• Rigid Foam/Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs): Foam boards or blocks are installed for the same purpose as Blanket style insulation, typically during construction of the home. These methods offer a high insulation value for their thickness.

Existing Wall Insulation

• Loose-fill/Blow-in: Typically consisting of fiberglass or cellulose, this insulation is blown into place using special equipment. These options are great for insulating finished and irregularly shaped areas, like attic rafters.
• Reflective System: Foil-faced paper, plastic film, or polyethylene bubbles are  typically installed in unfinished walls. This type of insulation is most effective against downward heat flow.
• Sprayed Foam: Cementitious or phenolic foams are applied using small spray containers. They are used for the same purposes as loose-fill insulation.

As the seasons change, be aware of the moisture levels within your home. If you believe you may already have moisture damage, it may be worth scheduling a Kansas City home inspection to access the damage. A+ Insulation can help prevent trapped moisture and keep your home energy-efficient, mold-free, and structurally sound – saving you money and peace of mind.

If you’re experiencing moisture problems, or just want to prevent them, contact us or call us at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511. We’ll be glad to help!

Good home insulation will keep you comfortable year round, but many older homes have too little insulation, making it impossible to keep the weather outside where it belongs. A+ can help. Our dedicated crew will improve the insulation in just about any structure, but why should you trust us?

1. We’re licensed, insured, and professional.

   Our crew knows how to improve the insulation in your home, and we have years of experience doing just that. Whether you need added insulation in your attic or want the best blown in blanket insulation for your new home addition, A+ can handle the job. Each project is overseen by an on-site manager, so you’ll always know your home is in good hands.

2. We’ll treat your home as if it was our own.

   Installing insulation is an inherently messy process, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with the mess. Our crew will keep the debris contained while we’re working and clean up once we’re done. We promise your space will be as clean as it was before you called us — and maybe even a little cleaner.

3. We’ll help you understand your options.

   When you trust A+, you’ll get the best advice possible from our experienced technicians. We’ll discuss the options with you and make recommendations based on what your home needs most. If you have questions, we want you to ask them! You should always know what’s going on, every step of the way. We’ll even provide you with photos of the work area before we start, while we’re working, and after we’re finished, so you can track the progress.

4. We’ll be there on time.

   We know how frustrating it is to wait for a crew to arrive, only to have them reach your house four hours after your appointment. When we schedule an appointment, we stick to that time. Before we start work, we’ll walk you through the area to explain what we’ll do, where we’ll add insulation, and the savings you’ll see.

5. We offer a comprehensive estimate.

   Our experts will tell you what type of insulation you need, where you need it, and how much it will cost for free. You decide if you like the price, or if you’d rather look elsewhere with no obligation and no up-front costs. We’ll even give you a free home energy evaluation so you can better understand where your home will benefit most from added insulation.

Don’t Take Our Word for It! See what our customers are saying.

Trust the experts at A+ for all your insulation needs in Kansas City. We promise to give you the best service possible. Contact us today at (913) 648-9290 or (816) 944-317 for more information or to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

Heat rises. It’s a simple fact of nature that makes it essential to have quality attic insulation in your home. The Kansas City area standard is to insulate your attic to R-49, or about 18.5 inches deep. Take a look at yours. Do you have any at all? If so, does it completely cover the floor joists and reach all the way to the eaves on all sides? If not, you know you need more, but you’re terrified at the thought of such a mess. Here at A+ Insulation, we want to set your mind at ease! With decades of industry experience, our team of expert technicians will treat your home like our own homes and create very little mess.

Types of Attic Insulation

• Batt or Roll – Also known as blanket insulation, batt is spun fiberglass attached to a facing, usually made of kraft paper, aluminum foil or vinyl sheeting. These facing materials both act as a vapor barrier and facilitate in the ease of installation as they generally come in easy-to-handle rolls that fasten to joists by this facing material.
• Loose-fill – Made from fiberglass as well, loose-fill is also known as blown-in insulation. We offer both Insulsafe SP and Cellulose for attics. Insulsafe has great thermal efficiency, coverage and sound absorption. It is also non-combustible. Cellulose acts similarly to a liquid when applied, wrapping itself around obstructions and filling gaps more easily than batt insulation. Acting as a blanket around the inside of your home, cellulose has excellent thermal efficiency as well.

These All Sound Messy!

… And they are in the hands of the careless and inexperienced! Our technicians have been at this so long that they truly have it down to a science. Adding insulation to your attic, being an enclosed and isolated space, actually makes it easier for our technicians to keep your home neat and tidy. No insulation is ever unpacked outside the confines of the attic. Dusty and dirty tools and equipment can stay up there as well.

Itchy Business

Trust us when we say we know all about the itch associated with fiberglass dust. The last thing we want to do is leave any trace of it in your home. We begin our precautions with a runner carpet made of plastic, leading from outside to the most direct way to your attic. We will never set foot on anything but this plastic. Upon quick and efficient completion of your job, we remove our personal protection equipment outdoors where it cannot spread any dust throughout your home. We then carefully remove the plastic runner and vacuum ourselves out the door. Our goal is to leave your home even neater than we found it, as your complete satisfaction is paramount. We want you to be thrilled with your new investment and will always go above and beyond to make it so.

For the best insulation installation and customer service, call the insulation experts at A+ Insulation at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511.

Insulation is critical in maintaining comfortable temperatures within your home and reducing energy costs due to  heating and cooling. Whether during a sweltering summer or a frigid winter, the right insulation in the right places is critical. Here are the three most important parts of your home to insulate and why.

1. Why Insulating the Attic Is Important

Your attic poses two different problems that can affect your heating and cooling costs. Not only does air escape from the attic, but outside air also seeps into the attic. You may feel warm and cozy downstairs in the winter, but heat rises and can easily leak out of the attic without proper insulation. Quality loose fill or batt fiberglass insulation prevents comfortable air from escaping, stops uncomfortable air from coming in and reduces energy costs whether blown in or installed in large rolls.

Related Read: Why We Batten Down the (Attic) Hatches

2. Your Walls Need Insulation, Here’s Why

Exterior walls need insulation for the simple reason that they are the barrier between the inside and outside of your home. In winter, heat seeps out through the walls and during the summer heat seeps back into the walls. Proper insulation in the walls helps prevent this cycle of heat loss and heat gain. Options include batted fiberglass and blow-in options, both effective if installed properly leaving no gaps.

Related Read: Don’t Forget to Insulate the Most Neglected Room of Your Home

3. Why Insulating Floors Matters

Uninsulated floors in unheated spaces, such as garages or crawl spaces, are an easy place for cool air to sneak in. Draped foundation or spray foam insulation added to these areas prevents air from rising up through the floor and reduces the likelihood of moisture and possible issues with mold. If there is a chilly basement under the main floor of your home, insulation prevents the cool air from rising and makes the basement temperature more comfortable for use.

Don’t let leaks and gaps come between you and a comfortable temperature in your home. Contact us online or call us at (913) 281-2250 and learn how our insulation experts can make your home more energy efficient.

The leaves are changing. Pumpkin flavored coffee, cookies, and pies are available, and Halloween candy and decorations fill the stores. Fall is upon us. As the leaves begin to change color, and the temperature begins to cool, you should think about more than holiday decorations. Ask yourself, is your house prepared for the coming winter cold?

If not, don’t wait until you’re sitting at home, bundled in a blanket, while sipping hot coffee just to keep warm to do something about it. Too many people wait until the problem reaches its peak to fix it. This is unwise when it comes to insulation. If you think, or know, that your house simply isn’t prepared for the coming cold, you should seriously consider adding insulation before the cold weather strikes. When you consider the benefits, you’ll see that fall is the best time to insulate your home.  

You Won’t Freeze

If you wait until you start to notice that icy cold wind blowing against your skin inside of your home, you’ve waited too long. If you wait until the winter months, instead of installing insulation in the fall, you’ll freeze inside of your own home, a place you should feel comfortable. Don’t turn yourself into a human popsicle by waiting until the problem grows before you fix it. Get ahead of it, and save yourself some shivering, bundling, and far too much caffeine intake, by insulating your home during the fall season.

Related Read: Don’t Forget to Insulate the Most Neglected Room in Your Home

You’ll Save Money

Insulation will likely cost the same in the winter as it does it the fall, however, you’ll save quite a bit on electricity bills by insulating earlier. Since insulation makes your home more energy efficient, which will lower the cost of your electric bills, insulating early on, when the weather is just starting to cool down, is the smart choice.

If you insulate your home during the fall, your house will start saving you money the moment you turn on the heater when the winter winds start to blow. Don’t waste electricity, waiting for the cold to arrive before you address the issue. Get the insulation during the fall so that, when you do have to turn on the heater, your home is already prepped to keep the heat in and the cold out.

Related Read: These 5 Attic Mistakes Could Be Costing You Hundreds

When it comes to caring for your home, waiting until a problem grows isn’t sound advice. You want to get ahead of the issue, and save yourself some time and money in the process. Insulation is no different. Installing it when the weather is pleasant will ensure that you’re comfortable in your home during the insulation process, and it will save you money during the winter months when the furnace is active. Wouldn’t you rather save up for the holidays instead of having to splurge on high utility bills and new insulation in December?

Don’t put off until later what you can do today. It’s great advice for life, and it’s great advice for maintaining your home. For A+ Insulation and quality service, please contact us online or call us at (913) 281-2250 today.

Families tend to do different things at different times. The kids in the next room want to watch a movie, but mom or dad has work to do, so they need quiet. Sometimes these conflicting wants lead to arguments, and nobody ends up happy. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could all have what you want? You can, and that’s why A+ Insulation offers soundproofing insulation to Kansas City families.

Which Rooms Need Soundproofing Insulation?

Soundproofing insulation will improve your quality of life by helping to reduce noise pollution inside. No matter what your home is like, you can benefit from the decrease in noise and increase in peace. Soundproofing insulation works wonders in:

• Home Movie Theaters – Let’s face it, putting money into a fantastic speaker system is great, but if you can’t turn it up, it just goes to waste. Soundproofing your home theater will allow the kids to watch their fill throughout the day, while mom and dad enjoy an evening film in solitude without waking the young ones.
• Children’s Rooms and Baby Nurseries – Soundproofing a child’s room while they’re young helps ensure that once they get to sleep, they stay asleep. As they get older, it will help deaden the sound of their loud music eliminating the potential for many arguments.
• Home Offices – Working from home is excellent; people are doing it more and more as time goes on. Unfortunately, nothing says “unprofessional” like ambient sounds (think barking dogs, doorbells, and the washing machine down the hall) that come through their end of the line.
• Playrooms – Kids are loud, and some of their toys are even louder. Things are beeping and kabooming all over the place while mom and dad are trying to focus. Soundproofing the playroom will reduce the headache-inducing drone of some of the worst electronic toys.

Soundproofing insulation is also great for properties trying to keep sound out. Do you live near a train, busy road, construction, or simply have noisy neighbors? Your home should be peaceful and relaxing so that you can get the rest you need to thrive. No more sleepless nights due to loud and obnoxious sounds from the street!

How Does Installation of Soundproofing Insulation Work?

In new construction and additions, we have the ability to consult with you and determine the best possible insulation for your home from the beginning. Don’t worry though, we also apply soundproofing as a retrofit in existing residences. We drill small holes in the wall and blow in a high density insulation. This high density insulation traps sound creating a soundproofing effect. We discreetly repair the walls leaving the room looking as good as new.

If you have multiple insulation needs, we offer a few options that do double duty. For maximum soundproofing effect, consider spray foam insulation. This material provides both excellent thermal and acoustical insulation

Related Read: How A+ Puts the Pro in Process

Whether you’re looking to soundproof a single room in your house or want to reduce external noise entering the entire building, A+ Insulation has you covered. Our attention to detail and customer satisfaction is second to none.

If you’d like more information regarding soundproofing your home, please call A+ Insulation at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511 or contact us online. We’d love to hear from you!