FAQ
Like all other parts of your home, maintaining crawl spaces, your attic, garage ceilings and walls are important and overtime can impact your wallet. While small uninsulated spots in your home can be minor, adding these spots up can measure to be as large as a watermelon. You would never allow a watermelon size hold to exist in your wall. Fixing areas like these or larger areas can assist in keeping in heat in the winter, cool air in the summer and money in your wallet. It also has a valuable impact on the environment as you use less energy overtime.
Cellulose is made from 80% post-consumer paper fiber and natural wood fibers. It is also considered a “green” product as it requires less energy to produce than fiberglass. Cellulose is treated with boric acid (not toxic) to meet federal flame-resistant standards and protect against insect, rodents and mold. It also aids in sound reduction in many buildings. While there are other insulators out there, take a look at why cellulose might be right for your home or business:
- Thermal effectiveness is measured in R-values. The “R” stands for resistance to the flow of heat. The R-value of any material is the measure of how well it resists the flow of heat into a home in the summer or out of the home in the winter. The higher the R-value the more the material resists the flow of heat. Cellulose insulation has a higher R-value than that of fiberglass or rock wool. The nominal R-value per inch of cellulose is 3.6 compared to 2.2 for loose fiberglass and 2.9 for rock wool.
- Air Infiltration Resistance-Studies have shown that more than 30% of average home heating cost is to combat air infiltration through the walls. Natural cellulose fibers, blown in between walls, effectively seals all air gaps and creates a barrier against air convection. Conventional insulation batts cannot completely fill cavities. This allows air to circulate inside the walls, bringing cold air in direct contact with the interior wall. The inside wall is cooled which, in turn, cools household air near it. The cooled air then drops to the floor starting an uncomfortable air flow. Cellulose prevents this and results in lower heating costs and a comfortable draft free home.
- Free of health concerns-Unlike fiberglass, cellulose insulation does not contain glass fibers and there is no itching or scratching of the skin during installation. Fiberglass carries a federal government warning that it is possibly a carcinogenic. There are no such concerns with cellulose insulation. Cellulose is one of the few insulation materials that does not contain formaldehyde.
- Moisture Control-Unlike other material fibers, cellulose “breathes”. This means that the humidity in the air is absorbed by the cellulose during periods of high humidity. When the humidity drops, the cellulose fibers remit moisture just as readily. In the case of mineral fibers, water condenses on the fibers, displacing the air pockets (which are the insulating medium). In severe cases, water will run down the inside wall cavity. This can lead to rotting of attic floors and peeling paint on ceilings and walls. Inside walls, this moisture can cause structural damage.
Many spaces in your home are unseen and should be looked at by a professional to determine if you need insulation. However, here are a few helpful tips to determine if insulation should be your next home-improvement priority:
- Like many homes and buildings in Westchester County, older buildings and homes are the most susceptible to heating and cooling loss. This can be due to a number of reasons. However, many states across the country (including NY) have been updating their building codes for new buildings after 1980. This means buildings built before 1980 (even some after), may not be up to the current insulation standard.
- Unfortunately, it is common for homes to have insulation like spray foam. Overtime, spray foam doesn’t last. It was originally used in flat-roofing material and was made to last about 15 years (around how often your roof should be replaced). This is taking into account that it remains flat. However, with spray foam in walls, overtime (less than 15 years) it begins to fall and degrade and has proven not to be a long-term solution. Homes and buildings with substantial spray foam installed over 15 years ago should consider an upgrade.
- Aside from the above, specific exterior walls and ceilings can be crucial in creating a thermal envelope. Request a home audit to find out!