Monthly Archives: September 2018

Why Consider Underfloor Insulation for Your Home

When homeowners have their house insulated, they often focus on common areas, such as the attic and exterior walls. While insulating these areas is vital to save money on cooling and heating expenses, residents can bring down these costs further when they insulate the space below their floors.

Heat from Below: Why You Should Warm Up to Underfloor Insulation

In addition to saving money, you’ll reap these benefits when you consider underfloor insulation.

Stop Loss of Heat

According to Green Home Gnome, a resource site for homebuyers, individuals can lose as much as ten percent of interior home heat through uninsulated floors. This percentage can go higher in houses with hardwood flooring or tile floors. Insulating the area under your floor can help prevent heat loss by reducing temperature changes. As a result, less energy is required to maintain the ideal temperature of your home.

Provide Additional Comfort

Underfloor insulation helps improve the comfort of your home’s environment. Walking on your floor will be much more comfortable to walk on if it does not lose heat quickly.

Prevent Pipes from Freezing During Winter

Pipes are prone to bursting and cracking if the water freezes inside them. Given that pipes often run near the floor, residents don’t usually inspect them. It may be difficult for homeowners to recognize the risk of freezing pipes.

The good news is that underfloor insulation offers additional protection to homes with piping beneath the floor. This is particularly useful houses in places that experience freezing winters. Installing a layer of insulation between the home’s exterior and the pipes can bring down the risk of wintertime pipe damage.

Create a Vapor Barrier to Minimize Moisture

Wood floors are susceptible to moisture. Homeowners can reduce the amount of moisture their hardwood flooring is exposed to by installing a layer of insulation between the floor and the crawlspace. The insulation creates a barrier that stops vapor and prevents moisture from entering the floor.

Eliminate Drafts

Underfloor insulation is suitable for houses set on piers or raised above the ground. The insulation stops drafts from entering the gap between the ground and the floor.

When contractors install the insulation to remove drafts, they can use either of these two strategies. One is to install rigid insulation panels between the joists of the floor. The contractor cuts the panels and then the spaces in between the joists and the insulation. Secondly, the contractor can add spray foam insulation if the floor joists are enclosed. Either way, the homeowner can rest easy knowing that both options can stop drafts.

If you’re planning to install underfloor insulation in your home, know that some projects require a contractor who knows how to work with air sealing, ventilation, and moisture. The good news is that A+ Insulation has the expertise needed to carry out efficient and diligent insulation work. Our insulation technicians will add the sufficient amount of insulation in the right places to protect you from high-energy bills and the elements. Rest assured that we’ll complete every insulation project to your satisfaction.

Reach out to us for a free, no-obligation inspection.

How Can Blow-in Insulation Prevent Moisture Damage?

Attics without insulation can increase your energy bill by 67 percent. Other problems that affect the energy efficiency of your home are air leaks, poor ductwork, and clogged filters, but what if the problem is moisture?

Moisture: A Common Problem Found in Insulation

Moisture occurs due to leaky pipes, high humidity, or groundwater seepage. It can develop in your basement, crawlspace, and even between walls, leading to mold and rot. Moisture could also damage insulation. But, how does it affect your insulation system exactly?

Moisture displaces air that is trapped in your insulation, affecting your system’s R-value or thermal performance; higher R-value means better insulation. Insulation helps regulate the temperature in your home. But when it retains water, the system can no longer fulfill its purpose, or worse, it may attract pests and cause mold buildup.

The impact of the moisture will depend on how much your system absorbs and how easily the insulation releases it. A good defense against this would be to install suitable insulation.

Keeping Water Away from Insulation

In Kansas City, a blown insulation system could work. Blow-in-Blanket System (BIBS) is the ideal insulation for many homes because it can handle drastic temperature changes. It also has vapor retarders that prevent moisture from seeping through the system. BIBS fits in small cavities, allowing it to offer better coverage.

This type of insulation does not just enhance thermal efficiency, keeping you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot. It also controls the transmission of sound. It has no noxious odor or chemical smell because BIBS uses fiberglass insulation.

BIBS is also naturally fire resistant as well as environmentally friendly. There are other ways to keep excess water from compromising your home’s insulation, aside from installing BIBS.

A Moisture Control Strategy explains that it only takes a short while for moisture transfer by air currents to happen. This can occur when your home has gaps or cracks, however tiny, and sealing them can prevent moisture.

You can also do the following:

  • Keep untreated wood materials from soil contact.
  • Ask your contractor to place protective membranes between walls because they reduce water absorption from the masonry foundation wall.
  • Make sure your gutters connect to a drainage system that keeps water away from your home.

These, along with adequate insulation, can help keep your home moisture-free, energy efficient, and ultimately, comfortable all year round.

Whether you need new insulation or a replacement, A+ Insulation has the experience and the tools to improve indoor comfort.

Blow-in Insulation Installation by the Experts

Our team of professionals can install Blow-in-Blanket System in your home, as well as other types of insulation, including basement insulation, crawl space insulation, and underfloor insulation. Let us handle the installation job with ease while you relax and look forward to a better home.

Whether you need insulation in your attic, garage, or crawlspaces, our insulation professionals can do the job.

Contact us today and schedule an appointment.

The Added Heating & Cooling Costs of Poor Insulation

Your heating and cooling units might be operating at their best, but if your home is not equipped to keep the air in, you may be wasting money on your monthly electricity bill. This means that there may be a problem with your home’s insulation, and your units have to operate longer to achieve your desired indoor temperature, which could mean a hole in your pocket for the added utility costs.

How Much Are You Spending on Heating and Cooling Costs?

The efficient solution is to call the insulation professionals in Kansas City. A+ Insulation has been providing energy and cost-efficient solutions since 2004, and we have provided our clients with protection from both external elements and high energy bills.

Cost of Heating and Cooling

The national average for central air conditioning installation costs is approximately $5,391, while furnaces cost an average of $4,239. If maintained regularly, these units could last for about ten years, depending on factors such as the brand and the frequency of use.

Homeowners also need to consider electricity costs. We can get a rough estimate by multiplying the kilowatt (kW) the unit uses by the electricity rate to get the total electricity cost you have to pay to operate your unit hourly.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA), Kansas’ latest average electricity rate is $0.1196 per kW. The kilowatt depends on the unit, but if your unit uses 3,000 watts or 3 kilowatts, expect to spend almost $0.36 to operate it for an hour or $8.6 for the entire day. It may not seem like a lot, but this is only an estimate, and your electricity bill could still accumulate to hundreds of dollars.

Also, consider that it is the fall season. The weather will turn very cold in a few months, and your household will be using your heater more often. The last three years have seen a steady increase in heating costs during the winter season. In 2017, the EIA estimated that households across the United States pay an average of $980 for heating costs during the season.

Is Your Home Energy Efficient?

Some households may operate their heating and cooling units manually while others have automatic systems that adjust based on the indoor thermostat. However, without insulation, hot or cold air can escape your home. Even with your windows sealed and your doors closed, the temperature can escape through the walls, flooring, and roofing.

As a result, your units may be operating longer than necessary just to achieve your desired temperature. Not only are you consuming more electricity, but you are also overusing your units, which could damage the appliance over time. With insulation, the temperature is trapped indoors, which makes it easier to keep the temperature constant.

If you feel that your heating and cooling appliances are working at their best but your home is not equipped to keep the temperature in, maybe it is time to consider upgrading your insulation with the right Kansas City insulation company. Whether your house is best suited for attic or wall insulation, spray foam, or a Blow-in-Blanket System, A+ Insulation’s certified professionals can help you find the right insulation for your home. We provide efficient outputs that give households better indoor comfort.

Contact us today to receive a free inspection and estimate.