Energy Savings with Spray Foam Insulation

Sealing your home by the use of spray foam insulation is smart.  EcoMech can help you get a sealed home in just one visit by properly spray foaming your home. A proper sealing of your home will not only save you money from high cost utility bills, but it will also strengthen and protect you from dangerous molds, airborne pollutants and allergens.

What is spray foam insulation?

Spray foam insulation is a polyurethane foam that is pumped into your home to insulate the walls, ceilings, and everywhere else you would expect insulation to be. It will keep the heat inside during the cold months and hot air out when it’s warm.

Can EcoMech remove the existing insulation and will it be a proper seal?

Yes. EcoMech will either rake back your existing insulation to expose roughly 50% of your attic floor surface area or remove it completely from your space within your home. It will help to ensure the proper movement of the natural moisture in your air.

So how much insulation will I need? Does it lose R-value as it gets thicker?

How much insulation depends on your home. Does it lose R Value as it gets thicker? No. R-value is consistent with thickness. All forms of insulation increase their R-value as it gets thicker for example R3 per inch equals R3 times however many inches you want to install. However it is important to know as R-value increases, the effectiveness of the insulation begins to level out to a point that no matter how much insulation you install you will never be able to stop 100% of heat gain and heat loss. See the chart below. It begins to make sense that spending double to get twice as much insulation in your roof line is not cost effective since it only stops an additional 3% of radiant heat transfer.

 Are there many benefits to having a properly sealed home? Absolutely, yes! There is no better time to insulate using spray foam.

Can I make my home “too air tight” by use of spray foam insulation?  Have you heard a friend or neighbor say that your home “has to breathe” in order to be healthy. This is old fashioned thinking. Only the occupants of the home need to breathe, the house does not. If your home is fully sprayed and tight then it is highly recommended that you use a fresh air ventilation system such as April Aire fresh air intake system to prevent “sick building syndrome”.  It will ensure adequate ventilation is being provided for the occupants of the home. Additionally, If you install and utilize a “bipolar ionizer” you may reduce allergens and pollutants.

I am building a new home. Shouldn’t I just use regular “tried and true” forms of insulation in my walls? Of course! But think about it do you still ride a horse or drive a car? A horse is “tried and true” and that mode of transportation has been around for years. However, there are better technologies available. As seen in the below picture the existing batt wall insulation that we removed from this home has proven it failed as an air barrier. This wall batt insulation has been allowing the home to leak for many years. Breathing air that is laden with moisture, mold, allergens, dust, & insects is not good for you.

I already have existing insulation in the floor of my attic. Shouldn’t this insulation stay in place?

No. Vapor (moisture, humidity) naturally found in the air inside your home can and will travel into your attic.

Due to the warmer temperatures in the attic than the conditioned space below, the vapor can become trapped in your attic by the older layer of existing insulation.

Additionally, many times in older homes strange “things” can be found in the existing insulation that you may not want as a part of your newly encapsulated attic. These “things” are sometimes: animal droppings, mold, mildew, and even deceased animals can be found.

Spray Foam Insulation Benefits

• Stops air and moisture from getting through and adds strength to your home.
• Protects your family from mold and other allergens
• When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture through spray foam insulation.
• Less noise transference
• Spray foam insulation reduces airborne sounds and will make your home acoustically tighter and more private from room to room.
• Makes your home much more comfortable
• A proper sealing using spray foam insulation will reduce maintenance and wear of your air conditioning equipment because it doesn’t have to work as hard to heat and cool your home. Your home will be sealed.
• The US Department of Energy (DOE) studies show that 40% of your home’s energy is lost due to air infiltration. This air infiltrates the home in the form of drafts through walls sockets, windows and doorways.
• Spray foam insulation outshines that of traditional fiber glass insulation because of its superior air barrier that a proper seal can produce.

Monthly energy and utility savings of 30% or greater can be achieved when compared to the alternative roofing and insulation systems. The cost of an SPF roof or insulation system can often be recovered in less than 5 years, simply through energy savings alone.

We are here to assist you! If you’d like to learn more from EcoMech about spray foam insulation then call us today.

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