COLORADO’S TOP HOME INSULATION COMPANY

Reducing air infiltration takes the strain off heating and cooling units to avoid energy loss by running longer than necessary. The result can be an annual energy-cost savings of up to 20%. Savings vary depending on the original amount of insulation in the home, climate, house size, air leaks, and each customer’s personal energy use and living habits.

Speak with your insurance company to determine whether you qualify for any type of insurance rebate.

Proper insulation and ventilation are essential in both warm and cold climates – and in all seasons – to prevent indoor energy from leaking out of the home. Reducing air infiltration can dramatically improve a home’s thermal performance because most air infiltration occurs through the ceiling and floor. Of course, many homeowners also insulate their homes with wall insulation behind the drywall.

In hot weather, proper insulation prevents the attic from spilling unwanted heat down through the attic floor into the living area. In cold weather, proper insulation helps prevent moisture from condensing on the rafters or roof deck and dripping into the insulation.

According to the EPA, showers, cooking, washing, and even breathing can put a surprising amount of moisture into the home. Vapor retarders help control the amount of moisture passing through insulation and collecting inside exterior walls, ceiling, and floors. Manufacturers such as Owens Corning offer products with pre-applied vapor retarders, such as kraft-faced insulation. The kraft paper acts as a vapor retarder, and it’s already adhered.

The ability of insulation to resist the transfer of heat is measured by “R-value.” The higher an insulation’s R-value, the better its ability to resist the flow of heat. Tiny air pockets trapped in the insulation resist the passage of heat – heat loss of winter and heat gain in summer.

R-values are not directly related to the insulation product’s thickness but are related to the number of fibers per square inch or the insulation’s density—the thicker or denser the insulation, the more air pockets and the higher the R-value. As an example, a 3 ½” thick R-15 insulation has more fibers per square inch than 3 ½” thick R-11, making it denser and earning a higher R-value for the same thickness.

How much attic insulation is needed? While the amount required varies based on the country’s region, in most cases, the DOE recommends attics are insulated to R-49. The R-value represents thermal resistance to heat flow, so the higher the R-value, the greater the insulation effectiveness.

It’s also important to check your local building codes to ensure your new insulation project will meet current code requirements.

Fiberglass insulation products are clearly labeled by R-value. Those values are based on tests made by accredited laboratories using the current American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods. Further, fiberglass batt and loosefill types of insulation are factory-engineered to retain their thermal performance for the product’s lifetime. Properly installed, they will not significantly sag or settle, thereby assuring that the installed R-value is maintained. Fiberglass batts and properly installed loosefill insulations are not considerably affected by convection (the upward movement of warm air).

Fiberglass is manufactured primarily from sand, an inherently non-combustible material. Therefore, glass fibers will not burn and require no fire-retardant chemicals, like are required with another type of insulation known as cellulose insulation.

Fiberglass insulation is safe to use when the simple directions printed on the package are followed. In terms of health and safety testing, fiberglass insulation is one of the most tested building materials. Studies conducted over the past 50 years involving 40,000 workers have not established any causal relationship between exposure to glass fibers and cancer or any other disease in plant workers or installers.