Answers concerning insulation.
What is Cellulose?Cellulose is an
insulation made from recycled newsprint (newspaper). Fire
retardants, mainly boric acid and other additives are combined to
make cellulose one of the most effective and safest of any of the
insulation products used today. Cellulose is tested to meet all
government standards and is approved for VA/FHA applications.
Back to Top
How much insulation is required in our
area?
There is no specific R-Values as it pertains to meet a
code. But the standard minimum for our area is R-13 for walls and
R-38 for ceilings and attics. Utah, like most states have adopted
The International Energy Conservation Code (2003 IECC is the current
code for Utah) to determine the required energy efficiency of a
particular home. (See what is a rescheck.) Back to Top
What is a Rescheck
(meccheck)
A Rescheck is a calculation done by a
computer program that helps determine the overall energy
efficiency of a home. It uses calculations based on
the different components that effect the energy efficiency of a
particular building or home. They include walls, ceiling, floors and
slabs as well as windows, doors and skylights. The program also
considers the area or climate that the home is going to be built.
Therefor a house that will pass easily being built in the St. George
area may fail in a climate of Cedar City or Pine Valley. Every city,
town and county in Utah is required by law to show compliance with
the 2003 IECC (International Energy Conservation Code)for homes
built in Utah. We can provide you with a rescheck for your home,
call Larry (435) 680-7252 To learn more or to download the program (FREE), click
here
. Back to Top
We just purchased a new home. Does it
meet code? And was the insulation
inspected?
Sorry to say it, but there is no inspection on insulation
in any of the cities or towns in Washington county or in the County
and even though Reschecks are required, only the Washington
County Building Dept. requires a Rescheck on a regular basis.
This means BUYER BEWARE AND BE EDUCATED. Back to Top
What is an R-Value?
R-Value is a term
or number that is used to measure the
resistance to heat flow of energy
(conductive heat) through a material. In simple terms the higher the
R-Value the better the insulating power. An R-19 is only half as
effective as an R-38. But Keep in mind R-value usually only applies
to conductive heat and is not always a good representation of
the overall effectiveness of an insulating material.
For example: A fiberglass batt with a factory printed rating of
R-13 loses at least 15% (some studies show a loss of up to 40%) of
its effective R-Value when installed in a 2x4 standard wall, due to
gaps created by plumbing, electrical and framing irregularities.
Just think of the air infiltration. A Wet- Spray Cellulose is an
effective R-13.3(2x4)..R-21(2x6) and normally 30- 40% better at
reducing convective (air infiltration) and radiant heat loss. Back to Top
Why should I spend more for an upgraded
insulation job?
If you calculate what the payment for $100 on
your 30 year loan at 10% interest it comes to about $0.88 per month.
If you save just $10 per month, that would equal about $3,600 over
the 30 year loan period. (Homes as well as family habits and energy
use will vary so we hesitate to make any grand claims of savings.)
From experience and feed back from the owners of homes were we have
upgraded just the attic insulation from about an R-25 to R-38 at a
cost of about $300/1000sq.ft. We have heard reports that there
utility bills have dropped from the year before, anywhere from $20
on up and some people have said it cut their total power bills in
half (more than $100). Some of them said, it was hard to tell how
much they saved because, before re-insulating they didn’t dare set
their thermostats at a comfortable level. “INSULATION: THE
BEST INVESTMENT YOU NEVER SEE” Back to Top
How can I tell if my attic needs more
insulation?We offer Free estimates and can check it for you.
Call Larry at (435)680-7252.. But to answer your question, An R-38
is considered a standard and if you have less than an R-30 it would
probably be a good idea to add insulation. You can check it by
determining the type (color) and depth (for R-38 noted in inches
settled) of the insulation installed. Fiberglass can be YELLOW, PINK
or WHITE, depth 14 - 18 inches Cellulose is GRAY and if you look
closely you can see the print on the paper, 10 inches settled. Older
(and some newer) homes may contain Rockwool. It may have a
Greenish/Gray tint and darker in color but looks somewhat like
fiberglass in consistency (makes you itch just looking at it) ,
depth 11-12 inches. Really old homes may have Vermiculite, granules
that are a shiny metallic STRAW color. If you have this I doubt if
you have more than an R-11 and would benefit by adding more
insulation.
Back to
Top
How can I be sure the installer
has insulated my house to the correct R-Value? Do I measure the
inches when he is done?
NEVER GO BY INCHES ALONE: Example for R-38: 
Fiberglass settled needs to be 14 - 18 inches, depending on the
brand used. And can settle 6-8 inches after installation!
Cellulose needs to be 10 inches settled. And will settle 1-2
inches.
Rockwool needs to be 11 - 12 inches when settled. It will also
settle 1-2 inches.
What a General Contractor or Home Owner needs to be sure of is
THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF BAGS NEED TO BE USED!! NOT SOME OUT DATED
INCHES PLOY that has been used by many insulators to cheat the
customer. To determine the installed R-Value. A BAG CHART IS PRINTED
ON EVERY BAG OF BLOWING MATERIAL. A CERTIFICATE IS REQUIRED WHEN
USING LOOSE FILL INSULATION AND IS TO BE FORWARDED TO THE HOME BUYER
OR HOME OWNER. ASK FOR YOURS!! IT MAY BE IN THE ATTIC ACCESS. It is
required to state the area in square feet, material used, bags
actually used and the R-Value, and minimum depth.This is used to
calculate the bag count so the correct density is installed and this
is the only way to insure that you get the true R-Value you have
paid for!!Back to
Top
Can we have cellulose blown into interior
walls?
Yes! Cellulose does a much better job at deadening
(sound proofing) than fiberglass This is something many people don’t
give enough thought to when building a new house. We recommend that
you consider spraying around bathrooms, master bedroom, utility
rooms as well as media rooms. Or how about around that teenager’s
bedroom ..think about it now before they take up the drums as their
instrument of choice. We have insulated some houses and commercial
buildings where all the walls have been sprayed. Existing walls can
also be drilled and pumped. Back to Top
Should I insulate my garage?
It is
normally an option. It will help to keep some of the heat out in the
summer and help keep it a little warmer in the winter. If there is
any chance that you may, in the future spend time working in your
garage or remodel for a new room I would suggest you consider
insulating the walls if you are going to drywall. The attic of the
garage may be done later if it is accessible from the attic access.
In a finished or older garage just doing the garage attic can help
keep a lot of the heat from the attic from building up
in the garage. We have also done many finished garage walls by
drilling and pumping through the drywall. Back to
Top
