What is the most important area to insulate?
The attic is by far the most important and primary area to have insulation, it’ll serve to hold rising heat in during the winter and reduce heat from coming down in the summer. While wall insulation will certainly help, the attic is 70% the ball game and is the best area to start when insulating a home.
I'm a landlord, can I still apply for an Energy Company rebate?
YES, the rebate application has a section where you specify to whom and where the check should be sent, you need only have the Gas Company account number for the property.
Do I need a permit to do insulation work?
NO, while the Department of Building & Safety will gladly exchange money for permit on any work in valuation of $500 or more, they do not require a permit for insulation work, it’s considered more of a maintenance then an addition.
Can we be home during installation?
YES, our work is surprisingly clean and our insulation material is non-toxic, non-corrosive and even considered hypoallergenic. We use a dust reduction system and all the machinery is outside the home. Homeowners have even been known to sleep while we complete our work.
What does the lifetime guarantee involve?
We place a lifetime guarantee on both the insulation material and the installation, this means the insulation won’t settle, pack or lose it’s insulating qualities. Our installation is guaranteed in that we will have installed the insulation thoroughly and properly.
Which is better, blown-in or rolled-in insulation?
Each has their application but in the attic the blown-in application has several advantages. The key advantage to a blown-in material is that it’ll cover the entire floor of the attic with a solid blanket of insulation, also called a monolithic fill, this will contour around the entire floor of the attic and seal much better; a blown-in application can work 35-40% more effective then a rolled-in application and this is because a rolled-in application has a compromised fit around plumbing, piping and conduit. Also, the framing in the attic is not all exactly spaced apart, so while the rolled-in application may appear cleaner and easier to work with, a rolled-in R30 will only perform as well as a blown-in R19. Also, the rolled-in material tends to be fiberglass, which is a product we’re trying to move away from. Please see our section on rolled vs. blown for more info.
Which is better, fiberglass or cellulose?
Both insulation materials have their application but for attic or wall insulation, the cellulose has several many key advantages. Cellulose is more effective, more efficient, longer-lasting and safer. Fiberglass has a hazard-warning label, tends to be itchy, does not have a lifetime guarantee and requires thicker amounts to work as effectively.
How do you deal with Recessed Lighting or other ceiling fixtures?
There are different kinds of fixtures, some are IC-rated (intended to be In-Contact with insulation) while other fixtures are Non IC-rated (insulation must be kept clear of these fixtures). In all cases we evaluate each fixture and apply insulation in a proper and safe manner to ensure no problems will arise. With Non IC-rated fixtures we’ll pull the insulation away and form a barrier around the fixture.
How do you deal with eave vents and other ventilation around the attic?
We ensure that all ventilation is maintained in an open manner to allow air to ventilate. When we’re done, we’ll inspect to make certain all the eave vents, exhaust flues, gable vents and other ventilation are adequately clear.
Do I need to remove my existing attic insulation?
Generally, no. We can usually use the existing attic insulation as a base and simply install additional insulation over the existing insulation in order to bring the attic up to an R30 or R38 performance level. Today we’re seeing a trend where many insulation companies are trying to suggest that the only way to “do the job right” is to remove the old attic insulation. Unless you have water damage, fire damage or extreme rodent infestation there is usually no benefit or legitimate reason to remove or vacuum out the old insulation. For more information see our section on insulation removal.
