Category: air sealing

Air Sealing to prevent Allergy Symptoms in Charlotte, NC & Charleston, SC

Allergy Symptoms? Air Seal!

Posted by alanna stosic on May 27, 2019

Springtime in Charlotte, NC means summer and long, fun-filled days are coming soon. If you suffer from allergies, spring and summer may not be seasons that you welcome. Dust and pollutants can enter your home through your home penetration points which exist around windows, HVAC venting, can lights, and chimneys. The allergens then reside in the air you breathe and can worsen allergy or asthma symptoms.

By air sealing your home, you can prevent outside pollutants from infiltrating your home. Additionally, after air sealing your home, you and your family will be more comfortable all year long. Drafts will be reduced and the temperature inside your home will be easier to regulate. An additional benefit is that your energy bills may be lower than if your home is not air sealed.

Always hire a professional when air sealing your home whether it is an existing home or a new build. A professional is able to detect penetration points in your home that are not visible to the naked eye and will ensure that your home is thoroughly and correctly air sealed.

Interested in air sealing? Contact our office to schedule your free air sealing estimate!

Attic Insulation in Charlotte, NC

Posted by alanna stosic on February 5, 2019

Most people think that insulating their attic is unnecessary and a waste of money because no one lives
or sleeps there, right? Wrong! Insulation will help keep your home’s inside temperature cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Insulation adds a lid to your home to keep the heat from escaping in the cold months and warm air from entering your home from the outside in the warm months.

After thoroughly cleaning your attic to get rid of any pest remains or droppings, air sealing and insulation should be installed. Air sealing closes any openings that might allow moisture, outside air or pests to enter. Insulation creates a thermal barrier to prevent heat transfer between conditioned and unconditioned spaces.

Attic insulation can assist in reducing energy cost and make your home more comfortable. Contact us today to discuss your home’s attic insulation.

Beat Summer Heat – Insulate!

Posted by alanna stosic on May 21, 2018

When warm summer weather arrives, most homeowners think about painting, landscaping and other outdoor projects. Upgrading home insulation is one of the last things that come to mind. Although insulation is commonly associated with cold weather, the thermal barrier it creates is just as important during hot summer weather.

When the weather is hot, the sun heats the surface of your roof. This heat transfers to the air inside your attic. At the same time your attic is heating up, your air conditioning system is working overtime to manage the indoor temperature. In an attempt to create a temperature balance, hot attic air moves into your home’s cooled living space. This in turn heats your home’s inside temperature, requiring your cooling system to work even harder.

This same situation applies to wall insulation. When exterior walls are heated by the hot summer sun, the temperature inside the wall cavity increases. This warm air will attempt to create a balance by moving into your home’s living space. Adding wall insulation helps reduce this heat transfer to keep your home comfortable.

When a home is properly insulated and air sealed, warm air stays out of your living space. This means your cooling system runs less often, reducing your monthly energy bills. Let’s not forget – upgrading insulation will keep your home comfortable all year. This one investment will pay you back month after month!

Not sure if your insulation is doing its job? Contact our office. We are happy to answer your questions and schedule a free estimate.

Importance & Benefits of Ventilation System

Posted by alanna stosic on January 17, 2018

With an increase in green building techniques and tighter building envelopes that result, proper ventilation is increasingly important. Today’s homes are built tight to keep conditioned air in and help reduce energy bills. Tight building envelopes also keep air impurities inside the home including any chemicals used in cleaning products, paint, building materials and more. This combination makes a strong case for proper home ventilation system to maintain optimal air quality and maintain your home’s energy efficiency.There are many factors that influence the appropriate type of home ventilation including local code requirements, building size and types of appliances. Here are three of the most common ventilation systems:

Exhaust Only – This type of system uses a small exhaust fan that is commonly placed in a kitchen or bathroom. The fan is programmed to run either continuously or intermittently to extract stale air and moisture. These systems are low cost and quite easy to install.
Supply Only – A supply-only system includes a fan that brings fresh air into the home. The air escapes through the natural air leaks in your home. A filter can be added to trap pollen and other outdoor air pollutants before they enter the home. A dehumidifier can be added inside the home to control humidity levels.
Balanced – A balanced system includes both exhaust and supply, controlling ventilation at both ends. This system includes separate fans to manage air supply and air exhaust. Overall, this is a better ventilation system because it provides qualities of both exhaust-only and supply-only systems, however it may be more costly to run.

Does your home have a ventilation system? Do you have questions about your home’s air sealing and ventilation? Contact us with any questions.

Benefits to Air Sealing in Charlotte, NC

Posted by alanna stosic on January 3, 2018

Benefits of Air Sealing in Charlotte, NC

Building science is a new concept to some homeowners. Building science is the study of how buildings consume energy and takes a whole-house approach to energy savings. By looking at the home as one unit, a qualified contractor can make recommendations for overall energy improvements rather than targeting just one area of the home.

Building science research shows one powerful energy improvement that can benefit any home – air sealing. Air sealing is the process of sealing penetration points around the envelope (shell) of the home. Penetration points are a result of the construction process and can be found around vents, chimneys, windows, and more.

ENERGY STAR estimates that proper air sealing techniques and upgraded insulation can save a homeowner up to 20% on heating and cooling costs (or up to 10% on their total annual energy bill). Air sealing has some additional benefits:

Reduces indoor allergens by helping keep pollen and dust outside the home.
Helps create a more consistent indoor temperature, reducing hot or cold spots that result from air infiltration.
Reduces energy bills by keeping conditioned air inside the home, requiring heating and cooling systems to run less often.

If you are considering air sealing your home, spray foam insulation is the product to consider. Spray foam insulation increases R-value and seals air leaks with one application. This one application provides two benefits – insulates and seals air leaks! Click here to learn more about spray foam insulation.

Have more questions or ready for a free estimate? Contact our office.

Why Insulate & Seal Your Crawl Space Before Winter?

Posted by alanna stosic on November 28, 2017

If your home is built on a crawl space, you know firsthand the challenges it can cause. Moisture in a crawl space can cause a host of problems. A damp crawl space is an ideal living space for pests, can cause odor inside the home and can compromise the structure of your home. Insulating your crawl space can dramatically improve your home’s comfort, can help reduce your energy bills and improve the quality of air inside your home.

Don’t wait until summer to insulate and air seal your crawl space! Here are three reasons to insulate your crawl space before winter:

Improved air quality
Crawl spaces are naturally damp. As your home breathes, air from your crawl space flows into your home’s living space through penetration points around wiring, plumbing holes and more. This means the air in your crawl space is mingling with the air you breathe every day. Not only is this distasteful, it’s also unhealthy. Air sealing and insulating your crawl space will improve the air quality will help keep pollutants out of your home.
Lower energy bills
Does your furnace run more than you would like during the winter months? This can be in part from damp, cool air from your crawl space being drawn into your home. This air then has to be heated to your comfort level, requiring additional effort for your HVAC system – and additional energy use. Sealing your crawl space will help keep winter energy bills in line and help your HVAC system maintain a longer life.
A more comfortable home
An unfinished crawl space affects your home’s everyday comfort. Are your floors cool during winter? Is your main living area cooler than the upper level of your home? Sealing and insulating your crawl space can help moderate the temperature in your crawl space and keep cool air away from your floors.

Crawl space problems don’t go away, but they can be corrected! Don’t let another season go by with a damp crawl space. Contact our office with your crawl space questions or to schedule a free crawl space estimate.

3 Best Ways to Insulate Your Attic

Posted by alanna stosic on November 23, 2017

When it comes to upgrading insulation in a home, the first area that comes to mind is the attic. Do you know why insulation in an attic is an important part of your home’s overall insulation system? Buildings have a natural airflow that draws inside air up and out. Adding insulation and sealing air leaks in an attic helps heated air stay inside your home. It also stops your HVAC system from running unnecessarily and helps keep energy bills in line.There are three ways to insulate your attic – adding blown fiberglass, air sealing and insulating with fiberglass or insulating with spray foam.

Adding blown fiberglass insulation to an existing attic increases R-value by adding a fresh blanket of insulating protection to your home. This is a basic method of upgrading attic insulation and a cost-effective option.
Sealing air leaks and upgrading insulation dramatically improves home energy efficiency. In an existing home, attic insulation is removed and penetration points around the attic floor are sealed. After air sealing is complete, a fresh blanket of blown fiberglass insulation is installed. In a new home, penetration points around the attic floor are sealed before insulation is installed.
Installing spray foam insulation in an existing attic or the attic of a new home can optimize energy protection. Insulation is removed from the attic of an existing home and spray foam is installed along the roofline. This creates a thermal barrier along the attic ceiling to allow for storage along the attic floor. Spray foam insulation can be installed along the roofline of a new home as part of the construction process.

Adding insulation to your attic is one of the most cost-effective ways to save money on your energy bills each month. Wondering if your home could benefit from additional attic insulation? Contact us for a free estimate.

3 Wall Insulation Methods for New Homes

Posted by alanna stosic on October 4, 2017

When thinking of insulation, the attic area of a home is often the first space that comes to mind. Properly insulating a home goes beyond attics and includes walls, crawl spaces, and more. For years, fiberglass batts have been used to insulate wall cavities. Today there are wall insulation options that provide greater energy efficiency and comfort. Here are three wall insulation methods to consider for your next new home construction or remodeling project.

Dense Pack Fiberglass with Air Sealing – Fiberglass is a cost-effective insulator. Combining dense-pack fiberglass insulation with air sealing prevents air infiltration and makes a home more comfortable and energy efficient at a cost-effective price point.
JM Spider – JM Spider® Plus is fiberglass insulation that is installed in open cavities such as walls before drywall is installed. It is manufactured with interlocking fibers that spring and lock in to place without adhesive or installing behind netting. This technology fills any gaps and voids in a cavity with quick drying times to deliver high-energy performance and help keep your project on schedule.
Flash and Batt – Also known as a hybrid insulation system, flash and batt combine fiberglass insulation and spray foam insulation in one application. During installation, one inch of closed cell spray foam insulation is applied. Once in place, a fiberglass batt is placed over the top of the foam. This is a great option to achieve high performance and at a budget-friendly price.

There are many options to insulate walls in new homes and remodeling projects. Contact our office to learn more about these options and schedule a free estimate.

What is Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality?

Posted by alanna stosic on June 16, 2017

When we think of air quality, we most often think of outdoor air. Did you know that the air inside your home might have the biggest impact on your health? One estimate indicates the average person receives 72 percent of their chemical exposure at home (via The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/USEPA).

Indoor air quality can be affected by many things – construction materials, materials used to manufacture furniture, cleaning products used in our homes, etc. If you would like to improve the air quality inside your home, here are some steps:

Change cleaning products – look for cleaning products, air fresheners, etc. that are made with natural ingredients or are low-emitting products.

Air seal your home – keeping out external pollutants helps maintain your home’s indoor environment. When external pollutants are kept out, your indoor air can be properly tested and maintained. Spray foam insulation effectively seals air leaks and insulates in one step.

Ventilation – After your home is air sealed, having a proper mechanical ventilation system will help remove indoor air pollutants.

Contact our office to learn about how spray foam insulation can help keep out external pollutants, help maintain your home’s indoor air quality, and help reduce your energy bills. We are happy to provide a free estimate.