Insulation is a critical component of the soundness and energy efficiency of your home. Without proper insulation, your house is literally leaking like a sieve, and costing you more than you know. If your electric bills seem to be higher than they should, lack of proper insulation can be the cause. Ask around the neighborhood to get a baseline on what utility bills are among your neighbors. If there is a gap between yours and theirs with no good reason, such as more occupants, someone does not go out to work and are home all day, or other differences then it’s probably time for an energy audit from a Fort Lauderdale insulation company.
What’s an Energy Audit?
An energy audit is an evaluation of your home, done by an energy efficiency professional, to determine if and where your home is burning more energy than what is acceptable. The inspector will check places in your home using infrared cameras, a smoke want and other tools, to see and measure if those areas are up to par and what, if anything, needs to be done to correct the issues found in order to correct any problems.
He will also look over your energy bills and determine if and when something changed dramatically in the past 12 months. For example, if your bill suddenly goes from $100 per month to $300 per month, coinciding with the beginning of the heating season, you have a problem. If this year’s bill is much higher compared to the same time period for last year, there may be a problem. He will then conduct tests to determine if your heating system is to blame and fix what is needed to return your utility bills to normal. Our professional technicians are trained to find and fix the problem.
How Can Insulation Help?
Insulation is one of the best ways to ensure your house is protected against heat/cold loss properly. Your attic is directly in the “line of fire,” literally. Heat from the sun during the summer months can bring the temperature of your attic to as high as 130 degrees, and, without a barrier between your ceilings and roof, can bring the temperature up inside your house to an uncomfortable level.
Your air conditioning then has to work overtime to keep the temperature down, and all the while your electric meter is spinning constantly and each revolution adds more and more dollars to your electric bill. During the time period stretching from mid-March through mid-September Fort Lauderdale, as well as the rest of South Florida, experiences more solar radiation than any other time of the year.
Having proper insulation in your attic effectively prevents the sun’s heat from making its way to your living spaces and helps keep your electric bill from skyrocketing during this period. It also keeps the heat from escaping in the winter to prevent a spike in utility bills in the colder months.
Attic Insulation
There are two attic zones that are particularly targeted to safeguard against the improper loss of a barrier between your attic and your living space. The first is the insulation between your attic and your living area, called ceiling insulation. This insulation literally sits on top of your ceiling providing a barrier between attic temperature and house temperature. If there is inadequate insulation, your house will not be protected from the elements.
To remedy the situation of insufficient or no insulation in this area, insulation will be added. The materials used will be either blown insulation consisting of fiberglass and cellulose or rolls of insulation made up of fiberglass, mineral wood, and natural fibers. In this area, rolls are better and last longer. The other attic zone needing proper insulation is under the roof. A foam insulation that sprays on and adheres to the underside of the roof is used for this area.
Say What?
You may not consider sound proofing in your home to be necessary, but hear us out. If you have ever been awakened by a neighbor’s barking dog, loud music, or spousal disagreement, then you begin to see the wisdom of soundproofing with insulation.
To soundproof from external noise or internal noise can easily be done when building or remodeling by adding batt or blanket insulation in the walls in between the studs. Some companies manufacture insulation specifically for this purpose.
Insulation will be installed between studs, around pipes, electrical boxes, and heating ducts. Even a little gap will greatly reduce sound proofing.
Out with the Old
Of course, there will be times when, prior to new insulation being installed, old insulation must be removed. This is a dirty job and you definitely want to leave it to the professionals. Many situations lead to the breakdown of insulation and lead to potential health problems.
Sometimes animals such as mine, squirrels, and raccoons find their way into your attic and set up housekeeping. This leads to degradation of the insulation from urine and feces. Once the insulation breaks down, dust from the old insulation can make its way into your living space and create a potential for health problems.
Water can damage your insulation as well. If moisture gets underneath your insulation it can lead to mold which will then make its way down into your living space. These things can lead to serious health problems, such as breathing difficulty or physical illnesses. We can safely and quickly remove old damaged insulation and insulation dust completely and safely and replace with new to boost energy efficiency and improve air quality.
There are so many crucial ways that proper insulation and maintenance protects your home and family. We can help with all of your insulation needs in a professional and proficient manner. If you need help, call on us.
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