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Insulation
How does it work?
When installing cellulose insulation via the dense pack method, one 2″ diameter access hole is drilled at the base of each stud bay in your wall (about every 16″ inches). A fill tube is then inserted into the access hole and fed into the bay until it hits the top of the wall. Our powerful machine is then turned on, forcing the insulation to literally “flow” around obstructions like wires, outlet boxes, and plumbing pipes, as well as into the small holes, cracks, and access points in your wall. When the fill tube is finally removed from the bay, the insulation inside is packed so tightly that your fingers cannot poke through it. This is how dense pack cellulose insulates and reduces air infiltration into your home! When the work is complete, all access holes are sealed / patched and siding is replaced if work is done from the outside.
How wall Insulation Affect my Homes Energy Efficiency?
Using cellulose for your wall insulation needs achieves two big energy-efficiency-improving functions. First it insulates 2×4 stud bays to an approximate R-Value of R-15. This improvement alone dramatically reduces heat loss. But the other thing achieved when cellulose insulation is dense packed into your walls is that it permanently tightens your home’s “air barrier.” This air-sealing characteristic drastically reduces air infiltration year round, further cutting energy loss. The overall impact of insulating your exterior walls with cellulose process should be a 20-30% reduction in your utility bills.
Does cellulose insulation cause skin irritation?
No. Cellulose insulation does not contain any glass fibers, such as found in fiberglass insulation, that cause skin and respiratory irritation.
Do I need a Vapor Retarder?
With Cellulose insulation we do not recommend a vapor retarder unless there is extremely cold weather or a high humidity area such as a pool or a spa. However, many building codes do require an Air barrier or Vapor retarder to be installed. Check your local building codes for compliance.
Do I have to take out the insulation that is already there?
Not necessarily, since adding more insulation has a cumulative impact on the overall R-value. In the attic, if the insulation is old or not securely in place in the case of batt products, it might make sense to remove it and fill in with fresh blown-in Cellulose insulation. You can also just blow in new insulation on top of the existing insulation and improve the overall quality and R-value.
In walls, it is possible for contractors to install the new insulation in a manner that compresses existing insulation in the wall cavity and completely seal the wall cavity with performance-enhancing Cellulose insulation.
What is meant by K-Factor, R-Value, and C-Factor?
K-Factor (Thermal Conductivity Factor) – The measure of heat in Btus that pass through one square foot of a homogeneous substance, 1 inch thick, in an hour, for each degree F temperature difference. The lower the K-value, the higher the insulating value. Textbook definition: The time rate of steady heat flow through a unit area of a homogeneous material induced by a unit temperature gradient in a direction perpendicular to that unit area.
Insulation materials usually have K-Factors less than one and are reported at what is called Mean Temperature. To determine the mean temperature, measure the surface temperatures on both sides of the insulation, add them together and divide by two.
When comparing the insulating value of different types of insulations, it’s important to look at K-Factor and the mean temperature. As mean temperatures rise, so does the K-Factor.
C-Factor (Thermal Conductance Factor)- C-Factor is the number of Btus which will pass through 1 square foot of material with 1°F temperature difference for a specified thickness. The C-Factor is the K-Factor divided by the thickness of the insulation. The formula is the reciprocal of the R-Factor formula. The lower the C, the better the insulator.
R-Value (Thermal Resistance Value) – The National Commercial & Industrial Insulation Standards Manual defines R-Value as a measure of the ability to retard heat flow rather than to transmit heat. “R” is the numerical reciprocal of C, thus R=1/C. Thermal resistance designates thermal resistance values: R-11 equals 11 resistance units. The higher the “R”, the higher (better) the insulating value.