The Importance of Good Insulation

On average, 50% to 70% of a home’s household energy goes into heating and cooling. By installing the right levels of insulation
and ventilation you can expect to:

• Save money and our nation’s limited energy resources.

• Make your home more comfortable by helping to maintain a
   uniform temperature throughout the house.

• Make walls, ceilings, and floors warmer in the winter and cooler
   in the summer.

The Cost of Insulation verses No Action: By properly insulating your home, you can expect the project to pay for itself in about 5 to 7 years by reducing your heating and cooling bills. Better yet, the life of your roof will be extended considerably as insulation protects your roof shingles from excessive heat over time.

What is R-Value?

You may have heard the term R-value as it relates to insulation, but what does it mean? Insulation is rated in terms of thermal resistance, called R-value, which indicates the resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness. The R-value of thermal insulation depends on the type of material, its thickness, and its density. In calculating the R-value of a multi-layered installation, the R-values of the individual layers are added. Xtreme Exteriors can inspect the R-value you currently have in your home and make recommendations that will improve your home’s R-value.

Before Xtreme Exteriors Begins an Insulation Project, We Carefully Inspect for the Following:

• Intake venting, exhaust venting and bathroom exhaust venting.

• The current insulation depth in your home, insulation coverage,
   and levels of consistency.

• The conditioned space leaks into your attic from mechanical
   by-passes, such as electrical wiring, satellite wiring, plumbing
   and HVAC trunks and leads.

• If you have original framing that is causing an inability to
   adequately insulate certain spaces in your attic.

• The elevation of your home to the sun and/or northern
   exposures, i.e. is your home on a hill or down in a valley;
   is your home located in a high-home density neighborhood.
   (Neighbors’ thermostat settings can influence your own home’s
   temperature.)

• Soffit chutes: check their width, length and make up, i.e. foam,
   cardboard, wood or paper — yes, we have found paper chutes
   in use!

• Other factors, such as windows, fish tanks, the use of humidifiers    and dehumidifiers.

• Trouble shooting other problems, such as moisture build-up,
   heat and cold issues, odors, animal intrusion and the M word —    mold.

What Goes into an Insulation Project?

Our experience has taught us that a well balanced attic with equal amounts of air intake and exhaust is just as important, if not more important than simply adding insulation. Xtreme Exteriors looks to provide both the right levels of insulation coupled with a balanced attic.

• Properly seal around elements that go through the top floor
   and ceiling into the attic and seal around elements on the
   underside of the roof deck.

• Properly seal partition walls and top plate.

• Properly install new 22” x 6’ long rigid foam soffit chutes.
   (Remove old soffit chutes, if they are existing.)

• Install wind wash under chutes to keep new insulation out of
   soffits ~ this prevents wind from blowing into soffit and blowing
   back the new insulation.

• Carefully blow insulation under soffit chutes (We have seen
   many homes that have a blow back void under soffit chutes due
   to excessive pressure from improper installation.)

• Insulate access hatch lid.

• Install weather-strip around access hatch frame.

If you are experiencing elevated home heating and cooling bills and/or would like to have a more comfortable home throughout the year, give Xtreme Exteriors a call at 763.441.1334. We happily provide free inspections and estimates.