Residential Insulation
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What Insulation Do I Need to Buy?
If you're a homeowner - chances are you googled insulation and looked at one of the big box hardware stores to price out your project. In order to understand what insulation would be best for your project - you first need to understand how insulation performance is measured.
Insulation is measured using what is called an “R-value”. The R-value simply gives us insight into a material’s resistance to heat flow. What does this mean for you? Well - the larger the R-value the better that material is at insulating your space for both climate control and energy efficiency.
The R-value will be provided through the manufacturer and it is typically provided per inch of thickness for the material. Now there are going to be a number of different R-values out there and you might be curious what level of insulation you need for your project.
Furthermore - recommendations for R-values vary depending on a number of factors including the climate you live in, the type of material you are using for insulation, if there is any insulating currently in place, and the type of space in your home that you want insulated (attic, interior walls, exterior walls, ceiling, crawlspace, basement etc.)
Check out the graphs below provided by the US Department of Energy to understand our Climate Zone and the R-values required for our Climate Zone based on the space you’re planning to insulate.
As you can see below - we are in Climate Zone 3 (the light green).
Insulation is measured using what is called an “R-value”. The R-value simply gives us insight into a material’s resistance to heat flow. What does this mean for you? Well - the larger the R-value the better that material is at insulating your space for both climate control and energy efficiency.
The R-value will be provided through the manufacturer and it is typically provided per inch of thickness for the material. Now there are going to be a number of different R-values out there and you might be curious what level of insulation you need for your project.
Furthermore - recommendations for R-values vary depending on a number of factors including the climate you live in, the type of material you are using for insulation, if there is any insulating currently in place, and the type of space in your home that you want insulated (attic, interior walls, exterior walls, ceiling, crawlspace, basement etc.)
Check out the graphs below provided by the US Department of Energy to understand our Climate Zone and the R-values required for our Climate Zone based on the space you’re planning to insulate.
As you can see below - we are in Climate Zone 3 (the light green).
This table, again provided by the US Department of Energy helps determine what the best R-value would be for your project depending on our climate zone and the space your are hoping to insulate.
What Are The Insulation Options Out There?
Insulation has been around for centuries - and the oldest insulation material can still be purchased today! If you were thinking of “Dirt” you would be correct - but we don’t recommend filling your walls or attic with dirt.
You might have also been thinking about the old pink fluffy looking stuff you’ve seen being removed from all of the fixer upper homes on HGTV. This is called fiberglass insulation and was used for decades. Fiberglass is still an option - but we don’t typically recommend it due to the numerous health concerns associated with it - the fiberglass particles can be dangerous for those handling it and living with a fiberglass insulated home as the particles get trapped in your lungs causing respiratory issues or even worse - cancer. Also - this traditional insulation is prone to mold and it’s effectiveness decreases dramatically over time.
These days we have many more options including blown in cellulose insulation, foam boards, and the extremely effective and popular spray foam insulation. Spray foam is popular for a reason - it is quick to install, lasts almost forever, and has many more benefits than traditional insulates.
There are a couple different kinds of spray foam insulation - both of which can be great for attic insulation, basement insulation, crawl space insulation, and interior or exterior wall insulation. It is tremendously more robust and the benefits are immediately impactful.
Check out our next section below reviewing the differences between open cell spray foam and closed cell spray foam.
You might have also been thinking about the old pink fluffy looking stuff you’ve seen being removed from all of the fixer upper homes on HGTV. This is called fiberglass insulation and was used for decades. Fiberglass is still an option - but we don’t typically recommend it due to the numerous health concerns associated with it - the fiberglass particles can be dangerous for those handling it and living with a fiberglass insulated home as the particles get trapped in your lungs causing respiratory issues or even worse - cancer. Also - this traditional insulation is prone to mold and it’s effectiveness decreases dramatically over time.
These days we have many more options including blown in cellulose insulation, foam boards, and the extremely effective and popular spray foam insulation. Spray foam is popular for a reason - it is quick to install, lasts almost forever, and has many more benefits than traditional insulates.
There are a couple different kinds of spray foam insulation - both of which can be great for attic insulation, basement insulation, crawl space insulation, and interior or exterior wall insulation. It is tremendously more robust and the benefits are immediately impactful.
Check out our next section below reviewing the differences between open cell spray foam and closed cell spray foam.
What is Open Cell Spray Foam?Open cell spray foam is a fantastic insulation material that is named open cell for a reason - the foam cells structure is open not closed. This distinction is vitally important as the open cell structure allows the insulation material to be permeated by water and vapors. Also the open cell structure makes the material much more flexible than the closed cell spray foam option.
Now you may be curious why you might want an insulation that water and vapors can actually flow through - and this is a great question. You might want an open cell structure when insulating areas that are easily susceptible to mold such as the crawlspace or a basement. The open cell foam lets water pass through the insulation without creating a warm, moist environment for bacteria and mold spores to harbor and grow. In addition to being more flexible, open cell spray foam expands more, can be more cost efficient, and typically uses a lot less material than closed cell foam. Can open cell spray foam be used for residential insulation? Yes! Open cell spray foam is a perfect insulation for residential purposes; however, depending on the project it might not be the best option. Call us at 910-679-9565 to get a free quote today! We’re happy to help guide your through the process (check out the how it works section below) and help you decide what the best insulation option is for your home. |
What is Closed Cell Spray Foam?Closed cell spray foam is also named for a reason - yup you guessed it - the cell structure is “closed” not open. Closed cell is also a fantastic insulator - and the closed cellular structure is very important. The closed nature of the cells make the closed cell spray foam much more dense. This allows closed cell spray foam to be entirely vapor and water retardant - meaning it is not permeable by water and vapor. Also the closed cell foam is much more rigid in structure.
Why would you want your insulation to be water and vapor retardant - and why foes rigidity matter? Well closed cell insulation is more versatile in how and where it is installed. Being vapor and water retardant makes the closed cell spray foam have a much higher R-value - making this a wonderful insulation option for thermal control in any environment. The more rigid structure has a huge benefit in that it helps to increase the structural integrity of your home making your house much more resistant to impacts from the elements and natural disasters. Closed cell spray foam can be applied in almost any space including the attic, basement, or crawl space, but it is especially great for areas with a brick or masonry foundation. Just like the open cell foam - closed cell spray foam is a great insulator - but it is not always the right choice for your project. Give us a call today at 910-679-9565 and we will be happy to help you choose the best insulation options for your home or business - even if you don’t choose us! |
Why Leland Insulation Pros?
Attention To Detail
Today it feels like everyone is cutting corners looking for the easy way out - there does not seem to be as much appreciation for having attention to small details. We cannot stress enough how important it is that the company you choose for your insulation project is extremely detail oriented.
The smallest of details matter! When installing insulation you will come across countless other components of the home - and knowing how to correctly apply insulation around crucial plumbing pipes, electrical wires and breaker boxes, and even your HVAC ventilation is extremely important. It is extremely unfortunate how many homeowners we visit with insulation sprayed all over the place and installed improperly restricting access to other crucial elements of their home - an obvious sign of a “professional” with no attention to detail - and this causes so many problems down the road for the homeowner. Installing insulation is not easy, and cutting corners to get the job “done” before the end of the day is not the way to approach business (or life for that matter). We promise at the Leland Insulation Pros that when we agree to complete a job for you - the job will be done right and you will never have to stress about insulation again. We are quick, professionally, and we will leave your property cleaner than we found it.
The smallest of details matter! When installing insulation you will come across countless other components of the home - and knowing how to correctly apply insulation around crucial plumbing pipes, electrical wires and breaker boxes, and even your HVAC ventilation is extremely important. It is extremely unfortunate how many homeowners we visit with insulation sprayed all over the place and installed improperly restricting access to other crucial elements of their home - an obvious sign of a “professional” with no attention to detail - and this causes so many problems down the road for the homeowner. Installing insulation is not easy, and cutting corners to get the job “done” before the end of the day is not the way to approach business (or life for that matter). We promise at the Leland Insulation Pros that when we agree to complete a job for you - the job will be done right and you will never have to stress about insulation again. We are quick, professionally, and we will leave your property cleaner than we found it.
Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail
Insulation is just like other trade services - creating a detailed plan that is executable is vitally important for insulation installation. Leland Insulation Pros will not begin work on your project until we have crafted the most effective plan of attack and communicated our plan to the homeowner. Our planning stage includes helping to consult and guide our clients on what the best insulation is for their unique projects, planning on our approach for removing existing insulation if present in the space, preparing the space for installation, walking through how we will systematically install install the insulation, and finally how we will clean the client’s home before we leave.
Cost Effective
Listen - we understand that the dollars are often what make or break a project for homeowners. We don’t ever want the cost to prevent you from making critical improvements to your home.
Our pricing is extremely competitive - and the price you are quoted is the price you pay. We hate it when there are surprise costs that increase the price and we refuse to treat our customers that way.
Our pricing is extremely competitive - and the price you are quoted is the price you pay. We hate it when there are surprise costs that increase the price and we refuse to treat our customers that way.
Excellent Communication
Don’t you hate it when you call someone to service a component of your home like the HVAC or plumbing, and the service company doesn’t call to let you know when they’re arriving or even communicate when you can expect to receive your quotes in writing? Man that really grinds our gears.
Leland Insulation Pros promise to communicate effectively and keep you up to speed throughout every step of the process. We absolutely love the work we do and cherish getting to help the members of our community. We are a fun group to interact with and always ensure you’re smiling when we leave.
Leland Insulation Pros promise to communicate effectively and keep you up to speed throughout every step of the process. We absolutely love the work we do and cherish getting to help the members of our community. We are a fun group to interact with and always ensure you’re smiling when we leave.
What Is The Process?
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Locations ServicedLeland, NCWilmington, NCSouthport/Oak Island, NCBrunswick County, NC |