Insulation

Why Invest in Insulation?

Investing in products to make homes more energy efficient pays significant dividends over a lifetime — with none of the wild fluctuations of Wall Street. By putting money into your home you can see a return on your money immediately with savings of 20-40% on your monthly utility bills. To get the biggest savings, the easiest place to add insulation is usually in the attic. A quick way to see if you need more insulation is to look across your uncovered attic floor. If your insulation is level with or below the attic floor joists, you probably need to add more insulation. Insulation performance is measured by R-value — its ability to resist heat flow. Higher R-values mean more insulating power. The recommended Minimum insulation level for most attics is R-38 (or about 12–15 inches, depending on the insulation type). In the coldest climates, a Minimum of an R-49 is recommended and Energy Star and the U.S. Department of Energy recommend insulating up to an R-60. By meeting or exceeding the minimum insulation levels you can qualify for the Energy Efficiency Tax Credit.

See the Chart provided by Energy Star on Recommended Levels of Insulation to determine what minimum insulation levels are recommend for your area.

Insulation keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. When correctly installed insulation can deliver comfort and lower energy bills during the hottest and coldest times of the year.

Insulation contributes to:

  • Greater comfort
  • Even temperature distribution
  • Improved acoustics
  • Better moisture control, which can reduce floor squeaks, drywall cracks, structure damage and condensation.
  • Potential for increased resale value: Installing proper insulation levels can also make your home more attractive to potential buyers. In fact, most buyers list energy-efficiency as a prime consideration. The reason? Buyers know they can buy a more expensive home if heating and cooling bills can be kept down.
  • A more environmentally friendly home
  • Lower energy bills* Unless your home was constructed with special attention to energy efficiency, adding insulation can reduce your utility bills by up to 40%.
  • 60% of the existing homes in the United States are not insulated at even the minimum level.
  • Even if you own a new home, adding insulation may save enough money in reduced utility bills to pay for itself within a few years and will continue to save you money for as long as you own the home.

Why Fiber Glass?

At Green Home, we care about the environment, by installing adequate insulation you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint by using less oil, gas and electricity and you will be improving the Energy Efficiency and comfort of your home. Fiber glass insulation products and processes over the years have been consistently improved to lessen the impact on the environment. At Green Home we use CertainTeed InsulSafe® SP , CertainTeed respects the environment through the responsible development of sustainable building products and systems. Builders, contractors and manufacturers continue to look for ways to reduce our industry’s impact on the environment while meeting customer demand for products that deliver beauty, comfort and performance. Green Home has committed to these goals by using suppliers like CertainTeed, a supplier of green building materials, who continually strive to research and produce products that can improve our environmental quality.

Green Facts about CertainTeed Fiber Glass Insulation:

  • A typical pound of fiber glass insulation saves 12 times as much energy in its first year in place as the energy used to produce it – then continues to conserve energy year after year.
  • All CertainTeed insulation products improve building energy efficiency, helping to lower energy costs throughout the life of the structure.
  • All fiber glass insulation products improve acoustical performance and improve comfort of buildings.
  • CertainTeed fiber glass insulation lasts for the life of the building, with no additional maintenance required.
  • CertainTeed fiber glass insulation is currently made with an average of 35% recycled glass
  • CertainTeed fiber glass residential and commercial insulation products are GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certified, ensuring very low or no emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

CertainTeed offers a Lifetime Warranty on their InsulSafe SP.

For more comprehensive information, check the Department of Energy’s online Insulation Guide.