How to Choose Insulation for New England Winters

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The New England winter is fast approaching. If it’s a struggle and expensive keeping your home warm every winter,  you may need to update or upgrade the insulation. There are many types of insulation available and it can be confusing to choose the right insulation for your home and budget. When choosing insulation, other factors to consider include, project size, skill level, safety and quality of work. 

A good place to start is determining where insulation is needed most and where it can have the greatest impact. The second step is understanding the R-values for the different areas you plan to insulate. R-values (Resistance to heat loss) are the recommended insulation levels by the Department of Energy for homes in different climates.

DIY Installation versus Insulation Professionals

With certain types of insulation and where you plan to add it, installing insulation yourself is doable. The easiest and most common places for a DIY insulation project are unfinished basements and attics.

When to call insulation professionals:

  • The space you want to insulate is not open or accessible
  • The type of insulation you want to use that meets the recommended R-value is not batts or rolls
  • You encounter issues like dampness, mold, mice nests, and wiring, which can be a fire hazard 
  • The area you want to insulate lacks proper ventilation
  • Your home was built before 1975 and the presence of asbestos is possible

Why an insulation professional is a better choice:

  1. Safety first: Professionals have the knowledge and expertise to handle and install insulation in all kinds of situations, from cramped crawl spaces to high vaulted ceilings. Trust them to navigate the difficult-to-access areas and avoid an unscheduled trip to the emergency room.
  2. Right tools: Installing insulation may require tools that even the DIY handyman may not have. Using what you have may not be sufficient to getting the job done. Buying or renting the right tools may defeat the cost-saving purpose of DIY.
  3. Done right the first time: Professionally installed insulation ensures your safety and having the job completed correctly the fist time.

Greenstamp provides multiple types of insulation. Our building envelope experts can find out where your home is losing heat in the winters and recommend the effective insulation solutions. Greenstamp professionals will work with you every step of the insulation process, from examining problem areas to material selection to completed installation. Contact us today.

Is Your Home Under-Insulated?

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Signs that your home does not have enough insulation:

  1. Difficulty keeping home comfortable. Insulation helps to regulate the temperature in your home, keeping the heated or cooled air inside where it’s needed to keep the occupants comfortable. If you and your family find it difficult keeping your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, your home is insufficiently insulated.
  2. High energy bills. Are you paying a fortune each month to heat and cool your home? When heated and cooled air leaks out of your home through floors, walls, attics, and windows, you may be running furnaces and air-conditioning systems constantly, which tdrives up the energy bill. 
  3. The presence of rodents and pests. Insulation fills in cracks, crevices and holes in attics, basements and walls, preventing unwanted critters and insects from entering the home.
  4. Frozen pipes. If your pipes freeze every time the temperature drops significantly, you need insulation. Frozen pipes not only stops the flow of water, they may burst and lead to flooding. 
  5. Ice dams. Ice dams are a common sight all over New England. These humps of ice form on the edge of roofs and cause damage not only to the roof, but inside the home as well. One sure way to fix the underlying problem that causes ice dams– properly insulation that prevents the roof from getting warm and snow from melting.

If you notice these signs, let’s talk. Greenstamp Insulation fills your walls, attics, basements, crawlspaces and garages with the most effective insulation available. You’ll notice improved comfort indoors right away and lower energy bills!

 

Ode to the DIYer

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Let’s just do some demo and redo the kitchen and half bath they said.
It looks so easy on the DIY TV shows they thought. 
It will be fun, they said.
Honey, I think that we might have gone a bit overboard on the demo?
Who are we going to get to help us put it back together and insulated before winter sets in?
GREENSTAMP THEY SAID!!!

DIY homeowners gut their house. 

Is Airsealing the Attic Worth It?

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Attics are a major source of energy leaks in residential homes and can lead to high energy bills to keep the home comfortable. If you want to decrease your energy bills, air sealing your attic will go a long way to helping.

Air sealing the attic requires sealing holes between the attic and the living spaces below. Without sealing, hot air will leak into the living areas during the warmer months. During the colder months, the warm air inside the home will leak up into the attic. Air sealing the attic stops this unwanted air movement, keeping the living spaces comfortable without needing to crank up the heating or air conditioning.

The cost of air sealing varies by contractor and size of the attic. No matter the air sealing attic cost, it should help lower your energy bills in the long run. Contact the insulation experts at Greenstamp for a professional opinion and free estimate.

 

Signs You Should Remove Old Insulation

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If you have an older home and notice that it’s getting more drafty and harder to keep comfortable, it may be time to check the quality of your insulation. While it is possible to to add fresh material on top of it, it’s important that the underlying insulation not be wet, damp or previously made wet.

Signs you should remove old insulation include:

  • Water damage
  • Signs of rodents, pests or mold
  • Fire damage

Common areas where it is easier to check the quality of  insulation are crawl spaces, attics and basements. Water from rain or a busted pipe can soak into the insulation in these areas. Wet insulation becomes a breeding ground for mold, mildew and insects.  Before replacing damaged insulation, it is important to find and fix the cause of the moisture issue. 

The insulation team at Greenstamp can install fresh insulation in homes throughout MA and NH.  Whether you need extra insulation on top of your current materials or need to replace old insulation, we can help. Contact us for an insulation evaluation and a free estimate.

Reasons to Insulate Basements

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A cozy home is a wonderful thing during the cold New England winters and the sweltering summer. A cozy home begins in the basement.

Basements can account for about 25 percent of a home’s total heat loss. The large, uninsulated surface area below ground level can allow significant air leakage. An insulated basement plays a vital role in a home’s insulation system– keeping cool air in during the summer and keep a home warmer during the cooler months. 

A properly insulated basement boosts comfort, cuts energy bills, and reduces drafts.

Basement insulation has other benefits, including:

  • Safeguarding home’s structural integrity by preventing moisture damage
  • Protecting exposed pipes and HVAC systems from extreme temperature swings causing them to burst or breakdown
  • Filling-in openings to keep mice and other rodents from entering the home
  • Delivering noise control to dampen the sounds from a mechanical or utility room

Common basement insulation options include:

  • Fiber glass insulation
  • Foam board, or rigid board insulation
  • Sprayfoam insulation

Each type of insulation has its strengths when installed properly. Choosing the best way to insulate will depend on the design of basement and how the basement is used. 

Contact us! We’ll come to you to inspect the issues in your basement, discuss your goals on its use, and provide the best possible insulation solution for your budget.

 

 

 

Sprayfoam Insulation – Vapor Barrier

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Don’t let this happen to you!

A homeowner’s floor above a crawl space was left uninsulated by the original contractor. Over time, the lack of a vapor barrier caused the floor to rot out. The Greenstamp team was called by their new contractor to repair and install the missing insulation and vapor barrier and solve the problem once and for all. 

Stricter HERS Ratings Requirements for 2024

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New Homes In Massachusetts Need to Be More Energy Efficient

The HERS Rating System is a home energy performance measurement. The rating score provides builders and homeowners an idea of how well a home ranks in terms of energy use and comfort. The lower the score the better.

For new residential projects, the HERS Rating score has been progressively declining.

Starting January 1, 2023, and effective through June 30, 2024, the maximum HERS Index for new home will go down from the current 55 to a 52. Then, beginning July 1, 2024, the maximum HERS Index score  will drop to a HERS 42.

This significant drop means builders and subcontractors with new projects could be at risk. Adjustments to the project to meet the new HERS 42 requirement could include the need to replace equipment or cause delayed closings.

There are several factors that will help to make a home more energy efficient. In our expert opinion, spray foam insulation can play a big part.

Here are some benefits of spray foam insulation:

  • Effective at sealing small holes, seams and cracks, creating a vapor barrier
  • Versatile material can be installed in any home, in any space
  • Easier to apply in hard to seal places than fiberglass

The bottom line is spray foam insulation will help achieve a lower HERS score. Contact us to speak with one of our experts.

 

Concord Estate for Sale

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The Greenstamp team insulated this 25,537 square feet estate in Concord, MA. It’s now on the market for over $23 million! The new owners will enjoy enhanced comfort and privacy in their own private 5-star resort thanks to the spray foam insulation installed throughout.