NEW ORLEANS Blog

Is it Hot Enough in the City Without Power? | New Orleans

I was surprised yesterday when a client with a generator called asking if we could get him blown fiberglass insulation installed despite the fact that 98% of the city is still without power.  His assumption was that I had a truck with a trailer and a generator to run my equipment, which I do, but I let him know that my team is pretty much scattered throughout Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi….and gas is a problem.  My operations manager, however, is still in the city and was eager to get to work despite the challenges.

Unfortunately, this is not a hero story where we were able to come in and save the day and beat our chest about how great we are…we’re also not that type of company.  What this will be is more of an exploration of how insulation can benefit those that may still be in the city and are reliant on generators and remaining in their homes when the power goes out.

While generators are a great short-term solution, this storm is highlighting the problems that come with how these storms can really throw a wrench in the engine and give you something you didn’t expect.  In this case, while power is out - and it is out everywhere including gas stations –you can’t go get gas to fill up your generator.  So back to the issue at hand when running a generator.  If, during one of these storms, or better yet, after the storm, you need to run a generator, you want it to run as efficiently as possible if you need to conserve energy.

Proper insulation in a home will help that situation by putting your house in the shade vs becoming a bit of a hotbox.  Here in the South, we require a very high R-Value to keep the house well-insulation.  Minimum of R-38 in an attic.  Typically, that would be about a foot + of blown insulation such as fiberglass or cellulose.  Most homes are under insulated and many don’t have insulation at all.  The point is really to develop the shade feature in your home with proper insulation so the heating and cooling appliances can take a break from the heat too and work a bit less – saving you time, money and extending the life of the appliance.

This hurricane season will test us all in terms of patience, but it is an opportunity to make the turn for the next one and be better prepared.  If your home has damage to the roof, it likely has damage to the insulation, so be ready to upgrade all around.  We will be ready when you are.

Call us today for your Free Insulation Evaulation!