TALLAHASSEE Blog

Improve Energy Efficiency in Tallahassee FL|Koala Insulation

High electric bill?  We can help!

Improving your homes insulation and ventilation is one of the most economical ways to increase the value of your home and save money on your monthly bill all while improving your air quality and helping the environment by decreasing your carbon footprint.  The return on investment with insulation (ROI) is immediate and continues to save you money as long as you own your home: unlike remodeling your kitchen or bathrooms which can provide an increased ROI when you sell your home.  Improving your homes insulation starts saving you money immediately and can increase the value of your home long term, all while helping save the environment for future generations!

 5 signs you need insulation?

1.  Your electric bill is too high

2.  Your AC / Heater runs all the time

3   Parts of your home are warmer / colder than others

4.  Your home is more than 5 years old

5.  You have suffered damage to your roof

How Can Updating Your Insulation Help?

Overview:

Up to 30% of cooled or heated air can be lost through the roof of your home which cost you hundreds to thousands of extra dollars every year. The attic insulation forms a barrier between the unrelenting heat of the hot Florida sun and your indoor living space.  The deeper the insulation the greater the resistance to heat transfer or loss.  Here in the Florida Panhandle heat and humidity make for sweltering summer temperatures, so it is vital you have adequate insulation. R- Value is the term used to describe insulations resistance to heat infiltration.  An R-Value of R-38 is required here in the 850 and surrounding areas of Florida to meet minimum building code requirements and up to R-49 in the city of Tallahassee.  This means if you have blown in fiberglass or cellulose in you need a depth of at least 14 inches of insulation to meet this minimum building code requirement.  

What We Do:

We provide free attic assessments by a trained technician.  

Step 1:

The technician will spend about 30 minutes in your attic doing observations and measurements, thermal readings and taking photos.   

Step 2:

Once the data is collected, the technician will share the information with you and answer any questions you may have.   Based on the data he will provide you with options at various price points and efficiency levels for improvements if needed.  

Step 3

The technician will work with you to schedule any services you want.

Step 4

The install crew will arrive and install your insulation and or solar attic fan.  They will take photos of the insulation with rulers 

Sample Findings:

Finding: You currently have 6 inches of blown in fiberglass.

Recommendation:  blow in 8 more inches across the entire building to bring the insulation level up to R-38.

Finding:  Your insulation is 16 inches deep but someone cut a big hole in your air duct

Recommendation:  Patch the hole in the duct work your insulation is fine.

Findings:  Your insulation is clogging up the soffit vents.

Recommendation: Clear soffit vents and recommend to install a solar attic fan or remove blown in insulation and replace with spray foam insulation.

Insulation Options

What are the most common insulation options?  

Traditional blown in insulation includes fiberglass insulation or cellulose. Fiberglass is made up of  tiny fibers from spun glass.  Cellulose is a recycled paper product.  Both are good insulators.  Fiberglass can be many colors but you are likely most familiar with the pink stuff.  It is not insect and rodent resistant and can suffer damage as a result.  Cellulose is primarily ground up recycled newsprint that is treated with boric acid or borates to make it insect and rodent resistant.  Special equipment is used to blow the insulation into the attic space.  Rulers are affixed to the vertical trusses so the install crew can deposit the appropriate depth of insulation.  This is a great economical and environmentally friendly option for decreasing your energy cost and lessening your carbon footprint.

Spray Foam Insulation

Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) is a great option!  It is made on site when two chemicals are mixed (isocyanate and polyol resin) and sprayed with special machinery.  Traditional insulation is blown in on the floor of the attic.  Spray foam is sprayed overhead in the attic, on the underside of the roof deck.  This is nice if you use your attic space for storage because it frees up the floor space and makes the attic temperature bearable even in the summer. It is also used in the crawlspace under the floor to prevent air infiltration.  There are two main types of SPF open cell and closed cell.

Open Cell Spray Foam

 Open cell SPF is porous like a sponge cut in half. Its cellular structure is made up of tiny bubbles filled with air.  About 80% of these bubbles burst making open cells, hence the name open cell.  This creates a lot of surface area and it is therefore a great sound barrier as well as insulator. Open cell is easier on the wallet because it expands nearly 100% making it cover a large area.  However, open cell SPF is not water proof.  It can and will retain water if it is exposed over time.  It can be dried out and used if it is caught early and done correctly.

Closed Cell Spray Foam

Like open cell SPF, closed cell is made on site by special machinery that mixes two chemicals. It sprays out through a special spray gun and expands approximately 30% as the liquid chemicals are activated.  It is dense weighing about two pounds per cubic foot.  Closed cell SPF is made up of tiny gas filled bubbles.  The majority of these bubbles stay intact or closed, thus, the name closed cell spray foam.  Due to its dense molecular structure closed cell SPF has the most R-value per square inch.  It is very strong! adding up to 300% strength to the structure when properly applied. In addition closed cell SPF is virtually waterproof.  It is very hard and will not absorb water in most circumstances.  

Accessories

Solar Attic Fans

Solar attic fans are free to operate as they rely totally on the sun.  When the sun is shining on your roof the 1550 cubic feet per minute(CFM), whisper quiet, solar fan is operating and cooling your attic from summer temps of 150 degrees down to around 110 degrees.  If the sun is not shining on the roof, your attic is not heating up. Solar attic fans are eligible for a 26% federal income tax credit and come close to paying for themselves in only one year with the credit and electricity savings.  The solar fan is installed by one of our highly trained technicians in about one hour.  One of our valued customers saves $60 a month after getting his fan installed.

Air Sealing

Air sealing helps prevent your conditioned air from leaking out through the attic by using a canned foam product to seal off around lights, skylights, wires, plumbing etc.  During new construction this can be done easily and will save money during the life of the building.

Attic Fresh

We use this product when there has been a rodent or insect issue.  Once the problem has been resolved it freshens the attic and helps remove any residue smell.