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How Your Roof Affects Home Energy Efficiency

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While insulation plays a very large role in home energy efficiency so does your roof system. At Green Comfort Solutions, we may be insulation experts, but we also know a thing or two about other ways to ensure your home is performing efficiently including the importance of roof ventilation.

How Inadequate Roof Ventilation Affects Home Energy Efficiency

Roof ventilation not only affects your roof, but can affect your entire home’s heating and cooling systems. During cold seasons roof ventilation helps to release any heat collected in the attic. Heat that accumulates in the attic is dangerous during the winter season because it can prematurely thaw snow and ice on your roof, leading to ice dams. During warmer weather, improper roof ventilation will trap heat in the attic and have a significant impact on your cooling systems, making your home less energy efficient. Proper roof ventilation is crucial in releasing unwanted stored heat in the attic to protect your roof and your climate control systems.

Another danger of poor roof ventilation is moisture buildup. Without an adequate way to escape, trapped moisture can have significantly damaging effects to the substructure of your roof. Overtime moisture could cause mold and mildew could develop, nails to rust and even break and your roof deck to rot. Adequate ventilation will provide an escape route for heat and moisture and prevent these costly calamities.

How To Ventilate Your Roof

There are several types of roof ventilation methods and the best options vary from home to home. Here are some of the main methods:

Soffit Vents & Ridge Vents: These two ventilation systems work in tandem. Proper ventilation systems provide a point of entry and point of exit. Soffit vents are found underneath a roof’s overhang. Alternatively, ridge vents run along the peak of a roof, providing an escape route for hot air and any moisture in the attic. Both of these ventilation systems work together and allow your home and building to breathe.

Attic Fans: To really help with ventilation, attic fans or whole house fans may be installed to draw out warm attic air through roof vents and out of your home.

Gable Vents: These vents can be found on either end of your home under the peak of your roof and on the siding. They help air flow out of the attic, while preventing snow and moisture to enter.

For more information about how roof ventilation or to schedule a home energy audit, don’t hesitate to call us at Green Comfort Solutions. We’re more than happy to help you establish a more energy efficient home, whether that’s through insulation or roof adjustments. Call or click here for a quote!

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Problems Caused by Poor Insulation and What You Can Do

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Your home can be a place of comfort and refuge. In order to have that comfortable home, proper insulation is often necessary. Poor insulation, unfortunately, can lead to various problems.

One such problem is rooms that are colder or hotter than desired. In our modern world filled with technology, regulating the temperature can be fairly easy. When it’s cold, you simply turn on the heat; when it’s hot, you simply turn on the air conditioner. In a poorly insulated house, however, the cold air from the air conditioner or the warm air from the furnace escapes quickly, leaving the room temperature not as comfortable as one had intended.

Not having proper insulation can also lead to your air conditioner or furnace working harder and using up more energy. Since your heating and cooling bills are usually depended on how much the furnace or air conditioner works, you may have higher energy bills due to insulation problems. Well-maintained insulation, therefore, can lead you to save money of your energy bills.

Proper insulation also can protect your house’s pipes. When the pipes are protected by insulation and are warm enough, the water flows freely through them. However, when you have poor insulation in the winter, freezing temperatures can cause the water to freeze. When water freezes, it expends, which may lead to pipe breakage. This can lead to serious problems, such as flooding. Repairing the pipes and anything else damaged by the flooding can be an extremely costly and time consuming endeavor.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to help keep your home well-insulated. First, you may want to find any places in your house that lets air escape and cover those areas with a sealant, which you would find in your local hardwood store. For larger area, you can build a wall in front of the existing wall. For added insulation, you can place glass wool in between the two walls.

Poor insulation can lead to problems ranging from discomfort to structural damage costing thousands of dollars. However, by doing several simple things, you may keep your home well-insulated, comfortable and safe.

If you need insulation replacement this summer to save on cooling costs, give us a call at Green Comfort Solutions or click here for a free quote.

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Best Energy Saving Home Insulation Options

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When it comes to wasting energy, a poorly insulated house can be the biggest culprit. If you’re looking into home insulation then odds are you’re looking for ways to make your house more comfortable and affordable to live in. Without proper insulation, the heat may escape in the winter and your house may be difficult to cool in the summer. This can cause you to run your air conditioner or your heating system longer than you would ordinarily need to. After a while the electric or gas bill will rise significantly.

If this is the case for you, then it’s time to look into new insulation. What’s the best energy efficient insulation to use for your home? Here are three common energy saving insulations and their benefits.

Cotton

Cotton is a renewable resource and a natural one. If recycling is important to you, you may be pleased to hear that a lot of cotton home insulation is made up of scraps of cotton, such as from denim manufacturing. Additionally, it is not known to cause any respiratory or skin problems. This can be important for those that are particularly prone to allergies.

Cellulose

Another heavily recycled insulation, cellulose is mostly made from recycled paper. Not only is it manufactured using recycling, but you can reuse the insulation if you replace it. There are no health concerns when it comes to cellulose. The paper’s ink is removed in the process and much of it was made from vegetable oil. It’s an effective form of home insulation and also happens to be relatively cheap.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass insulation is manufactured with recycled glass and silica sand. These are renewable and abundant resources. As a popular insulation, many people rely on fiberglass. This popular insulation choice definitely insulates your home well and can help save you on energy bills throughout the year.
If you’re concerned about energy savings in your house, then new home insulation can help you save more money. You’ll see heating and cooling costs job with a enhanced insulation. To learn more or to find out if your home’s insulation needs to be replaced, contact us at Green Comfort Solutions. For pricing information, click here for a free quote. 

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How to Spot Faulty Insulation

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If your insulation has been installed improperly, it can have consequences for your entire home. After all, it can cause your heating and cooling bills to rise and also affect your general comfort. It’s important to make sure that your insulation was installed properly. For the average homeowner, it may be hard to spot the signs of a faulty insulation if you don’t know what you’re looking for. These three signs should make it easier to tell.

First, the temperature of your house will be changing at an unusual rate. Without proper insulation, outdoor temperatures can easily affect how it is indoors. This can lead to different shifts in how hot or cold it is inside. This can be incredibly uncomfortable. If you have this problem, then you might want to consider the insulation.

In direct connection to the temperature of your home, you might notice that your energy bills are higher than they were before. This is caused by you trying to heat or cool a home where the air won’t stay locked in. This is one of big signs of faulty insulation. Additionally, this is the one sign that will take the most out of your wallet.

Sometimes you may smell mold if your insulation is poor. This is due to the insulation becoming damp or wet. If you notice mold on your insulation or can smell it, then it’s time to have it replaced.

When it comes to your home, insulation is one of the most important components. You want to make sure that it is properly installed and working the way that it should. You don’t want your insulation to keep your house at an uneven temperature or to cause your bills to skyrocket. Pay attention to the signs of a faulty insulation and you should be able to tell right away if you need something new.

For help detecting faulty insulation, contact us at Green Comfort Solutions! We can provide the inspection and repair you need. For a free quote, click here.

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Insulation Recommendation for Larger Homes

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There are a multitude of insulation recommendations out there, but keeping a few factors in mind will help you to make the best choice for your home. First and foremost is the R-value, or the insulating capabilities of a given material. The R-value of the insulation should be within the guidelines set forth for your region. Cost of installation should also be considered, as well as the decision between professional installation and DIY. While there are many insulation materials available, it appears that one stands out above the rest for several reasons, especially for larger homes.

The best choice for insulation overall is closed-cell polyurethane spray foam. This insulation boasts one of the highest R-values among common insulation materials at 6.0 to 6.5 per inch. This means that it is very energy efficient and will help to lower energy costs. Closed-cell polyurethane spray foam requires professional installation and can be used in walls, floors and ceilings. It is the most practical to add to walls in an existing structure. It also has some structural value and improves soundproofing.

While there are several insulation recommendations for larger homes, this spray foam is a great choice as it expands to fill nooks and crannies and is not permeable by air or moisture. This will prevent mold and mildew growth and will also protect your home better than other insulation. This resistance to moisture sets it apart from open-cell polyurethane spray foam which is less expensive but also requires the installation of a moisture barrier and only has an R-value of 3.5 to 3.6 per inch.

One drawback to closed-cell polyurethane spray foam is the price. Averaging about 3 dollars per square foot, it is one of the costliest insulation recommendations out there. However, when the advantages are taken into account, it is definitely worth the extra investment to have a comfortable home throughout the year.

Need help finding the right insulation for your home? Contact us today! Click here for a quote. 

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Frozen Pipes?

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As winter rolls around, one of the biggest concerns on people’s minds is how to keep their pipes safe from freezing over. When a pipe freezes over, the water expands and leads to pipes bursting. Once this happens, it can be a costly repair job and can potentially cause a lot of damage. Many homeowners look for answers on how to protect themselves against frozen pipes.

It’s important to know that the pipes that are underground or in unheated areas of your home are the most at risk for bursting. Any walls that are prone to being cold are hazardous to your pipes. Sometimes, in order to prevent frozen pipes, you can put a heater near a wall to prevent particular pipes from getting too cold. This isn’t the only method, however.

Many people use an insulating spray foam to keep the pipes warm. This is done by creating a hole in an interior wall and spraying foam around the pipe to insulate it. This is a really simple method that many homeowners prefer. Make sure that if you choose to use a foam that you fill up all of the space. If you don’t use enough, it won’t be effective.

Pipes bursting can also be prevented by general maintenance. Make sure that your pipes aren’t cracked or worn out. It’s important that you have your plumping inspected often. This will keep you from having to spend a lot of money on repairs in the long run. Also, it will be able to tell you if something is the matter and how to fix it right away.

Frozen pipes are no laughing matter. These can cause extensive damage if you aren’t careful. When you’re worried about pipes bursting, it’s important to keep up with regular maintenance and to insulate your walls with a spray foam if you’re worried about too much cold getting in.

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How To Prevent Frozen Pipes

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When frozen, water expands—and that’s a dangerous situation for your pipes and, by extension, your home. As temperatures drop below freezing your home’s pipes are at risk for bursting, especially if you don’t take any preventative action. Pipes that are at high risk for freezing are those that are exposed to severe cold temperatures: outdoor hoses, sprinkler lines, swimming pool supply lines and water pipes in interior areas that are unheated like basements, attics, garages, crawl spaces and kitchen cabinets.

Preventive Action:

Drain water. Drain the water from supply lines outdoors, specifically your swimming pool and sprinkler supply lines. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s or installer’s directions when doing so.  One caution: The American Red Cross recommends that you do not put antifreeze in these lines unless instructed to because it is dangerous to humans, pets, wildlife, landscaping and the environment.

Close indoor water valves. After draining the water from outdoor supply lines, remove and store any outdoor hoses. Close indoor valves that supply water to outdoor faucets. Drain the water from these faucets and keep the outdoor valve open so that any water in the pipe that freezes is able to expand without breaking the pipe.

Check vulnerable pipes. Check all other pipes that are located in unheated areas of your home. Check your attic, crawl spaces, basement, kitchen and bathroom cabinets and garage. Make sure both hot and cold water pipes are insulated.  Call your contractor or plumber if they’re not or if you’re unsure whether there’s enough insulation.

Close garage doors. If you have water supply lines inside of your garage, keep the doors closed, especially on extremely cold days.

Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets.  This allows warm air to circulate around your pipes.  However, first remove any dangerous cleaners and chemicals and place them out of the reach of children.

Let the faucet drip. When temperatures are really low, let water drip from the faucet that leads to exterior pipes.

Set your thermostat. If you’re going on vacation or if you have a second home that you won’t be staying in during the winter, the National Weather Service advises homeowners to set the thermostat no lower than 55 degrees.

If A Pipe Bursts:

Close the main water valve. If a pipe bursts, you want to turn off the main water valve immediately.

Call in help. Call a plumber to help you fix the pipe!

Call US to INSULATE, so that it NEVER happens again.   click here for a quote!

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How to Choose the Best Commercial Building Insulation

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Managing the heating and cooling expenses in your commercial building can be an ongoing struggle. This is why it is important to make sure that you make good initial choices in your commercial insulation. You have many options and decisions to make which can greatly affect the insulation properties in your building. Here’s a look at a few things you need to keep in mind.

Your Budget

While you have to set a budget and stick with it, you should also keep in mind that when it comes to commercial insulation, you pretty much get what you pay for. If you are trying to focus too much on saving money, chances are you will get a cheap, ineffective insulation. However, going with the best may not be the best trade off because you may not be saving enough to justify the expense. You should always go with the best you can afford, which should give you the best in efficiency and cost.

R-Value

The R-value of the insulation will tell you how it performs. Higher R-values are better. However, they are also more expensive, so keep this in mind. You should do a little research on R-values and how they compare to each other.

Basements

Basements can be a great source for heating and cooling loss. If your basement has concrete flooring, then it is a great source of air loss. You may consider carpeting with insulation. In addition, the walls should have some type of insulation. You can add in foam insulation for a quick and easy solution. Making your basement more insulated can result in major changes throughout the building.

When it comes to commercial insulation, your choices will greatly affect the energy efficiency of your whole building. That is why it is smart to understand a bit more about your options and the different things that can affect efficiency.

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