All of us here at NCF Home Improvements Inc are looking forward to a productive and busy 2014. It seems recently that we have been hearing a lot of homeowners asking about energy savings, and for good reason considering the winter weather we have been experiencing here in Richmond for what seem like an eternity! YES we can help you.
Living in the climate that we do we have three major things to take into consideration when it comes to insulating your home. Draft, Insulation and Humidity. Once your home is built there is only several things (cost effective things) that can be done to assist in your overall thermal loss. Below is a list of items that we would check for if we were to do an analysis on your home. Lets start from the ground and work our way up
1. If you have a traditional crawlspace then we want to see both a proper vapor barrier and also automatic foundation vents. Another option would be a climate controlled crawlspace (thats another discussion) And of course an insulated floor system
2. A large percentage of heat loss in your living areas occurs at your doors and windows. This one is pretty self explanatory. Basically if you have older, wooden doors or single pane windows you are essentially throwing heat away.
3. Attic insulation requirements have changed. You should have a minimum of R-38 insulation, thats 12 inches! I'm willing to go out on a limb and say you probably do not have insulation in your attic
3B. Yes you probably noticed that there was a B part to attic insulation, this one however concerns your roof system's ability to breathe. YOUR ATTIC MUST BE CORRECTLY VENTED! You would be shocked to know how many peoples homes I have had to address this issue. The enemy here, in the winter is humidity. Just the same as your crawlspace, it MUST be regulated.
Not sure about your home's overall energy efficiency? Give us a call, we will be happy to help you reduce your heat loss = electricity bill
Living in the climate that we do we have three major things to take into consideration when it comes to insulating your home. Draft, Insulation and Humidity. Once your home is built there is only several things (cost effective things) that can be done to assist in your overall thermal loss. Below is a list of items that we would check for if we were to do an analysis on your home. Lets start from the ground and work our way up
1. If you have a traditional crawlspace then we want to see both a proper vapor barrier and also automatic foundation vents. Another option would be a climate controlled crawlspace (thats another discussion) And of course an insulated floor system
2. A large percentage of heat loss in your living areas occurs at your doors and windows. This one is pretty self explanatory. Basically if you have older, wooden doors or single pane windows you are essentially throwing heat away.
3. Attic insulation requirements have changed. You should have a minimum of R-38 insulation, thats 12 inches! I'm willing to go out on a limb and say you probably do not have insulation in your attic
3B. Yes you probably noticed that there was a B part to attic insulation, this one however concerns your roof system's ability to breathe. YOUR ATTIC MUST BE CORRECTLY VENTED! You would be shocked to know how many peoples homes I have had to address this issue. The enemy here, in the winter is humidity. Just the same as your crawlspace, it MUST be regulated.
Not sure about your home's overall energy efficiency? Give us a call, we will be happy to help you reduce your heat loss = electricity bill