Getting the Facts About Cellulose Insulation

When it comes to cellulose insulation, the bottom line is it keeps homes cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. But, there may be some things you didn’t know about cellulose insulation. Like, did you know it’s better for you and the environment? As the trusted name in cellulose insulation for Plymouth and the surrounding areas, we’d like to tell you more about it. 

What is cellulose insulation? Cellulose insulation is a plant fiber, recycled paper, used in wall and roof cavities to insulate, draught-proof and reduce free noise. And, since it is made of recycled plant fibers, making it environmentally friendly as well as budget-friendly. 

Is it soundproofing? A home insulated with cellulose will be much quieter than a glass fiber insulated home due to its effectiveness in preventing sound transmission. 

Is it durable? Cellulose insulation helps prevent airborne moisture movement. Minerals in the insulation resist the growth of these organisms, improving building durability and longevity. 

Is it effective? Cellulose is fantastic at preventing drafts and airflow. It completely fills gaps and voids around irregular objects such as wiring, plumbing and framing materials in attics and walls, compared to foam insulation. Cellulose insulation also disperses moisture and helps to protect the surrounding building components. 

What is its R-Value? Insulation is measure by R-value per inch. R meaning resistance to heat flow and the higher the number, the more effective the insulation. When properly installed, cellulose has an R-value of 3.5-4, which is higher than average when compared with other products. 

These are just some of the facts when it comes to cellulose insulation. Cellulose is good, green insulation. It performs and has less embodied energy. It is important to hire a professional installer, but it still has a high and quick return on investment. Fiberglass is good insulation too. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t have been around for so long. It comes down to personal preference about your own carbon footprint and other factors. 

Not sure what kind of insulation is right for your unique home? Give us a call at Lewis Insulation so we can tell you more about cellulose insulation as well as the many other types of insulation we carry. We can help you find the right one for your building’s unique needs. 

Whether you’re building a new home, completing a home remodeling project, or it’s just time for an update, we’ve got you covered. For more information about cellulose insulation for your Plymouth area home or business, call Lewis Insulation at 763-477-2612 or you can contact us for a Free Estimate.

Give Your A/C a Break with These Helpful Tips

High energy bills every summer? Has turning up the AC been your only way to battle the heat? With a hot summer here in Minnesota, we are here to tell you there are other more cost effective ways to keep your home cool this summer. 

At Lewis Insulation we are the trusted name in home insulation for Minnetonka and can help get your A/C the support it needs with effective insulation. What people often don't know is how many places hot air could be entering the home: think around windows, door frames, and crawl spaces, even around recessed lights. If you were to add up all these little cracks and places in your house where warm air gets in, you would see a pretty large hole. That’s where proper home insulation comes in. Not having insulation means heat is seeping into your house and your air conditioner is having to work a lot harder. If you’re really, really committed to not blasting your AC all summer, you can make a couple changes to your home that will keep it cooler for seasons to come. Attic, home and window insulation, for example, are a smart and essential part of your cooling system. 

Here are some additional tips to help you keep your home a comfortable temperature all season long: 

• Plant shade trees. A well-placed tree can make a world of difference for the overall comfort of your home. Planting a tree likely won’t have immediate payoffs, but it’s a great way to both shade your home and add beauty to your property. Vines and other tall shrubs are other options which will have quicker results, but will likely require more maintenance. 
• Keep blinds closed during the day. Up to 30% of unwanted heat in your home is coming through your windows via the greenhouse effect; sunlight and heat enter, but cannot escape. By keeping your blinds close you can prevent unwanted heat from entering the home this way. 
• Cook outdoors. Skip the oven or stove and grill more! Any usage of the oven or even the stove-top is going to heat your home. So dust off that grill and help keep the heat outdoors. 
• Make some key home updates. If the heat in your home is a real problem every year, you’ll want to run the numbers on re-painting your home to a lighter color or replacing your roof. It may even be a need for proper attic insulation and ventilation. 

For more information on home insulation in Minnetonka, call Lewis Insulation at 763-477-2612, or you can contact us and get a Free Estimate.

The Signs of Poor Insulation

This winter, you may have noticed some weak spots in your home’s heating and insulation systems. For example, your furnace may have seemed to be constantly running to keep your home warm. Or, you may have noticed some draftiness in your home. Did you receive some higher than usual heating bills? If so, these are some signs you may need to update your home’s insulation. As expert insulation contractors for Maple Grove and the surrounding areas, we would like to tell you more about the signs of poor insulation. And, when you’re ready to update your home’s insulation, contact the professionals at Lewis Insulation and we can help you get your home running efficiently again.

Drafts 

Drafts in certain areas of a home are caused by cool air entering around window frames and doorways. Adding the right type of insulation in these key areas will not only make your home feel less drafty, it will also save you on energy bills.

High Heating Bills 

Speaking of energy bills; look over your home’s energy bills from the last few years. Do you notice huge increases? This may be one of the first tangible signs your home’s insulation could use some help or reevaluation.

Varying Temperatures 

Does each room in the home seem to be a different temperature? If different rooms have different temperatures that’s a clear sign your house is under-insulated. It’s important that all areas of your home are properly insulated. Heat and cool air can escape almost anywhere if there isn’t proper insulation to stop it.

Does your home feel cold? While it may sound rather simple, when drywall and paneling inside a home feels damp or cold, that is one indication that there is not enough insulation.

 Ice Dams

Another warning sign in winter is ice dams. Ice dams occur when heat rises from a poorly-insulated home and melts the bottom layer of snow off on the roof. The melted water then trickles down towards the gutters and freezes once it hits the cooler air. The result is large chunks of ice and ice dams.

These are just some of the signs your home may have given you this winter. Have you noticed any of these telltale signs? For more information about our insulation contractors serving Maple Grove and the surrounding areas, call us at Lewis Insulation at 763-477-2612, or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate.

Is Your Attic Insulation Adequate for the Approaching Winter?

Winter is coming. Is your home prepared? Help protect against the chill of winter and high heating bills with proper attic insulation. As the trusted name in attic insulation for St Paul and the surrounding areas, Lewis Insulation is here to ensure you get your home ready for the cold months ahead. By adding proper attic insulation, you are provided with some pretty great benefits like saving energy for your home and maintaining a comfortable temperature for your home much more efficiently.

Attic insulation helps make your house more livable, while saving you some money both in winter and summer. And, attic insulation is one of the very best home improvement projects for a great return on investment. There are also some pretty great tax credits when it comes to attic insulation. 

But, how do you know when you need attic insulation? Give us a call straight away if your home experiences high heating or cooling costs, uneven temperatures between rooms, draftiness, hot or cold ceilings or walls or ice dams. These are just a few of the signs your home could use attic insulation.

If your home experiences any of these symptoms, you may want to consider adding adequate levels of insulation to your home’s attic along with its interior walls, floors, and crawl spaces. Not sure? We can send someone out to inspect the situation. If your home is not properly insulated, you are likely paying much more than you should be for home energy. There are a few different options in attic insulation, all with different R-values. Understanding an insulation material’s R-value which is the measure of how well it resists the flow of heat is important; the higher the number, the better the insulating power.

Spray foam. Premium insulation perfectly suited for the attic. With a high R-value, it acts as a barrier to keep the indoors from the outside climate, creating thermal, air and moisture isolation. It can expand and reach hard-to-till voids that other insulation types are not able to do.

Fiberglass and Cellulose Attic Insulation. Have almost the same R-value, and they are both environmentally friendly. Cellulose is made out of recycled newspaper and fiberglass is made out of sand, both of which are renewable resources. These types of insulation are great for filling in gaps and ensuring your entire attic is evenly insulated. The installation process is generally pretty quick, depending on the size of your attic.

Contact us and we can advise you on which type of attic insulation will best suit your needs and keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Are you ready to learn more about attic insulation for your St Paul home? Call Lewis Insulation at 763-477-2612 or contact us for a Free Estimate.

What Do You Know About Spray Foam Insulation?

How much do you know about spray foam insulation? We are here to tell you more! If you weren’t aware, spray foam insulation offers many wonderful benefits and is easier to install than you might think. At Lewis Insulation, we specialize in spray foam insulation for the Twin Cities area and have put together a list of some of the need-to-know facts about spray foam. And when you’re ready to learn more about one of the most environmentally friendly options in insulation, give us a call here at Lewis Insulation! We look forward to working with you.

For one, using eco-friendly spray foam save you money in the long run. It can also help prevent future problems in the home with its high efficiency and dependability. For example, spray foam insulation helps prevent mold, over use of your heating or cooling systems and more.

Spray foam insulation can also make your home more environmentally friendly and run far more efficiently. The countless positives to using environmentally friendly spray foam are enough reason to make the switch over to this cost-effective insulation. Why is spray foam insulation the smarter, greener choice? Here are a few reasons why:
Spray foam insulation offers great energy savings
It provides a moisture barrier Offers an air-tight seal Is cost-effective
Can prevent heating and cooling waste
Has high R-value
Reaches hard to reach places
It’s a powerful insulator
Has a long-life span
And more

These are just some of the reasons spray foam insulation is a great, environmentally friendly choice in insulation. Closed cell spray foam insulation is also the only type of insulation material that can add structural integrity to your home. The National Association of Home Builders Research Center did some testing and found that spray-applied polyurethane foam insulation increased rack and shear strength two to three times. They compared spray foam insulation between wood and steel stud wall panels with glass fiber insulation with standard stick-built component.

The benefits to spray foam insulation are endless, so it is no wonder why more and more homeowners are making the switch over to environmentally friendly spray foam.

Are you interested in learning more about spray foam insulation and how it can work for you and your home or business? Contact us at Lewis Insulation and we can tell you even more about closed cell spray foam insulation for your Twin Cities property, give you a free estimate and then schedule a time to come to your home or business to do the work.

How Attic Insulation Can Help You & Your Heating Bill this Winter

Not looking forward to winter’s chill? Help protect your home from the cold and your wallet from high heating bills with proper attic insulation from Lewis Insulation. How can attic insulation help you ask? As experts in attic insulation for St Paul and the surrounding areas, we’d like to tell you why.

For one, attic insulation is one of the very best home improvement projects you can make for a great return on investment. There are also some pretty great tax credits when it comes to attic insulation. No matter the weather, adding attic insulation makes your house a lot more livable, while you sit back, stay warm and save some money.

But first, there are a few different kinds of insulation to choose from. If your home is not properly insulated, you are likely paying much more than you should be for home energy. There are a few different options in attic insulation, all with different R-values. Understanding an insulation material’s R-value – a measure of how well it resists the flow of heat is important; the higher the number, the better the insulating power.

Closed cell spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is a premium insulation perfectly suited for the attic. With a high R-value, it acts as a barrier to keep the indoors from the outside climate, creating thermal, air and moisture isolation. It can expand and reach hard-to-till voids that other insulation types are not able to do. 

Fiberglass and Cellulose Attic Insulation are blown-in insulation have almost the same R-value, and they are both environmentally friendly. Cellulose is made out of recycled newspaper and fiberglass is made out of sand, both of which are renewable resources. These types of insulation are great for filling in gaps and ensuring your entire attic is evenly insulated.

And, it’s pretty easy to know if your home requires better attic insulation. If your home experiences any of the following symptoms, you may want to consider adding adequate levels of insulation to your home’s attic along with its interior walls, floors, and crawl spaces. Does your home have high heating or cooling costs? Uneven temperatures between rooms? Marked draftiness? Hot or cold ceilings? Ice dams in the winter? These are just a few of the signs your home could use attic insulation. Not sure about the state of your home’s attic insulation? Give us a call and we can send someone out to inspect the situation. The installation process is generally pretty quick, depending on the size of your attic.

With attic insulation you are provided with some pretty great benefits like saving energy for your home and maintaining a comfortable temperature for your home much more efficiently. Give us a call and we can advise you on which type of attic insulation will best suit your needs and keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Ready to learn more about attic insulation for your St Paul home? Call Lewis Insulation at 763-477-2612 or contact us for a Free Estimate.

The Company You Hire for Your Home Insulation Matters

If you’ve noticed some issues with your insulation this winter, then insulation installation will likely be at the top of your home improvement list this spring. And, the warm weather makes now a great time of year to make this type of home improvement. Spring is ideal because the weather is more pleasant and enjoyable, and not as extreme. Getting your home insulated during the spring assures that your home doesn’t overheat while the work is going on. And, Insulating your home during the spring before the summer heat allows you to reap the benefits all summer long. But, no matter the season, it is most definitely not a do-it-yourself project. All home insulation must be handled by the professionals. And, as experts in home insulation for Wayzata we have a few suggestions on what to look for when you hire insulation contractors:

1. A home is the biggest investment you may ever make. And its insulation is an important part of its safety, comfort and efficiency. Hiring professional home insulation contractors means that your home insulation will be properly installed. And that means you could save a lot of money on your home’s heating and cooling costs in the long run. Plus your home will stay comfortable all year round, and insulation helps reduce noise that comes in from the outside.
2. Don’t want to trust just anyone. You want to make sure that your home insulation contractors are reliable and qualified to do the work.
3. In today’s technological world, it is easy to find online reviews of a variety of services. Visiting a website like Angie’s List is a great way to learn about the experiences that other homeowners have had with those insulation contractors.
4. When hiring a home insulation contractor it is important to ensure they are licensed, bonded and insured like we are at Lewis Insulation.
5. They should also offer a variety of insulation choices. Lewis Insulation offers three types: fiberglass, spray foam and cellulose. Your home insulation contractors should be able to tell you which type of insulation is the most appropriate for your unique home.

Are you interested in getting some more information on home insulation for your Wayzata area home, call Lewis Insulation today at 763-477-2612 or contact us for a Free Estimate.