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If you have an old home, and are enduring harsh winters, excruciating summers… and utility bills to match, spray foam insulation can be a permanent solution to your problems. So many people become complacent with exorbitant heating and cooling bills, for so many reasons. When contemplating spray foam insulation, the #1 concern is upfront costs… But isn’t your comfort and bank account deserving of a permanent solution? Yes!! And you’ll be surprised how attainable the best solution possible is.
Attic
Insulating the attic in your existing home is the most important area of focus when updating your home’s insulation. Upwards of 40% of your home’s air loss leads to your energy costs going ‘through the roof’ – literally – because of the “stack effect” – which is when warm air moves upward in a building.
Converting your attic from a ventilated (unconditioned) space – to unventilated (conditioned) prevents air escape and will increase your energy efficiency and lower your utility bills by up to 40%. Another added benefit would be if your HVAC systems are in the attic. Bringing your systems into the building envelope ensures your duct work won’t have to fight 140º air temperature, to cool your home in the summer.
Retro - Fill
Exterior & Interior: According to experts from Realtor.com, old homes, especially ones built in or before the 1960’s, weren’t built with insulation in mind. This is because energy prices were so low back then that people just cranked up their heaters or ACs with no fear of raising the bills. Now that we’re constantly facing higher electricity costs, and trying to reduce our carbon footprint as well, we need insulation to keep our homes energy efficient – and retrofilling your home with spray polyurethane foam insulation is best way to Guard Against The Elements. This method is more involved than [for example] dense-packed cellulose or wool as the prescribed way to retrofit your exterior walls, but by far the most effective way to better energy savings, indoor air quality, safety, durability, and comfort.
Retro-fill Foam is identical to our open-cell spray foam, except that the expansion reaction is slowed down. When injected into a wall cavity, Retro-fill Foam is injected into the wall cavity and falls in its liquid form to the bottom of the cavity before it starts its expansion, whereas traditional spray foam insulation expands and cures immediately. Using this method, the foam will seal all gaps and crevasses, thus controlling air infiltration and will create a comfortable environment.
Here is how we do it:
• Retrofit Foam can be installed from inside or outside the building.
• When installing Retrofit Foam, a ½” diameter hole is drilled for the injection process. A hole is drilled every 3’-4’ vertically in each cavity, depending on the wall construction.
• An infrared camera is used during installation to ensure complete coverage. As the product cures, it heats to over 200º, allowing us to easily see our coverage through the infrared camera.
• Once injected, the product is fully cured within minutes.
Once installed it will leave you with a complete airtight barrier and a high R-value. In addition, the foam in your existing walls will not shrink, lose density, settle, or sag. If you’re uncertain whether this product can be used for your home, contact us.
Disclaimer: *Retrofit injectable foam is generally only able to be installed in empty wall cavities. If the cavity has cellulose, fiberglass, or other cavity fill insulation already installed, the product cannot be used until its removed. (*If this process seems too intrusive, or not as budget friendly, ask us about our dense-packed cellulose or wool options)
Crawlspace Encapsulation
Crawl Spaces can create enormous headaches for homeowners… but may also be the hidden cause of other health issues for the entire family. By the nature of its construct, a crawl space is susceptible to moisture and deterioration problems. A crawl space naturally becomes damp, as the crawl space is in direct contact with the soil. Although ventilated, a crawlspace’s damp environment is unhealthy – harboring mold and creating an ideal living space for pests. That deteriorating environment leads to compromised flooring and structural members, as well as sagging batt insulation. But that’s only what’s you’d be able to see! The cause for homeowners’ headaches could very well be because of the unhealthy air that is entering the home through all the permeations in the flooring system. In fact, the natural airflow of a home is from bottom to top, and the moist air flows up and into the living areas of the home. That’s called the “stack effect”.
Crawl space insulation from the experts at Sentinel Spray Foam can help with all these problems. Due to its unique qualities, spray foam insulation can readily address these issues, and we specialize on the most effective methods in guarding against the elements, your crawlspace can present. What we will help you accomplish is thermal and vapor barrier between the moist, humid climate in your crawlspace and your living space. Not to mention the Earth’s gases that are detrimental to your health.
Installing closed cell spray foam is a proper and effective barrier for vapor infiltration between the ground and homes subfloor. Closed-cell spray foam stops any vapor or air from moving into the home – through the permeations in your flooring system, your walls, or attic space – eliminating any problems that could be caused by the “stack effect.”
Added (and more prevalent) The more distinct benefits of installing spray foam insulation include: increasing your home’s comfort level, by making temperature regulation easier; improving your home’s energy efficiency, for an eco-friendly home; saving money with lower utility bills.
Crawlspaces can be insulated two ways: insulating the ceiling for a vented crawlspace or insulating the walls for an unvented crawlspace. Spray foam insulation can be effectively utilized in both ways to help address common problems associated with uninsulated or poorly insulated crawlspaces.
A properly insulated and sealed crawl space is one of the fundamental elements of a comfortable, healthy home. Crawl spaces have long been insulated with fiberglass batt insulation, but modern building science reveals the downsides of that practice. Ideally, crawl spaces should prevent air from infiltrating a home, so as to reduce drafts and improve air quality.
Noise Reduction
Many of us have chosen beautiful and bustling neighborhoods, with all the creature comforts that we seek to fit our lifestyles… but did the proximity to bars, restaurants, transportation, etc., come with a hidden price? Is the outside too clearly audible from the inside of your home? Well, you may not have adequate insulation.
Spray foam insulation has unique properties that not only air seals, completely stops heat and cold transfer, but can drastically dampen the noise level that permeates your home’s exterior walls. Using open cell spray foam insulation can help achieve an STC rating of 39 and a NRC of .70 at 3-inch thickness, greatly deadening noise transmissions and increasing homeowner overall comfort. (learn more about STC, NRC, and how noise levels are measured)