Many homeowners know that insulation is a job best done by professionals. However, some insulation contractors still make mistakes! Here at Boak & Sons, Sam Boak emphasizes the importance of hiring an insulation contractor that will get your job done correctly the first time. Quality of work is important, and Boak & Sons is often called to fix mistakes made by other insulation contractors. To help homeowners identify these problems, Sam Boak is sharing the three most common mistakes he’s seen been made by insulation contracting companies:
- Openings are not sealed before insulation is installed.
Houses have many spaces and openings such as pipe and wire spaces, can lights, chimney chases, top plates, and other gaps and cracks in the attic floor. These spaces allow warm and cold air to slip right through. Since the attic is ventilated, this air is lost to the outside. High summer temperatures can quickly heat attics and that hot air can go right into the home, increasing your cooling costs and the stress on your air conditioner in living spaces. The opposite can be said during winter, and unsealed attic floors lead to rooms and homes that are uncomfortable and difficult to regulate temperatures throughout the year.
- Not enough insulation installed.
One of the most common problems with installing insulation is knowing the right amount to install for a space. Each home or building is unique and it’s likely going to be different for each job. Many insulation contractors underestimate how much insulation to install, which leads to inadequate resistance to heat flow to and from the attic space and the living area. This makes the upstairs ceilings very hot, turning them to indoor heaters during the hot summer season. In winter, heated air rises to the top of the house, and conducts through the drywall ceiling and into the attic, making it more difficult to keep your customers warm and comfortable in wintertime.
- Ducts in the attic.
Many homes have heating and cooling systems and ductwork in their attics. These ducts are what pass warm and cool air throughout the home. In summer, attics can be 130˚ or hotter. Uninsulated or under-insulated ducts in attics can heat the air being passed through these ducts, lowering their effectiveness to cool the home. In the winter, it’s the exact opposite. Those ducts get very cold and can cool the warm air moving through them. The air homeowners paid to heat loses that heat to cold attics as the air moves through poorly insulated duct systems to the conditioned parts of the home.
These are just a few of the common mistakes we’ve seen insulation contractors make before. If you know you’ve had insulation installed in your space but your heating and cooling bills still seem high or you just can’t get the temperature regulated in your home, give us a call at 330-793-5646 today to schedule a free estimate! You can also schedule on our website at www.boakandsons.com/contact.
