Category Archives: Services

Having a well insulated home will help a great deal to get top dollar for your home when the time comes to sell.

 

In a recent survey, three reasons were given for upgrading their homes and making them more energy efficient.

1.   To save money.

2.   To reduce the impact on the environment

3.   To increase the value of their home for resale purposes.

 

New homes are typically more energy efficient than older homes but with three rebate programs available you can’t afford not to take advantage of the thousands of dollars of savings.

 

The Federal Government just announced $400,000,000.00 in 2011 and 2012 for the eco Energy Retrofit Homes program.  Stay tuned for the details.

The Alberta Government currently offers generous rebates for upgrading your home to make it more energy efficient and

The City of Edmonton not to be outdone, would like to insulate your pocketbook with up to $250.00

 

In total there are thousands of dollars available to anyone who wants to upgrade their insulation whether it is just your attic, walls, rim joists, unfinished basement or crawl space.

To qualify for the current Rebate Programs all energy audits and work must be completed by March 31, 2012.

 

Give us a call at “780-416-0026“  for a free quote if you are interested in taking advantage on getting FREE money from the government.

 

Note:  *These rebate programs are only effective while the designated funds are available.  Don’t wait too long or you may be disappointed.

This is the process of upgrading / renovating *existing insulation* on exterior or interior walls.  This includes finishing an unfinished basement or upgrading (making more energy efficient) existing, finished basements.

 

Insulating unfinished, exterior walls

When insulating unfinished, exposed concrete walls - there are 2 methods to accomplish this:

 

Method #1

Quik Therm is a 4 in 1 system giving the user a vapour barrier, radiant barrier, air barrier, and thermal insulation in one application.  The panels come in 24′ X 8′ panels.

The system has 2 components, 2″ thick E.P.S. panels and T-shaped studs which create a finished system with studs at 24″ O.C.

This product is quick and easy to install and produces an R-17 performance value.

 

Method #2

Glue (PL300) Thermal 3Ht 1″ or 2″ panels directly to the concrete and tape all the joints to ensure the integrity of the vapour barrier.  The thermal value is determined by the thickness of the sheets applied.  Thermal 3Ht is available in 4′ X 8′ sheets in thicknesses of 1/2′, 1″, and 2″.

 

Re-insulating exterior walls

 

Reinsulating exterior walls can be a very simple process depending on the existing exterior and if you are going to replace the siding anyway.

 

Existing wood, vinyl, or aluminum siding

If the existing exterior finish is wood siding, vinyl or aluminum, simply remove the siding and apply *Thermal 3Ht*. This is a very easy project which takes about 2 days for a 1000 sq.ft. bungalow.  Northern Alberta Energy Savers Ltd. will supply you with the material to DYI or we will do the installation for you.

 

Existing stucco siding

If exterior finish is stucco the 3Ht can be applied directly over the stucco using nails long enough to penetrate the stucco into the sheeting.   Ideally, the walls should be strapped with 1” x 4” of strapping to create an air space before applying the new exterior.

 

New Construction

The 3Ht, 4’x8’ sheets would simply be installed directly onto the sheeting before the exterior finish is installed.

 

The benefit of applying this insulation on the exterior of a building is that the insulation provides a thermal bridge or envelope over the entire exterior avoiding any weak spots in the insulation.

 

Wall Retrofit – Jobs

Re-insulating outside walls

	In this 1950′s-style home, the existing siding was removed revealing shiplap.
	Seen here is tar-impregnated paperback rolled fiberglass insulation. Notice the void between the studs. Properly installed Blow-In-Blanket® System insulation provides 100% coverage.
	Here we see existing wiring devoid of any insulation covering it. Notice the minimal amount of insulation between the studs. At this point all the old insulation was removed and discarded.
	Next, nylon mesh was stapled over the studs creating full coverage.
	Loose-fill Climate Pro® has been blown in, completely filling the empty wall cavity.

 

Upgrading attics involves inspecting the attic to determine the existing type of insulation, age, and depth of insulation. An existing R-value is determined. Currently the Alberta code for attic insulation is R-40.

It is not necessary to remove insulation unless it is Zonolite or Vermiculite. These products contain asbestos and require removal by professionals.

Proper ventilation is very important when upgrading your attic.

Ventilation at the roof ridge line is required and must not be blocked at the exterior wall line. This will be addressed by our estimator. Lomanco-Whirlybird Turbines will be recommended.

You will be provided with a written quote and given pamphlets on the products we use as well as information about Northern Alberta Energy Savers Ltd. and a sample of the insulation that will be blown into your attic. You may wish to share the information with someone else prior to making your decision.

Included in our quote is 1. adding batt insulation to the hatch and closed cell foam weather-stripping to the perimeter of the hatch; 2. a waxed cardboard dam is built around the perimeter of the hatch to insure that the insulation is installed up to the edge of the attic opening.

There are several products on the market and one must be informed of the pros and cons of these products. Please refer to* “Comparing Fiber Glass and Cellulose Insulation” *fact sheet to help you to do your own comparison.

 

 

Attic Retrofits – Jobs

	Before the insulation is blown in, tarps are laid down to protect your floors. We use formaldehyde-free fiber glass products which don’t settle or deteriorate over time.
	Our installer opens a bale of insulation. The basic raw material for glass is sand, a plentiful and renewable resource.
	The insulation is fed into the hopper where it is “fluffed” in preparation for delivery. No gaps. No drafts. No problem. Blown-In insulation provides a custom fit that completely fills voids and gaps in hard-to-reach locations. Any size. Any shape. Any curve.
	No matter how big your home is, our hoses can reach any space!

 

With attic retrofits we encounter 2 common types of attics.

1. Knee Walls

We fill the wall cavity with chemical free fiberglass batt insulation, install 1″ EPS sheets over the fiberglass, tape and seal all cuts and joints to provide a complete barrier.

Then, we insulate the floor area in the knee attic. If there is a wood floor, we create an opening and fill the void with blown loose fill insulation to stop air infiltration at the perimeter and then add insulation above the floor to required the R-value. The wall hatch location is then fitted with one solid piece of rigid insulation.

Included in our price is adding batt insulation to the hatch and closed cell foam weather-stripping to the perimeter of the hatch.

 

 

 

 

 2. Low slope vaulted roofs or flat roofs with tar and gravel or membrane finish

In these situations the technology was tar impregnated paper backed mineral or fiberglass insulation with a very low R-value, usually R-4.

There is no ventilation required. The application is to access each rafter space by removing the soffit/facia and blow loose fill insulation into each space, filling the spaces full. This procedure will provide a minimum R-30 value.