Archive for the ‘Insulation’ Category

Since it’s out of sight and out of mind, it’s easy to forget your attic, and easy to forget the insulation up there.  But attic insulation is far more important than you might realize.  Good attic insulation impacts the quality of air in your home, as well as the amount you’ll pay in energy bills each month to keep your house warm (or cool).  Even though you don’t see it most days, you should consider your attic’s insulation to be one of the most important components of your home’s heating and cooling systems.

Air Leaks And Insulation\

Consider your roof as a massive leaker of energy from your home.  Your attic is a barrier that stops the leaking.  There’s the insulation itself, that holds in heat, important during the colder months.  Then, there are attic ventilation systems, which relieve the attic of a massive heat load, especially during the summer months.

The good news is that properly installed insulation and attic ventilation systems can easily pay for themselves in the savings of energy costs throughout the year.

Most attic insulation is made of one of two materials:

Fiberglass.  This insulation is easy to spot by its cotton candy-like appearance.  Fiberglass is a tried-and-true insulation method that offers good ventilation.

Cellulose.  Cellulose has enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years because it is environmentally friendly.  Cellulose insulation is made from recycled newspapers, and so it is a “green” product that is good for the environment.  Cellulose also has fire-retardant and insect repellant qualities that make it very attractive to homeowners.

How do you know which insulation to choose?  Insulation contractors will frequently throw out the term “R-Value” when they are considering more insulation for your home.  But what does this mean?

R-Value indicates an insulation’s “resistance to heat flow.”  If there is a higher R-value, the insulation resists more heat, and prevents more heat from moving in (or out) of your home, disrupting the comfortable temperature you’re trying to maintain inside.

The type of insulation you use, as well as its thickness and density, can affect its R-value.  That’s why it’s important to get a professional evaluation of how much – or how much more – insulation you need.  Just climbing up to your attic and looking around won’t tell you whether you’re being energy efficient.

Thankfully, Stinson Services can provide you with a free consultation of your home to estimate your insulation needs.  Our track record of NO Better Business Bureau complaints means that we are a company who cares about the quality of our work and the satisfaction of our customers.  We will give you an honest appraisal of your home’s energy efficiency needs.  If you need more insulation, our trained professionals will counsel you on the right type of insulation for your home.  The savings you’ll see in your monthly energy bills make this investment well worth it.  You may even be eligible for valuable tax credits when you put in new insulation, and we’ll help you make sure you get the refund you deserve!

Minnesota property owners looking to add insulation have many rebate options available to them. Local Minnesota utility companies including Excel Energy, CenterPoint Energy and Minnesota Energy Resources are providing excellent insulation rebate opportunities for MN property owners. We will be detailing the insulation rebate program details for each of these Minnesota utility companies for the next few weeks. Upgrading or installing new insulation in your MN property is one of the best investments you can make in lowering your energy bill. Improper attic insulation and air sealing can lead to losing 25% of your heating and cooling energy.

For all of the Minnesota insulation rebate programs a Home Energy Audit is necessary to provide an accurate assessment of your MN home or MN business energy efficiency. These Minnesota Home Energy Audits include a blower door test and consultation with a home energy rater, it is an essential part of ensuring that your attic insulation and air sealing project is a success. Learn more about Minnesota Home Energy Audits.

Here are the details on the Xcel Energy Minnesota Insulation Rebate Program

In order to qualify for the Home Performance Rebates program Minnesota property owners must have a Standard Audit or Standard Audit with Infrared completed prior to installing new attic insulation and air sealing.Audits typically take 2 – 3 hours and can be scheduled at a time convenient for you. The home energy auditor will inspect your attic insulation, doors, windows, furnace or boiler appliances and more.

There are three types of audits Xcel Energy offers:

• Home Walkthrough $30
• Standard Audit $60
• Standard Audit with Infrared $100

Insulation Rebate

The MN 2011 Insulation Rebate program offers Xcel Energy natural gas heating customers and electric heating customers in Minnesota rebate incentives for installing insulation in their homes. Insulation upgrades include attic insulation, wall insulation, air sealing, weather stripping in residential MN homes. The rebate is equal to 20% of the total cost of the insulation and installation up to a maximum rebate of $300.

MN Insulation Program Requirements

To be eligible you must be a residential natural gas customer in Minnesota or a MN electric heating customer. Insulation must be purchased and installed on or after January 1, 2011 to qualify. Prior insulation purchases will not qualify. The Minnesota Insulation rebate is applicable for all MN insulation work performed in 2011, applications must be submitted by July 31, 2012 to be accepted. Below is a list of eligible insulation projects:

Minnesota Attic Insulation & Air Bypass Sealing

1. Attic must currently have pre R-value of 20 or less and
2. Attic must have post R-value of 44 or more

Minnesota Wall Insulation

1. Current wall cavity must be empty
2. Must have post R-value of 12 or greater

MN Air Sealing and Weather Stripping

Stinson Services, Inc is a registered contractor with Xcel Energy for providing insulation upgrades. To learn more about our insulation installation services contact us today at 952-933-4510 or via e-mail at info@stinsonservices.com.