Sustainable Savings

The investment you make with Insulation today will benefit you for a lifetime.

Brand New Construction installs all types of insulation. The most popular applications are fiberglass, cellulose and foam. Some of our client’s prefer one type of insulation to another so we make sure to stock all types. If you’re not sure what type of insulation you should install or how much insulation you need, don’t worry. Brand New Construction is here to help you.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN ATTIC DOESN’T HAVE PROPER VENTILATION?

One of the most important aspects of the way your attic is designed and built is proper ventilation. You simply cannot over-estimate its importance. What happens when a roof doesn’t have proper ventilation? Improper ventilation allows formation of condensation, moisture accumulation, and damage to the roof deck and, eventually, to the stability of the roof. Improper attic ventilation can also affect the health of your family.

The industry standard, among  Michigan is  for attic ventilation to provide 1 square foot of intake ventilation and 1 square foot of exhaust or outflow ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space, provided the area is insulated with a vapor barrier. If the area is insulated without a vapor barrier, the requirement doubles.

Proper ventilation of the roof and attic of a home achieves several important functions:

  • It makes the attic space cooler
  • It makes the home more energy efficient
  • It prevents condensation and accumulation of moisture on the inside of the roof deck, and prevents rotting of the roof deck
  • It stops mold from growing in the attic.
  • It prevents ice dams from damaging the roof

Several types of vents can be used to properly ventilate the attic of your home along with baffles. Roof ridge vents are placed along the ridge line of the roof. Ridge vents are used for exhaust or outflow of moisture, heat, and stale air. Soffit vents and Eaves are placed at the lower extremes of the roof and provide the intake ventilation. Its important to install baffles and to clearing out any vents blocked by insulation or debris. If you live in an older home, your roof might not be constructed for roof ridge or soffit vents. Old Michigan homes were not built with the tight seals of today’s houses. There were cracks and openings around windows and doors, chimneys and other openings. These cracks and openings allowed fresh air to flow into the house. On the principle that hot air rises, the accumulated heat and moisture would rise to the attic and out the roof vents.

Without adequate ventilation, moisture rises with the hot air and forms condensation on the inside of the roof deck. This moisture is released into the air inside the house from bathing, cooking, plants, laundry and other causes. When the condensation forms on the roof deck, it begins to rot the wood. This introduces mold spores into the air, as well as damaging the wood. The result, if the problem is not noticed and repaired, can be destruction of all or part of the roof deck and creation of unhealthy air inside the house.

In our increasingly airtight homes, the importance of proper ventilation in roof construction cannot be over-emphasized. It is important to take the time and do the research to understand the ventilation needs for your home in your region and how best to meet those needs. Contact your ventilation service professionals at Brand New Construction LLC today!

Cellulose vs Fiberglass

When it comes to fiberglass vs cellulose, cellulose wins hand down. Cellulose insulation has a higher density, R-value and a superior application method than many other insulations. Cellulose insulation provides superb energy savings along with a significant reduction in air infiltration, resulting in outstanding long-term value and return on investment. Cellulose insulation is also made of up to 85% American recycled materials, making cellulose one of the greenest insulations.

Cellulose insulation meets and often exceeds tough fire standards providing increased safety and peace of mind. Many of the properties of  cellulose insulation which results in fire resistance and a reduction in air infiltration also contribute to superior performance in abating airborne sound.

Regardless of the age of your home, we’re confident that you’ll agree that cellulose is your insulation solution. Cellulose insulation is the sustainable solution to your home energy, sound control and safety needs.

The Truth About R-Values

What’s an R-Value?

R-Value is the measure of the ability of insulation material to resist heat transfer. The R-Value is determined by placing carefully prepared test specimens between two plates in a laboratory apparatus and measuring heat flow through the insulation.

R-Value is a very accurate and reliable expression of how insulation materials perform with regard to conduction of energy in a laboratory apparatus. But people don’t live in laboratories or only deal with the conduction of energy. They live in homes with real walls and ceilings, and in the real world of buildings R-Value is only one factor which determines the actual performance of insulated building assemblies.

 R-Values tell only part of the story.

R-Value is a laboratory measurement that measures conduction, but it does not effectively measure the other two methods of heat transfer: convection and radiation.

 

 So R-Value is only telling 1/3 of the story of how well your home will be insulated in real world conditions.

R-Value is important, but building scientists know that focusing on R-Value to the exclusion of all other factors can result in disappointment. It’s known, for instance, that thermal bridging can reduce the actual energy efficiency of a wall by up to 50 percent. U.S. scientists have proven that convective flows in very light density attic insulation can reduce its performance by more than 40 percent under winter conditions.

Cellulose insulation when applied at high density effectively resists air-infiltration. The Department of Energy (DOE) has written, “DON’T RELY ON THE INSULATION: The most common insulation, fiberglass, does not stop air leakage. In older homes, dirty fiberglass is a telltale sign of air movement (it simply collects dirt like a filter). Certain types of insulation such as dense-packed cellulose and certain foams, can be effective at reducing air flow as well as heat flow.
Cooler in the summer
 Warmer in the winter

The truth is…not all insulations effectively combat all three kinds of heat transfer.

Unlike other insulations, Cellulose insulation effectively combats all three kinds of heat transfer. Cellulose insulation with an R-Value of up to 3.8 per inch, can be installed as a dense monolithic block in walls and as a blanket in the attic which significantly reduces air infiltration and acts as an effective barrier to heat transfer.

Whether your home was built a century ago or completed yesterday, it’s not too late for you to enjoy the benefits of Cellulose insulation. Covering old low-density loose-fill fiberglass in an attic with more of the same stuff “fails to restore the lost R-Value” that naturally occurs with fiberglass. However researchers at Oak Ridge found that when one “cap” loose-fill fiberglass with cellulose, it not only adds R-Value, it actually restores the effective R-Value that fiberglass loses during cold weather.

 Many older homes were built with little or no insulation in the sidewalls. Brand New Construction can add cellulose insulation to your existing home’s sidewalls, making your home more energy efficient — saving you money!

What R-Value should I have in my house?

How much Cellulose insulation you should have in your home will vary based on what type of climate you live in, the construction of your home, what heating equipment you are using and what type of fuel your heating system uses. The U.S. Department of Energy has put together some recommendations for minimum R-Values based on where you live in the United States.