Resources Archives - Aladdin Insulation & Home Improvements

Why is my house so cold? The Secret Solution

Charles — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 23:20:06 +0000

The “Secret Solution” to fixing a cold, uncomfortable and drafty home may not be what you think. We meet many homeowners who have cold and drafty homes during the winter. Unfortunately, many people think the best solution starts with a new furnace, new windows or new doors. Only to find out later after the money is spent and the products are installed, their home is still cold. This is not at all surprising when looking at the advertising of new furnaces and replacement windows.

These industries tout the benefits of their products and while it’s true new windows and/or a new furnace helps, it does not mean your home will cease to be cold and drafty after installing them.

What most homeowners do not realize is that the single biggest contributor to the cold and draftiness of a home is not the windows. All the building performance experts agree, no longer does an old house, or a new house have to be cold, drafty and difficult to heat. The “Secret Solution” to lower heating bills and a more comfortable house is in the attic.

In order to better understand why all the leading experts agree the attic is the “secret solution” to eliminating a cold, uncomfortable and drafty house you must be aware of two basic concepts of building performance. The first concept to know about is the “Stack effect” or “Chimney Effect”, in which, the warmer air inside your home is forced to rise to the uppermost portions of your house.

Next, it’s important to understand the concept of a “building envelope” which is the physical separator between the interior and the exterior environments of any building. So, as the warm air in your home forcibly rises it will meet the upper envelope, or in this case, your upper ceilings. If this envelope, or ceiling, has been penetrated (can lights, bath fans, attic access panels are great examples of penetration) and left unsealed, the warm air will be forced to escape. This, in turn, produces a “giant vacuum effect” throughout your home which will forcibly suck the cold, outside air into your home through the weaker and more susceptible parts of your lower building envelope (like rim joists, doors and windows and anywhere else that is not properly sealed.) This “giant vacuum effect” sucking cold, outside air into the home is the cause of the drafts in your home and not your doors and windows or some other perceived phenomenon.

If you want to test this in your own home wait for the next cold day when there is not a breath of wind outside. Next, put your hand near your doors and windows. That frigid rush of air you feel will not be a breeze from any wind outside but the force of cold, exterior air being sucked into your house by the “giant vacuum effect”. The best way to eliminate this and stop the drafts is to seal the penetrations in the upper building envelope of your home which will prevent the warm air from forcibly escaping and causing the “giant vacuum effect” in the first place.

The “Secret Solution” to fixing a cold, uncomfortable and drafty home is to seal the unsealed penetrations in the upper building envelope. Unsealed penetrations that a homeowner can see in the upper ceiling are things like attic access panels or stairs, can lights, bathroom fans, electrical boxes, HVAC registers, and entertainment cables or equipment. In the unseen attic space, there may also be dryer vents, chimneys, soil stacks, kitchen vents and walls that also need to be sealed.

The US Department of Energy agrees that the most cost effective way to improve energy efficiency and comfort in a typical home is to first seal the penetrations and then make sure you have adequate and correctly applied insulation. Properly installed insulation in the Atlanta area has a thermal value R-60 or 22 inches. If it is not installed correctly, however it will significantly reduce its thermal value and effectiveness. The good news is that by doing these things it is estimated that you can save up to 30% on heating and cooling costs (or up to 30% on your total annual energy bill).

Now that you have the “Secret Solution” you can make better educated decisions regarding your home and better determine how to best spend your hard earned dollars. For further information regarding the additional things you can do to increase the comfort level of your home like sealing your rim joists, weatherstripping your doors and windows and sealing your ductwork go to www.energystar.gov or contact us at, aladdininsulation.com or 678-528-7115 and we will be happy to visit your home and provide a free inspection.

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Achieve increased home comfort with attic insulation

Charles — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:20:35 +0000

Make your home more comfortable with attic insulation. Whether you have hot rooms, cold rooms, moisture problems, or your furnace or air conditioner runs all the time, insulation is usually the best solution.

How do you know if attic insulation will make your home more comfortable? These are some of the common occurrences Aladdin Insulation come across during the winter time.

Our furnace runs all the time and our home is still cold
Our guest room and bath are colder than any other room in the house
The room over the garage is cold
We think our furnace needs replacing
The upstairs is too cold and down stairs is too hot
We think it’s our windows
We think it’s our doors
We pay a fortune to heat our home and it’s still cold
We just replaced our furnace and it’s still cold

Does these sound like some of the problems you may be facing with your home? Well, you’re not alone. We hear these issues all the time and we can help. Get your winter home comfortable with attic insulation. The first step is to inspect your home to determine if we can solve your comfort issues. Surprisingly sometimes the issues require a simple remedy. Sometimes the issues are more serious. Whatever the remedy may be, the investment is usually very affordable. Making your home more comfortable with attic insulation does not require spending a fortune. Beware of characters selling high-priced solutions that usually don’t address the problem.

Aladdin Insulation offers a free in-home evaluation with BPI experienced inspectors that go the extra mile to find affordable ways to make your home more comfortable by:

Adding Attic Insulation
Air sealing gaps in the attic
Air sealing plumbing penetrations
Air sealing electrical penetrations
Installing weather stripping to doors
Installing Attic Tent to staircases
Installing Insulated sheathing
Air Duct Cleaning

There are so many ways to make your winter more comfortable. The remedy starts with a free home inspection. Get your winter home comfort with insulation.

We will inspect your home to determine if we can help solve your home’s heating and cooling ( next summer) issues. To get started give Aladdin Insulation a call at 678-528-7115 or visit us online at aladdininsulation.com

Get your winter home comfort with insulation!

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Energy Saving Tips this Holiday Season

Charles — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 20:16:40 +0000

Energy saving tips this Holiday Season. While the holiday season is a time for celebration and reflection, it is also one of the most expensive times of the year. Between purchasing gifts, entertaining, and decorating, the financial burden is high. With energy usage largely contributing to seasonal costs, here are some tips to save energy and money this holiday season.

Decorations

-Switch to LED Christmas Lights. Christmas lights are a staple of the holidays and contribute most to high energy costs. LED Christmas lights use 90% less electricity than regular Christmas lights, and can be purchased for around $10 a strand. Want to learn more? LED holiday lights can reduce energy consumption and save you money. LED lights are more energy efficient than traditional lights, with the added benefits of being shatterproof, shock-resistant, and cool to the touch.

-Wait until dark to turn on your Christmas lights and then, turn them off before you go to bed. Six hours or less of daily use is a good goal to aim for. Do you have trouble remembering to turn your lights on and off? Then, set a timer, and forget about it. Using an automatic timer can optimize your energy savings, as you can customize the system to turn on and off at specific times of the day.

-Decorating your home with candles is a great way to bring in the season and reduce your reliance on electrical sources.

-Turn off room lights when tree is lit. The lights on your Christmas tree should provide more than enough lighting to navigate around the room.

Heating

-When entertaining, turning down the heat in your home can save money, as the reduction in temperature will be offset by guests giving off body heat.

-Use your fireplace to heat your home instead of your thermostat – just remember to close the flue and ensure that heat is not escaping through the fireplace when not in use.

-Check your HVAC Filters, Carbon Monoxide Detectors and make sure you have a fire extingusher to be safe.

-Guests and your family with allergy symptoms may benefit from having your Air Ducts professionally cleaned.

-Make sure your attic insulation is up to par for those cold areas of your home.

-Install a programmable thermostat.

Holiday Cooking

-Since many holiday main courses slow cook for hours, there is little need to preheat the oven.

-When checking the progress of food in the oven, use the oven light instead of opening the door. Every time you open the door, you can lower the oven temperature by as much as 25 degrees, which will waste both cooking time and energy. The same concept holds true when cooking on the stove: keeping the lid on pots can help reduce cooking time and energy usage.

-Have multiple items to cook? Let your oven do double duty; if you are able, bake multiple dishes at the same time.

-When cooking on the stove, consider the size of the pan you are using. For instance, using a six-inch pan on an eight-inch burner can result in a 40% energy loss.

-If applicable, use smaller appliances when cooking. This is especially true when it comes to reheating food – using a microwave instead of an oven reduces energy usage by 50% or more.

-To optimize the efficiency of your dishwasher, only run it with a full load.

-Purchasing new appliances? Make sure you check the Energy Star rating for best Energy saving tips this Holiday Season.

Shopping

-One of the Energy saving tips this Holiday Season to conserve energy during the holiday season is to shop online. If store shopping is more preferable, take extra steps to conserve energy – carpool, use mass transit, and purchase multiple items on your checklist in as few trips as possible.

-Buying local foods and goods not only supports your local economy, but ensures that transportation-related energy costs are minimal.

-Purchase gifts that are durable, energy efficient, recyclable, or made of natural products to reduce the need for these items to be constantly replaced.

-Thrift stores and antique shops are great places to find inexpensive and unique gifts, while reducing waste through reuse of products.

-Make a pledge to buy gifts that don’t use electricity or batteries and you can reduce expenses on batteries and electricity.

-If you purchase or receive gifts that require batteries, invest in rechargeable batteries and chargers to reduce waste and take advantage of Energy saving tips this Holiday Season.

-Purchase ENERGY STAR-certified electronics – TVs, Blu Ray/DVD players, computers, etc. These devices use up to 60% less electricity than non-certified electronics.

Take a Walk to See the Christmas Lights

Leave the car in the driveway this year when you go out to look at Christmas lights. A walking tour of your neighborhood will be just as fun, and won’t use any gas.

Ultimately, there are many Energy saving tips for this Holiday Season to reduce energy consumption this year. Taking the initiative to reduce energy usage will not only positively impact your finances, but it will also increas home’s comfort this year. Aladdin Insulation hopes that your family has a happy and healthy holiday season and that you take extra steps during this time of year to increase the comfort and reduce your home’s energy consumption.

Call 678-528-7115 or aladdinhomepros.com to get a free energy auditand provide Energy saving tips this Holiday Season!

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Fall Home inspection Check List

Charles — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 15:08:17 +0000

FALL HOME INSPECTION CHECKLIST

By Aladdin Insulation

Posted September 16,1019

In Home Improvement

A Fall Home Inspection allows you make sure things are working properly as your home goes through seasonal transitions. A walk-around inspection in the fall can bring to light issues that need to be addressed immediately while there is still time before winter. But it’s also a time to make sure everything is in working order – especially operating components in the home.

Oftentimes lists like this can add stress to homeowners already feeling a time crunch, so we want to offer some additional suggestions on how to keep your list short. With a little bit of time and advanced planning, you won’t feel the burden of seasonal house maintenance. And you can always count on Aladdin Insulation to help you check a few things off the list.

EXTERIOR HOME REPAIRS AND INSPECTIONS

Check the foundation for cracks
Repair peeling or blistering paint
Inspect the roof for missing or loose shingles
Repair and seal driveway
Clean gutters and downspouts
Caulk windows and weatherstrip doors
Remove and store window and door screens
Wash window and door glass
Clean clothes dryer vent exhaust

INTERIOR HOME HEATING SEASON PREPARATION

Check or service heating system including filters
Change batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Clean fireplace and chimney
Check windows for drafts, loose frames, or racked panes (call us if you see any major concerns)
Check your attic insulation (call us if you can see the attic joists )
Remove window air conditioners and cover outdoor AC units
Check and reset GFCI outlets
Inspect floor drains and make sure traps are filled with water

YARD AND GARDEN

Plant spring flowering bulbs
Drain fuel from gas‐operated lawn equipment
Reseed patchy areas of the lawn
Clean and store summer garden tools
Drain hoses and shut off outdoor water valves
Fertilize the lawn

PORCH AND DECK AREA

Check porch and deck supports, stairs and railings
Clean and apply sealer to decks
Cover and store outdoor furniture, barbecues, etc.
Empty dirt from flowerpots and containers

Hopefully our Fall Home Maintenance Checklist can serve as a reminder for something you’ve been meaning to do. Taking care of your biggest investment is important! If something is too far gone to repair, we’d be happy to help you get it back in shape! Aladdin insulation and windows is a company with more than 25 years of experience working on Atlanta-area homes. We specialize in siding, windows and insulation.

If you are looking for help, please visit our Contact Us page to inquire about our services.or call us at 678-528-7115.

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Air Sealing and Insulation in Attics

Charles — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 13:26:02 +0000

Many residential homes have “drafts,” or what BPI Certified Professionals call air leaks, which usually don’t come from your doors and windows, but instead are unnoticed holes in an attic, basement, crawlspace, and walls. Air Sealing and Attic insulation needs must be determined by locatiing leaks. To find these air leaks properly, you need to have the right tools and equipment for the job. A main tool to use is a blower door kit, which includes a frame, shroud, fan, manometer, hoses, pressure pan, and a smoke pencil. These items, and the experience it takes to use them properly, can’t be found at your local hardware store.

Most people think they already have enough insulation in their attic and/or basement, but if there are holes under it, or imperfections in the installation of insulation, then in most cases, your insulation is only averaging around 25% of what the rated R-value should be.

Air sealing and insulation installation process

air sealing and attic insulation

Following are the steps that I take, as a BPI Certified Professional, to make sure that air sealing and attic insulation is properly installed in an attic space. This technique is what I use when applying air sealing and insulation in attics, but these steps may differ between contractors. Use this as an example of what you might see when a contractor works on your home:

I educate the owner(s) about air sealing and attic insulation, and inform them that the two go together, then I provide a complete home evaluation to be certain that the attic insulation can be installed properly in the home in the first place. This is about homeowner health and safety, comfort, energy efficiency, and lowering utility bills. If incentives are available, then they are a reward to help offset the costs to the owner for doing the project properly with a trained, educated and BPI-certified home performance contractor.
Testing of all combustion appliances, ducts, and more before, during, and after all work is performed to the BPI Standards to make sure that the air sealing and insulation does not affect the combustion appliances’ performance and that the air sealing and insulation were installed properly.
Use of a blower door to measure house leakage, Air Sealing and Attic insulation and to locate all holes, leaks, and pressure differences allows professional recommendations for improvements to be made. A homeowner then decides what measures they would like completed. Testing after the work has been completed proves that the contracted changes have been completed.
If the HVAC ducts are designed properly (usually not the case), make sure the ducts are air sealed, so insulation does not get distributed through the ducts and into the home, possibly giving the occupants difficulty breathing. Ducts should be buried in the new insulation to meet or beat the minimum code requirements.
A properAir Sealing and Attic insulation proposal could include removing existing insulation (if any), when it is discovered that the old is not in proper working order, or not installed properly. Some insulation could have rodent/bug issues, and/or have carcinogens (yellow or pink in color) in it as a preservative. A thorough preparation of surfaces may include a vacuum clean and sanitizing of the area where the new insulation will be installed to allow for proper air sealing techniques and materials to be applied.
Recommendations are made to correct any wiring deficiencies, such as exposed wires, open junction boxes, wire splices, etc. and replace all non-insulation contact air tight (ICAT) ceiling/attic light fixtures with ICAT LEDs, due to potential heat/moisture/fire concerns. This process will require a thorough investigation of the attic and since the existing insulation will be in the way, the insulation will need to be removed anyway. Often, it may be recommended that Air Sealing and Attic insulation is not installed over old insulation.
Recommendations will be made to fix, repair, and/or replace all water leaks and moisture accumulation problems in attic as needed. Insulate all exposed hot/cold water lines to a minimum of R4 code requirements with the proper water pipe insulation wrap. This is to prevent future condensation issues on your newly installed insulation.
Recommendations will be made to install any missing kitchen/bath exhaust mechanical ventilation, venting it properly to outside and per ASHRAE 62.2-2016 and minimum code requirements.
I then ensure that all exhaust vents (kitchen, bath, etc.) are sealed, vented to the outside, and insulated according to local code requirements. During the inspection the auditor will test and measure the air flow of these exhaust fans to make sure they are meeting or exceeding the minimum manufacturer requirements.
Installation of insulation baffles in attics in locations such as soffit/eave vents, and around combustion appliance vents (fireplace, DWH, furnace, etc.) will be made as needed. The intent is to protect against fire safety issues that are common when insulation is installed, and to ensure it is providing the minimum code requirements for air flow and clearance from flammable materials.
If air leaks are discovered hidden above dropped ceilings, or in cabinet soffits, wall chases, shafts, open stud walls, or plumbing walls, a recommendation will be made to air seal them so that insulation can be installed properly.
Depending upon the condition and location of insulation, recommendations may be made to install proper dams to maintain insulation levels at an attic access, combustion appliances, edge walls, knee walls, skylights, light fixtures, etc.
air sealing
Additional Air Sealing and Attic insulation recommendations may include sealing all accessible top/bottom plates, gypsum board seams, sub-floor seams, rim joist perimeters, electrical wire holes, gas/plumbing line holes, duct boots, etc. to decrease air leakage and to prevent heat loss and heat gain.Installing insulation attic rulers every 6-8 feet apart, per manufacturer requirements, provide a quick visual reference of how much insulation is located in an attic.
Insulation recommendations to apply spray foam, loose fill cellulose, or fiberglass insulation in the attic, with proper air density and height will be made according to specifics regulated by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) where a home is located.
When a contracted work scope is finished, a contractor may leave a certificate of completion in the attic with the manufacturer’s specifications, warranties, MSDS sheets, so that any technician that enters the area in the future knows what they are looking at and working with.

Ready to make your home more comfortable and efficient?

Sometimes hiring a professional to do Air Sealing and Attic insulation as well as updating your homes energy envelope is recommended. To find out more call 678-528-7115 or aladdininsulation.com

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Adding Insulation To Your Existing Home

Charles — Wed, 09 May 2018 12:20:56 +0000

Unless your home was specially constructed for energy efficiency, you can probably reduce your energy bills by adding insulation to your existing home. Many older homes have less insulation than homes built today, but even adding insulation to a newer home can pay for itself within a few years.

To determine whether you should attempt adding insulation, you first need to find out how much insulation you already have in your home and where it is. A qualified home energy auditor will include an insulation check as a routine part of a whole-house energy assessment. An energy assessment, also known as a home energy audit, will also help identify areas of your home that are in need of air sealing. (Before you insulate, you should make sure that your home is properly air sealed.)

If you don’t want an energy assessment, you need to find out the following for yourself:

If you live in a newer house, you can probably get this information from the builder. If you live in an older house, you’ll have to inspect the insulation.

*Thickness must not be used as the sole factor in determining the R-value of loose-fill insulation, particularly for attic insulation.

Adding Insulation to your existing home is a must, When you see the rafters this is attic is poorly insulated.

Professional insulation is always done after properly air sealing.

R-60 22inches of added attic insulation is recommended as the best for Georgia.

Inspecting and Evaluating Adding Insulation

Check the attic, walls, and floors adjacent to an unheated space, like a garage or basement. The structural elements are usually exposed in these areas, which makes it easy to see what type of insulation you have and to measure its depth or thickness (inches).

Inspect the exterior walls by using an electrical outlet:

Turn off the power to the outlet.
Remove the outlet cover and shine a flashlight into the crack around the outlet box. You should be able to see if there is insulation in the wall and possibly how thick it is.
Pull out a small amount of insulation if needed to help determine the type of insulation.
Check outlets on all floors as well as old and new parts of your house. Just because you find insulation in one wall doesn’t mean that it’s everywhere in the house.

Determining Recommended R-Values When Addin Insulation

When you find out the R-values of your insulation either from an energy assessment, the home builder, or your own inspection, you can then use the Home Energy Saver tool to determine how much insulation to add your existing home and where you should add it for maximum energy efficiency.

Estimating Costs and Payback

The Home Energy saver calculator also provides recommendations on energy upgrades, including adding insulation to your existing home, and the rate of return.

Aladdin Insulation offers free energy assessments, evaluations, and free estimates wehen adding insulation to your home. please call 678-528-7115 or visit us at aladdininsulation.com for more information.

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Your Air Conditioner Ready for Summer?

Charles — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 10:50:10 +0000

Don’t wait until you come home to a house that isn’t cool or you get a high summer electric bill… make sure now that your Air Conditioner unit will be ready when you need it. Below are a few ways Aladdin Insulation suggests to keep your HVAC system running as efficiently as possible this summer:

➤ Make sure you have a Air Conditioner professional service your system regularly, and request that they clean the condensing coils.

➤ Operate the cooling equipment wisely. To get themost out of your Air Conditioner unit, operate it on a conservative temperature setting. We recommend keeping your thermostat on 78 degrees during the summer months. You should set it at an even higher temperature for the times you are away from home.

➤ Allow for the airflow around the outdoor unit. Provide at least two (2) feet of clearance on all sides and five (5) feet at the top of the Air Conditioner unit for proper ventilation.

➤ Change the filters regularly; once per month during peak usage. Dirty filters can restrict the airflow through your Air Conditioner system, reduce efficiency and lead toother problems.

➤ Do not close off areas of your home unless there is a “return vent”; in that area. The Air Conditioner system must be able to circulate air completely.

➤ Make sure your cooling equipment is the right size for the area. Air Conditioners that are too large can cycle “on” and “off” and sometimes do notrun long enough to remove moisture from the air, resulting in high humidity levels inside the home, which affects comfort as well.

➤ Make sure your Air Condition ducts are clean from debris and test for leakage.

➤ Check your Attic Insulation levels while your at it. Reminder for the Atlanta area the department of energy recommends R-60 0r 22 inches of fiberglass insulation. Sometimes all your air conditioner needs is a little help from attic insulation.

By following these simple tips, you can help improve the overall efficiency of your Air Conditioning system and lower your energy usage this summer. For additional information on how to make your home more energy efficient, visit us at
Aladdin Insulation or call for a free assessment 678-528-7115

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You Can Air Seal Your Attic

Charles — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 12:51:08 +0000

You can air seal your attic. If you add up all of the leaks, holes and gaps in a typical home, it would be like having a window open every day of the year, according to ENERGY STAR®. That’s a lot of room for conditioned air to leave and outdoor air to get in. Air leaks are inefficient, but even worse, they tend to make your home’s temperatures uneven. For instance, an upstairs that’s hotter than the rest of the house in the summer and cooler during the winter.

Jeff Wilson TV Author and Energy efficient expert made a nice video of how you can air sealing your homes attic and we want to share with you.

Some of the prime areas for air leaks are in your attic. You can seal your attic by filling these leaks with caulk or expandable foam if you know what to look for:
•Boxes for recessed lighting fixtures, ceiling fans and other electrical devices that hang from the ceiling

•Holes where wires enter the tops of walls and go down to switches or outlets

•Vents that go through the attic and into the living space below

Notes of caution

Step carefully. Walk carefully on top of attic joists and not in between, where you may fall through.

Older recessed lighting fixtures. Incandescent light fixtures can get very hot, creating a fire hazard if you seal or insulate too closely. In these cases, you can buy a special cap that goes over top of the fixture, allowing you to safely seal around it.

Outside vents. Don’t fill any vents to the outside because the attic is supposed to be vented outdoors. Remember, your unfinished attic should be the same temperature as the outdoors. Just fill the holes over the living space.

Take a few minutes to air seal your attic. You’ll go a long ways by air sealing your attic toward making your home more comfortable and efficient

Sometimes hiring a professional to do air sealing your attic as well as updating your homes insulation is recommended. To find out more call 678-528-7115 or aladdininsulation.com

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Improve Indoor Air Quality And Curb Seasonal Allergies

Charles — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 13:37:19 +0000

Improve Indoor Air Quality And Curb Seasonal Allergies. If you have trouble with allergies, you may be quick to correlate seasonal irritations with outdoor triggers such as ragweed, pollen and mold. However, poor indoor air quality in your own home could be the culprit to blame for runny noses, itchy eyes and in some cases, severe symptoms like respiratory issues, bronchitis and asthma.

The Environmental Protection Agency found in poor indoor air quality survey that Americans spend 87% of their lives indoors and that indoor air pollutant levels are up to 100 times higher than levels you may find outside. While it’s alarming to think about how many toxins you are possibly exposed to on a regular basis, there are simple steps you can take to boost the condition of the air you breathe in your home.

Refrain from Smoking Indoors
There is no acceptable level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoking indoors one time is enough to infect the rest of the poor indoor air quality of your house, even if you’re in a room with the doors closed.

Vacuum Regularly
Invest in a heavy-duty vacuum and clean your carpets regularly to remove dust and other pollutants brought in from outside.

Clean Bedding
Wash sheets, pillows and comforters in warm water routinely to cut down on exposure to dust mites and other allergens.

Let Air in Through Windows
Most heating and cooling units recirculate inside air so when weather permits, let fresh air in, if even just for a short time.

Keep a Tidy Home
Clean your home consistently using safe cleaning supplies.

Dispose of Unused Chemicals and Paint
Paint outdoors and choose non-toxic adhesive, finishes and varnishes where possible.

Groom Pets
Washing and grooming your pets regularly will reduce shedding and dander.

Use the Exhaust Fan Over Your Stove
The benefit of an external exhausted range hood is that it pulls out potentially toxic pollutants and gasses from the air in your kitchen.

Use Fans in Bathrooms
Exhaust fans knock out moisture from the bathroom and reduce fumes from cleaning agents that could potentially cause health issues.

Switch out Air Filters
Changing the air filters in your heating and cooling system on a regular basis is important to maintaining optimal indoor air quality in your home.

Clean Air Ducts

Most of the in-home air arrives through ducts as part of your heating and cooling system. Those air ducts can get dirty with microbes, mildew, bacteria and loads of dust and dirt. Regular duct cleaning can remove built-up debris.

In addition to these important actions there are several advanced choices for contending with allergy-inducing pollution in your home.

Whole-home central humidifiers keep humidity within one percent of your preferred levels throughout your home, creating a healthier environment by lessening dry sinuses, itchy skin and sore throats and keeping wood from damaging or warping. They can also lessen the occurrences of bacteria, viruses and respiratory infections. Proper humidification levels are just as important in both hot and cold environments. Too little humidity leaves the body vulnerable to infections whereas too much humidity establishes ideal breeding grounds for mold, mildew and dust mites.

Options for high-efficiency air filtration and cleaners that kill airborne contaminants include High Efficiency Particulate Air Filtration and Germicidal UV Light Systems.

Energy Recovery Ventilation Units bring in the correct amount of outside air which is especially important in the fall and winter months ahead.

Aladdin Insulation can give you a free home indoor air quality and comfort analysis so you can rest assured that your family is breathing the healthiest air possible. To Improve Indoor Air Quality And Curb Seasonal Allergies Call 678-528-7115 or schedule your appointment online.

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How Attic Insulation in Georgia Works

Charles — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 15:00:29 +0000

HOW ATTIC INSULATION IN GEORGIA WORKS

Insulation is measured in R-values. the higher the R-value, the better your walls and roof will resist the transfer of heat. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recommends ranges of R-values based on local heating and cooling costs and climate conditions in different areas of the nation. The map and chart below show the DOE recommendations for how insulation in Georgia works. State and local codes in some parts of the country may require lower R-values than the DOE recommendations, which are based on cost effectiveness.

Although how insulation in Georgia works, insulation can be made from a variety of materials, it usually comes in three types; each type has different characteristics.

Rolls and Batts or Blanket Insulation
are flexible products made from mineral fibers, such as fiberglass and rock wool. They are available in widths suited to standard spacings of wall studs and attic or floor joists: 2×4 walls can hold R-13 or R-15 batts; 2×6 walls can have R-19 or R-21 products.

Loose-fill insulation
Usually made of fiberglass, rock wool, or cellulose-comes in shreds, granules, or nodules. These small particles should be blown into spaces using special pneumatic equipment. The blown-in material conforms readily to building cavities and attics. Therefore, loose-fill insulation is well suited for places where it is difficult to install other types of insulation.

Recommended Home Insulation R– Values

Insulation level are specified by R-Value. R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the R-Value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost-effective for different climates and locations in the home.

Recommended insulation levels for retrofitting existing wood-framed buildings

Zone	Add Insulation to Attic		Floor
Zone	Uninsulated Attic	Existing 3–4 Inches of Insulation	Floor
1	R30 to R49	R25 to R30	R13
2	R30 to R60	R25 to R38	R13 to R19
3	R30 to R60	R25 to R38	R19 to R25
4	R38 to R60	R38	R25 to R30
5 to 8	R49 to R60	R38 to R49	R25 to R30
Wall Insulation: Whenever exterior siding is removed on an Uninsulated wood-frame wall: Drill holes in the sheathing and blow insulation into the empty wall cavity before installing the new siding, and Zones 3–4: Add R5 insulative wall sheathing beneath the new siding Zones 5–8: Add R5 to R6 insulative wall sheathing beneath the new siding. Insulated wood-frame wall: For Zones 4 to 8: Add R5 insulative sheathing before installing the new siding.

If you live in the Atlanta, Alpharetta, Milton,Buford, Cumming, Dawsonville, Gainesville,Flowery Branch, Johns Creek, Milton, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Dallas, Powder Springs, Acworth, Lawrenceville, Kennesaw, Marietta, Roswell, Duluth, Decatur, Stone Mountain, Canton, or another area in the suburbs of Atlanta call Aladdin Insulation to schedule residential insulation and energy audit services. 678-528-7115

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