House Insulation Tips

Tips For Choosing A Contractor For Home Insulation

More and more people are increasingly concerned about out-of-control energy costs.  Furthermore, it is not likely that these costs will come down and, if they do, it will be most likely as a temporary break in the upward rise.  One of the few bits of control that the homeowner can exert is through home insulation.  To make a dramatic difference in the quality and effectiveness of your insulation, you should consider insulation contractors in your area.

Depending on the region of the country you live, contractors will have different levels of expertise.  Cities like Minneapolis, Denver, Chicago and
Buffalo, for example, should be loaded with contractors that are intimately familiar with how best to prepare homes for harsh winters.  Other parts of the county like Phoenix and Las Vegas will most assuredly have an abundance of contractors specializing on how to protect homes (and energy bills) against the effects of intense heat.

Regardless of where you live, you should approach the insulation project carefully.  When you have a contractor come out to your home to assess the project and give you an estimate, be sure to ask him or her for references.  You should be able to check with fellow homeowners as to their opinion on your prospective contractor’s quality of work.

The contractors you interview (and you should interview at least three of them) should talk about R-values, among other things.  The R-value is the insulation’s resistance to heat flow (in either direction, in or out).    Regardless of whether foam insulation or spray insulation is used in the home, ultimately the R-value is the important factor in determining energy efficiency.

But before you get to that point, you’ll want to be sure that some basic information is supplied to you by your prospective contractor.  Ask your contractor for some kind of proof that his or her company and all workers are insured.  Be sure that you are completely protected in the event of some kind of mishap.  Ask the contractor to show you if he or she is certified by  ICAA -- Insulation Contractors Association of American -- or some other organization.

After you have made a decision to hire someone, you should keep tabs on the work to make sure that everything is being completed as promised.  Verify the R-values on the material labels to insure they match what was stated on the bid.

Even before your contractor starts the job, ask him or her to give you a complete tour of the home to explain what is to be put where.  After the job has been completed and before you pay the balance owed, ask the contractor to repeat the tour to show that the job was done as it was spelled out before hand.

Remember that according to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulation any insulation installer or contractor must give the customer some type of receipt for all that has been installed. On the receipt the contractor has to include information such as what area has been covered, the R-value, and how thick the insulation is.  The exception to this is for spray insulation.  For this type if insulation, the contractor will need to include how thick the original fill is and what the minimum thickness will be once the fill settles.  The contractor/installer must sign and date the receipt.

These are just a few suggestions to consider before hiring insulation contractors.  You would be wise to do a little research on your own to familiarize yourself with typical materials.   Finally, regardless of the final price tag, if you have chosen a contractor wisely, you’ll be set to reap the benefits of a completely insulated home while enjoying significant savings on future energy bills.