We offer comprehensive and meticulous home improvement services. Using blower door testing and duct blasting, infrared and moisture testing, we can determine the performance of your home or commercial building.
You may need air sealing, insulation, deep energy retrofitting–Energy Egghead offers intelligent, informed solutions to any building performance problem.
Energy Egghead provides energy conservation services that are diverse and take into account pre-existing circumstances. Energy Egghead is not an insulation company that installs one type of insulation. Our focus is on devising the most practical and cost-effective customized solutions. These may include various methods of air sealing or insulating, such as spray foam, loose-fill cellulose, loose-fill fiberglass, rigid foam board, or a combination of methods.
Energy Egghead provides conservation services that may include sealing and insulating an entire building or a targeted area that has been identified as a problem. The adage “no job too small” fits well with our philosophy.
Weatherization & Insulation Options
Sealing and insulation consist of a variety of materials and come in many forms. The good news is that along with advancements in material composition and application methods, sealing and insulation have become more “green” and safer to use. The not-so-good news is that it seems there are too many choices.
Knowing which material to use for a particular thermal energy-saving improvement requires an understanding of what will work best in each circumstance. It is both an art and a science to analyze each building with an eye toward providing the most cost-efficient approach. Below is a brief introduction to two types of insulation that are advantageous to use for insulation and sealing improvements.
Cellulose
Hydraulically blown-in cellulose consists of 85% shredded, fluffed-up recycled newsprint and about 15% borate-based fire retardant. Borates are environmentally safe mineral compounds that also help stop and pests. If, when installed, it is dense-packed, it will have an R-value of 3.0 to 4.0 per inch. It is easy for filling irregularly shaped areas and around obstructions. If dense-packed, it provides sealing as well as insulation. The price for cellulose installation is moderate.
Spray Foam Insulation
Foam insulation that is sprayed into place comes in two basic forms-high-density and low-density foam. Though high-density foam has a higher R-value (6.0 per inch) than low density (3.4 per inch), both are good insulators and more importantly provide effective sealing of air leaks. The additional benefit of spray foam insulation is that it expands, filling in areas entirely that would otherwise be difficult to reach.
As opposed to fiberglass batt insulation, spray foam insulation always provides the manufacturer’s specified R-value because it is much less vulnerable to installation defects. Even small gaps and compressions in fiberglass can cause a significant decrease in actual R-value. When high-density spray foam insulation is applied in a one- to two-inch layer in combination with fiberglass batts, it allows the batts to perform more closely to the manufacturer’s stated R-value because the foam effectively seals the cavity stopping any air from flowing through the fiberglass.
Spray foam used nowadays is safe and does not contain formaldehyde or volatile organic compounds. Spray foam is resistant to moisture, adheres well to most surfaces, and can even provide additional structural support. The versatility of spray foam makes it very useful in sealing and insulating buildings of all types