You’re building a new home, you say? So of course you have a check list: a general contractor, a sub-contractor, an architect, a banker, a lot picked out… but wait! You are overlooking something very crucial. Has your soon-to-be home passed the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code? I am sure some people would automatically assume a new home would pass but it is not guaranteed.
Passing the 2012 IECC Code
It’s a valid question when you’re the consumer making an insulation decision and other products like fiberglass and cellulose insulation appear to be priced considerably lower. The higher cost is a result of the materials and equipment needed to install foam insulation properly and safely. But like most products you purchase, what you invest is a direct correlation to what you get. So while insulating foam may be two to three times more expensive in terms of initial costs, you are also making an investment toward energy efficiency that will help your home or building function better for years to come.
If you look at the life of a home, the investment in spray foam insulation will typically be paid in five years or less. More immediately, you will see savings in your utilities in the range of 30% to 50% that begin day one. Want to have a better idea of what your savings might look like? Check out our cost estimator to get a rough idea of savings you can expect based on your specifics.
HVAC Sizing: What is This All About?
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Condition (HVAC) is an extremely complicated process. It is not sexy, but it is a very important part of building a new home. So let’s start with what it is and how it is done: HVAC sizing, or load calculations, determines the size or amount of BTU’s that a furnace needs to produce to work properly. It works the same way as air conditioning with tonnage.
The Best Bang for Your Buck: Value and Insulation
As the Polar Vortex blasted in this week, many of you may be thinking about adding or replacing insulation in your homes. This will benefit you by keeping your homes warmer and lowering utility costs. Don’t let this be you:
Spray Foam Myths
I have been a spray foam contractor since 2006 – almost 9 years now! I have had an exhibit at close to 100 home shows over the years. After spending time at my third home show in the past two weeks and preparing for the fourth coming this weekend, I thought I would share some of the most common myths about spray foam we often get asked.
Your energy bills may be unnecessarily high due to air leaks, gaps and holes. This can be prevented by using spray foam insulation by KC Spray Foam. Our spray foam is both an insulation, air sealant and air barrier. By closing and sealing the leaks, gaps and holes, you can save up to 20% on your monthly energy bills.
Spray foam insulation can help reduce the workload on your HVAC system. It has a high R-value and effectiveness. KC Spray Foam offers both open and closed cell foam insulation.
Home Show Season: How to Find a Spray Foam Contractor
Like every year, mid-winter brings a flurry of Home Shows across the Mid-West. Prospective buyers and people looking to beat cabin fever walk the isles restlessly. We here at KC Spray Foam are seasoned Home Show Exhibitors – in fact there have been times where we have participated in 8-10 home shows a year!
Radiant Barriers: Don’t Become a Baked Potato!
Radiant barriers are everywhere now. You can’t walk through a home and garden show without witnessing multiple companies selling different kinds of barriers. You can even find them in your local big box lumberyard. If you do a quick search on YouTube you can find a plethora of marketing videos. But do these barriers actually work, or are they “snake oil” marketing?
Roof Coatings for Commercial Roofs: What You Need to Know
When it comes to low-sloped commercial roofs that are leaking, there are two basic ways to fix them: replace the roof or apply a liquid coating to seal in the roof.
If you’re looking at insulation for your home or building, you have likely heard product comparisons in terms of R-value – the conductive heat flow resistance of the material. This measurement is made using the guarded hotbox apparatus (see photos), a test procedure that measures the thermal conductivity of insulation material. One side of the material is heated to a specific temperature and after steady state heat flow has been reached, the temperature on the other side is measured. This measurement solely defines the conductive heat flow resistance of the material.
Once the R-value is determined, the heat flow through it can be calculated using Fourier’s Law, an equation that calculates the benefit of increasing the thickness of any type of insulation as long as there is no air movement through it.
Insulating Tanks with Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam insulation is a great way to insulate tanks of all types. This includes petroleum and oil field tanks, Frac tanks, water tanks, chemical tanks, agricultural and ethanol tanks, propane tanks, anhydrous tanks, and wine tanks just to name a few. There are even more industrial applications that are not listed here.
We spend a good deal of time talking about building science. And for good reason. At KC Spray Foam we understand the significant role our Kansas City insulation plays in the function of your home or building. The standalone product itself is important, but equally or more important is how it works with the other systems to optimize performance.
If you’re a home or building owner evaluating your current systems, or making decisions about systems as you build, you might have some experience with duct leakage testing. A duct leakage tester is a diagnostic tool used to measure the airtightness of forced air heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) ductwork. This is useful knowledge when trying to increase energy conservation.
Contractor Licensing: It’s a Great Idea
Recently, we here at KC Spray Foam & Coatings asked our supplier Demilec USA to teach a Continuing Education Unit class. This took place at the Fall Johnson County Licensing Program at the Overland Park Center.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families, we would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to you, our friends, followers and customers. As we approach our one-year anniversary in Kansas City this spring, we are thankful for the presence we have grown in the area and look forward to celebrating even more success with you!
Located in south Olathe, we have been welcomed into our community and invited to participate in many industry events. We have enjoyed these opportunities to get to know others and grow our KC Spray Foam business. We would also like to thank our colleagues at our sister company, Iowa Spray Foam Insulators, LLC. Part of our success is attributed to the experience and resources we share.
This year marks the one year anniversary of KC Spray Foam - and what a year it's been! Over the past year, we have established a presence in the Kansas City market, and a lot of our success can be attributed to Daryn Britton, who handles sales for this location.
Daryn has been with the company since our first month of business. Daryn holds a Business Management degree from Kansas State University, and previously worked in sales/sales management roles throughout the construction industry. His construction background, in particular, has served him well in his role at KC Spray Foam.
Attic Fans: The Downside of Sucking Hot Air
In theory, attic fans are installed to reduce cooling costs and to lower attic temperatures. However, in practice they lower attic temperatures but cause a plethora of other problems. But what exactly are attic fans? Attic fans are installed in the attic and used to expel hot air (you can learn morehere). Attic fans can be installed in the roof deck, gable ends, or in the ceiling deck of the building. For this particular blog we are going to emphasize two different applications: attic fans and whole house fans. Attic fans differ from whole house fans because they are installed in the roof deck or gable ends, while whole house fans are installed in the ceiling deck.
We’ve learned a lot in the last decade about building new structures to new levels of efficiency. However, windows have not kept up to the level that many other building materials have when it comes to thermal resistance (aka R Factor). Most available windows on the market today are coming in with a U-Factor of around .3. So, we know that we can convert U-Factor to R Factor easily (done so here).
What really matters is that most windows on the market equate to around an R-3 in insulating value. Why is this important? Because the 2012 IECC Energy Code is requiring in Zone 4 that walls must have an R-20 or R-13+5 to meet code. So in this R-20 wall we are going to cut a big hole into this wall and install a window that is only going to perform to an R-3 level. Makes a lot of sense doesn’t it?
When you’re building a home there are many, many decisions to make. The impact of some choices is obvious. You love the look of Carrera Marble; chances are you will be pleased with the kitchen design you chose that incorporates it. Other choices, like insulation, aren’t so obvious. At decision-making time it’s tempting to go for the less expensive option when it comes to items like these that you don’t “see.” Unfortunately, this can cost you in the long-run.
The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) provides a number rating that makes it easy for consumers to see how same-size homes compare in energy use. The lower the number, the less energy used. According to GreenBuilder, “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that a typical resale home scores 130 on the HERS Index, while a typical new home might rate 100.” Knowing that heating and cooling expenses make up a significant portion of homeownership costs, the lower the number, the better.
Not all roof coatings are the same. In fact, there are many different features and drawbacks for most (if not all) types of coatings. So I thought I would highlight some of the differences in these coatings to clear the air for the average consumer. Let’s begin with the different types:
Acrylics:
Spray on insulation Kansas City may seem like a simple task - it simply involves spraying foam onto the surface in your home that is in need of insulation. But it is really much more complicated than it first appears. Properly installing spray foam is a subtle and complex process that is best left to the professionals. It requires both professional experience and equipment. If not done correctly, spray on insulation could lead to more trouble than profit. Because it is such a tough, efficient substance, spray foam is quite a hassle when it is not applied properly. KC Spray Foam has the experience necessary to make sure your home is adequately insulated.
Some spray foam kits Kansas City suggest that spray on insulation can be done by anyone. The truth is, installing spray foam insulation is an intensive procedure. Because the spray foam is very sticky, you need to wear full body protection; coveralls with a hood, a facemask, gloves and eye protection. It also takes lots of practice to apply the spray foam evenly. The job also must be done without interruption, since any pause longer than 30 seconds will most likely clog the nozzle and require a new one to be put on when using do-it-yourself kits.
