Remodeling Services
Rebate Program • Decking & Underdecking
Insulation
There is no area of the home that is ignored more than the attic. Yet, there is also no place in the
home that could benefit more from energy improvements.In most homes, inadequate levels of insulation can account for as much as 40% of heat loss in winter or heat gain in summer. This is due to conduction, convection, and radiation. Because of outdated building codes, most homes built in Southwestern Virginia in the last 50 years do not have adequate levels of insulation. Actually, 80% of homes built before 1980 do not have enough insulation to pass even the minimum building code requirements for today's standards. Adding more insulation to your home will not only save you money on energy costs, make your home more comfortable, more healthy, and reduce your carbon footprint on the environment. BDC recommends that the attics in all homes in the Smith Mountain Lake area have a minimum insulation value of R-49, plus a layer of Radiant Barrier.
If you are spending $1,000 or more per year on heating and air conditioning, you will likely save enough money to pay for the added insulation in less than 7 years! This is if utility costs continue to rise as projected. This money you will be spending whether you upgrade your insulation or not. The difference is that at the end of 10 years, you will continue to save and can use the additional savings to perform more upgrades on your home. There are not many other home improvements you can make in that will allow you to reap greater benefits in such a short period of time, with such a small investment.
Since there are Federal and State tax credits available as well as Utility Company Rebates available, there's no better time to call than now.
Radiant Barrier Insulation
If radiant barrier insulation will protect astronauts from temperatures between 460° below zero and
250° above, it will certainly protect your home from summer heat and winter cold. Best of all, you
don't need a NASA budget for radiant barrier insulation. The energy savings alone will pay back your
investment in just a few years!
Some of the problems that arise when properly insulating your home come from common misconceptions about how heat and cold interact. Most of us have been conditioned to think adding more traditional insulation to the attic will make our home more comfortable. The reality is, this could make things worse.
Think about those summer days where it gets cooler at night, yet your house stays hot or your air conditioner still keeps running even though it shouldn't have to. Why does your house retain that heat? Because the conventional insulation that you've installed is absorbing it during the day and then radiating it throughout your home at night. That's why your upstairs is usually so much warmer than the downstairs.
During the winter, conventional insulating techniques lead to problems such as ice dams on roofs. Temperature fluctuations that cause ice dams is primarily coming from the inside as stored heat in your insulation, which radiates upwards to the roof. Proper insulation can actually extend the life of your roof.
Our LoE-10 radiant barrier insulation addresses the issues of heating and cooling your home effectively and efficiently.
BDC has been helping home owners save real money on energy bills. If it's time to insulate your home, give us a call and be sure to ask about any available rebate programs.
For more information on BDC custom home building or commercial construction services, please contact us at 540-537-6056. If you'd rather send us an email, you can use our online contact form to get in touch.
