Building a new home or an addition to an existing home? It only makes sense to make the new living space as energy efficient as possible from the very beginning. Having high quality insulation installed by professional insulators is the way to do it!
At Pure Eco, we have upgraded the energy efficiency and eco-friendliness of numerous newly built homes in the Los Angeles Area over the years, and left 100% satisfied homeowners – and we stand ready to do the same for you.
Contact Pure Eco today by calling 877-870-7998 for a free consultation on your new home insulation job and a free, accurate, no obligation quote.
Preparing for The Insulation
Before actually putting the insulation in, you first need to prepare the house for it. That means making sure there are not air leaks that could compromise the R-value of the insulation product. It is hard to overstate the importance of air sealing since major and/or numerous air leakage points can reduce the effectiveness of even the best insulation by as much as 50%.
New construction generally is built tight enough that you may not find many if any significant air leaks, that’s true. But at the same time, it’s important to check to make sure. Overlooking existing leaks means letting conditioned air leak out of your home, which costs you money month after month.
In older homes, there may be other preparations to be made, like cleaning out the attic or crawl space or removing old, moldy, ineffective insulation. With new homes, we can usually just go right to the air sealing and the insulation installation process.
Choosing Insulation Products
Pure Eco has deep, longstanding familiarity with today’s insulation materials market. We can explain to you which products have a higher R-value and what R-value you need based on your building, your goals, and the climate zone you live in. We can also guide you as to finding a more eco-friendly option and as to keeping yourself in-budget.
Also realize that different insulations have different strengths. For example, some offer better resistance to mold/mildew, against fire risk, against insect infestation, or function as superior sound buffers. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each insulation options before making a final decision.
Fiberglass Insulation
Far and away, fiberglass is the most popular choice for insulation in new construction (and in old for that matter.) It has a more than adequate insulating ability for most purposes and is the most affordable material on the market today.
There are certain applications where an insulation with even higher R-value than fiberglass might be desirable; but usually you can just double up on the thickness of the material if you want to stick with fiberglass but get extra mph out of it. Or, you could buy high-density fiberglass to increase insulating power in tight spaces where you really can’t just pile it higher.
What is fiberglass made of? Well, of blown glass with plastic fibers mixed in. The main material is fluffed and highly effective at insulating, while the fibers give the material added strength. The material is full of very small air pockets that slow the movement of air through it, as well as the movement of heat and sound waves. This results, when you form a solid, complete building envelope of insulation, in indoor spaces that are protected from outside air and temperatures all year round.
You can get fiberglass insulation in both batts and loose fill form, but more on how to decide between batts and blown in insulation below! Some fear fiberglass may cause cancer, but no evidence has shown this to be the case. Nonetheless, because it can irritate the skin or lungs if breathed in, it should be covered with some form of backing (paper or foil moisture barrier on batts or plastic sheeting with loose fill.) And those installing it must wear protective gloves, clothing, and a face mask.
Cellulose Insulation
Most people who dislike fiberglass opt for cellulose instead. Cellulose insulation is made of old newspaper and other waste paper material. The paper is ground up into small bits and chunks and then all the way down to mere paper fibers. At that point, special additives are mixed in that make the end product resistant to fire, moisture, mold, and insects.
With new homes, it’s easy to put blown in cellulose into the walls and ceilings (it is usually but not always in loose fill form); whereas, you have to drill holes (and later repair them) to blow it into walls and ceilings of old homes. Thus, you want to time your insulation installation wisely with cellulose and any loose fill – before the drywall and/or siding is installed. On the other hand, you can lay it down on the attic floor anytime without any extra trouble.
As cellulose it tighter-packing than fiberglass and has a slightly better R value, it may be preferred for irregular, hard to reach cavities and spaces. It also works by trapping air pockets, just like fiberglass, but because the air pockets are a bit smaller, it insulates a little better. It also costs a little more, however, so it’s a trade off.
Denim Insulation
Another very environmentally friendly option, though not as commonly chosen, is denim. Denim costs quite a bit more but it is very Earth friendly as it’s made of cotton from recycled blue jeans. Some plastic fibers are added for extra stiffness, just as with fiberglass, and these fibers are treated with chemicals to make the insulation fire, bug, and rodent resistant.
Note that different denim insulation manufacturers source their jeans and other materials differently, so you can ask Pure Eco about the specifics of how each company operates if you want more information on a particular brands of denim insulation products.
Denim is a very durable product, and it adds a little to the R value over most other options. It works well at insulating against sound as well and is very moisture and fire resistant.
Roxul Soundproof Insulation
If you are looking to soundproof one or more rooms in your new home, maybe for a baby room or a media room, ROXUL® soundproof insulation is the top choice on the market. We at Pure Eco have been installing it for many years and have had nothing but rave reviews on its effectiveness from our past clients.
The R value of Roxul is off the charts, and it is resistant to basically everything: fire, mold and mildew, moisture, insects, corrosion, rodents, and more. It also is super durable, not deteriorating or bending or bowing even after decades.
Roxul Safe and Sound insulation absorbs or reflects sound waves extremely effectively. You will be amazed at the difference of what you hear (or don’t hear) inside versus outside a Roxul-insulated room!
Roxul makes its products from volcanic rock and recycled metal slag. This means it is natural in one of its main ingredients and reduces manufacturing waste in regard to the other. Thus, it is considered one of the most eco-friendly insulation choices as well.
Batts or Blown In Insulation?
Not only do you have to decide on which material to use to insulate your new home or new addition, you also need to decide on whether you want batts or blown in insulation. In reality, you may want batts in some places but loose fill in others.
The installation process differs greatly between batts and blown, and one may be preferred over the other in specific situations.
Batts Insulation
With batts, you get long rolls of insulation backed with a vapor barrier made of paper or aluminum foil. You simply cut the pieces to length, while the width is set at the standard distance between studs. In old construction, you often have irregularly spaced studs that batts might not work well with, but new construction typically does not have that issue.
To install the batt, you just open up the flanges on each end where you staple through the paper into the stud, while the insulation itself snugly reaches from stud to stud, below the paper backing. Continuing in this way, walls, attic ceilings, and anywhere with regular studs and stud spacing can be insulated affordably and relatively quickly (after air sealing of course.)
Batts is the most popular form of insulation in most situations. You can buy batts insulation with differing R values based on material density to avoid doubling up. If you do double up batts, such as on an attic floor, you need to remove the vapor barrier on the first piece so that there is only one vapor barrier on top (on the second piece) – otherwise, you could risk moisture build up on the insulation.
When it comes to non-standard spaced studs/joists, you should avoid batts since it wouldn’t get full R value due to the gaps that would result. Squishing small pieces of batts into tiny, odd shaped spaces also compromises R value – so you have to cut those tiny irregular pieces to size, in which case, you can indeed cover them with batts.
Batts are usually put inside walls with new construction, but since no one wants to rip open all their walls, to install it in old work, blown is usually snuck into the walls through strategically drilled holes with older homes.
Blown In Insulation
Blown in, or loose fill, style insulation is your second major option for installation method. Blown can replace batts, but since its strengths lie where batts’ weaknesses are, it may actually complement batts instead.
At Pure Eco, we can come to your newly built home or addition in our fully outfitted insulation trucks, complete with powerful insulation blowers on board. We then connect long plastic tubes from the blower to the area in your home to be insulated and start blowing in the loose fill insulation material of your choice.
We are skilled to cover every tiny recess where insulation is needed, leaving no gaps or open spots that could break your insulation envelope. And we are keen to fill sufficiently compactly and evenly across, say, the attic floor, to ensure maximum insulating power for your dollar.
As mentioned above, blown insulation does not need to be placed between standardly spaced studs/rafters, which is one of its major strengths. Thus, it can help out where batts would be less than ideal. Attic floors are often done in loose fill while attic ceilings tend to have batts – and some prefer loose fill in their walls, ceilings, and floors. Crawl spaces normally have batts but with an extra plastic sheeting protecting the material against rodents, insects, and other pests.
Why Choose Pure Eco?
At Pure Eco, we have many satisfied past clients in the L.A. Area and throughout Southern California. Our name has been synonymous with quality, durability, and Earth friendliness in the insulation and home energy efficiency industry.
We are experts at insulating both new construction and old, and we can schedule our insulation services to fit into your construction schedule. We understand you need to get the insulation in so you can continue to put up the drywall and siding and finish your new home or addition.
Pure Eco has the experience to help you make an informed decision on which type of insulation to use in your new home and whether/where to use batts versus loose fill. We also have connections that can help us get discounts on materials that we pass on to you. Our price points are highly competitive, and we put true workmanship into everything we do. Our promise to you is insulation installed in full accord with the manufacturer’s recommendations and for maximum energy efficiency, done in a reasonable amount of time and on schedule.
Contacting an Insulation Installer for Newly Built Homes Near Me
Pure Eco is your local Los Angeles Area insulation and home energy efficiency expert! We can help you make an informed decision on which type of insulation to use on your newly built home, and we can install if for you in a way that gets the maximum R-value out of it for many years to come.
Contact our Los Angeles Insulation Contractor today by calling 877-870-7998 for a free consultation and quote, and to get started on insulating your new home!
For more information, see: What is All The Rage About Denim Insulation?
