It’s obvious that upgrading your insulation will result in home that’s warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. But the overall temperature is not the only important factor. There’s also a question of how the heat is distributed throughout the building.

Poor insulation usually makes itself known through drafts and cold spots. And the likely result is that residents feel differently in different areas of the house. You may be perfectly comfortable in the living room but find it’s too cold to work in your home office. Different bedrooms might be several degrees different from each other, leading to countless fights over the thermostat.

So if your house isn’t well-insulated, you should ask yourself: “Is my entire family getting the same enjoyment out of all areas of their home?”

As our earlier post mentioned, high-quality insulation can seriously reduce noise. This is an obvious benefit for homeowners if they live in high-traffic areas or near sources of noise pollution. It’s also a gift to the entire neighborhood if houses are close together, with lots of activity inside.

Of course, many homeowners want noise reduction for both these reasons. If you’re having a quiet night at home, good insulation will help to keep the world at bay. But if you’re having friends over to celebrate a holiday or special occasion, you can be confident that neighbors won’t complain when the music gets louder.

These examples are just meant to give you a starting point as you think about how a well-insulated home can improve your life, personally. Once you’ve done that, it shouldn’t be difficult to determine how much that improvement is worth to you. Then you only need to contact us for a free estimate, and decide whether the benefits outweigh the costs of upgrading your home with new sealing, wall insulation, or weatherization. 

There are three distinct ways in which windows detract from your insulation. First, heat can bleed directly through the glass via conduction. Second, windows can either raise the natural temperature by allowing solar energy into the house, or lower it by keeping it out. And third, weak seals between a window and wall can promote air flow, drawing out more heat and creating drafts.

Solid doors avoid the issue of solar energy, but of course they’re often associated with even more air flow. This is a particular problem if the door isn’t properly fitted with its jamb. Meanwhile, heat conduction doesn’t change much, although it is possible to swap out traditional wood doors for other materials like fiberglass, which have benefitted from technological advances.

All professionally-made windows are rated for their effects on the three areas of heat loss. The U-factor tells you how resistant the material itself is to conduction. Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) tells you how well the window transmits the sun’s energy. And air flow around a window frame is measured in cubic feet per minute per square foot (cfm/ft2).

Two of these three ratings are no-brainers when it comes to choosing the most energy-efficient option for your budget. A lower U-factor and a lower the cfm/ft2 rate mean better insulation. It’s only with the SHGC that your decision will be seriously affected by where you live and what type of household climate you prefer.

A high SHGC rating is what you want in order to warm your house faster in the winter. The window will let in more solar energy, giving your thermostat a modest boost. But a low SGHC rating will keep more of that energy out during the winter, allowing your air conditioning to cool the house down more quickly.

If you live in an area with harsh winters and mild summers, or vice versa, then the decision is made for you. Otherwise, you might have to make a tough decision about whether it’s easier to tolerate a little less heat on a cold day, or a little more on a hot day. Money might also factor into that decision, depending on how your heating costs compare to your cooling costs. 

On the other hand, with technology constantly improving, it’s possible to carefully design your household insulation in order to get the best of all worlds. Windows with variable tint can change their SHGC depending on how sunny it is, and energy efficient window attachments can compensate for times when the weather conditions aren’t ideal for your normal insulation.

When you call us for a free estimate, we can walk you through a range of different options. With a combination of window replacements, weather stripping, attachments, and everyday strategies, we can help you lower your energy consumption to levels you might never have thought possible.

Unless you’re a licensed professional, step away from the kitchen remodel! Just because you’re
an avid fan of HGTV does not mean you should take on a massive project like this all by
yourself. There are many things homeowners can do themselves, but depending on the scope
of the project and other factors like how old your home is, a professional contractor will need to
come in. Avoid major re-work in the future and leave it to the professionals.

All too many times we see homeowners set a budget and once installation time comes around,
they’re doubling or tripling their spending. Jot down what you need out of this remodel versus
what you want. Work inside your means and be comfortable with your number. It’s also a good
idea when setting a budget to take into consideration your home value and local real estate
prices. Experts suggest setting aside at least 10% of the total cost of your renovation just as a
precaution.

If you’re spending a pretty penny on your remodel, it makes no sense to keep outdated
appliances! Old appliances can make your shiny new kitchen look strange and older appliances
tend to use more energy so go for the upgrades!

Here at AAA, we can make all your kitchen model dreams become a reality! Call or contact us
today to learn how we can give you your dream kitchen!

Having a tune-up performed twice a year on your HVAC unit can ensure that it’s running at peak
performance. A preseason (around spring and fall) tune-up can catch any problems early on
before you’ll be running your system at a pretty steady pace (winter and summer).

Your HVAC system is said to use anywhere between 40-50% of the overall energy used in your
home. That’s a lot! Aside from saving money down the road avoiding emergency repairs,
performing a tune-up can improve the efficiency of your system, which can help lower the cost
of your energy bill.

An unkempt and ignored HVAC unit can be filled with dust, dirt and debris. With all this build up
clogging your system, your HVAC has to work overtime to perform properly, which in turn, is
using up a ton of energy. Keep your air and unit fresh and clean with a regularly scheduled
cleaning and tune-up.

When a licensed HVAC professional comes to your home to perform a tune-up on your system
you can expect him to:

Check the refrigerant level
Clean the evaporator and condenser coils
Clean the blower
Check all electrical connections
Clean the condensate fan
and so much more!

Call or contact us today to have a modern, high energy HVAC unit installed at your home and
watch as your energy bill drops!

It’s estimated that Americans who switch to solar powering their homes can save anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000 over a 20-year span. Wow! With electricity rates always on the rise, solar power can greatly reduce your electricity consumption and monthly bill. Also, most solar power systems come with rebates and warranties for even more ways to save. If you’re looking to reduce your monthly bills, look no further than a home solar system!

Powering your home with solar panels is viewed as a household upgrade; just as valuable as a renovated bathroom or room extension! On average, installing solar panels can increase your home value by a whopping 17% or around $15,000. Studies show that homes with solar panels sell 20% faster than one without, too.

Not only are you helping your wallet out, you’re helping out Mother Nature! Supercharge your home with clean, green energy. Solar power is renewable and plentiful, without the need to burn any harmful fuels. Each kilowatt of solar energy produced significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other nasty pollutants.

Most states in the US are solar resources, meaning they receive adequate amount of sunlight to make their home solar efficient. Even states like Alaska who don’t see as much sun can still reap the benefits of a home solar system.

Gone are the days of thinking solar panel installation is difficult! Nowadays, going solar has never been easier. With more and more companies offering installation, shopping for solar is a quick and painless process.

Looking to add a home solar system to your home? Contact us today and learn just how much you can save!

Air leaks, gaps and other openings throughout your home can end up costing you a fortune. A well-sealed home with proper insulation can greatly improve the comfort of your home and keep utility costs in check. With 50-70% of energy usage in a home going to heating and cooling, make sure you’re properly insulated!

Your carbon footprint will be greatly reduced when your home is properly insulated. Insulation allows for less energy to be used, producing fewer emissions. You’ll be saving money and the environment!

Homes that are under-insulated are estimated to lose between 20-30% of its energy. With all this energy being lost, your heating and cooling systems are working over-time, increasing your energy usage.

A great way to simply and easily improve the value of your home? Make sure it’s properly insulated! Updating your insulation can greatly increase the rate at which your home will be sold.

Can you hear your neighbor’s conversations? Or does a snoring housemate from the room downstairs always wake you up? If you said “yes” to either of these questions, think about investing in home insulation! We provide the highest quality materials that keep out unwanted noises to keep your home a peaceful and relaxing oasis. Good insulation not only keeps out the noise, it also eliminates allergens and toxins!

Thinking of improving or updating your home with insulation? Contact us for a free estimate! We provide air sealing, weatherization, wall insulation and so much more.

This may seem like an insignificant change but we promise in the grand scheme of things, it can
really add up! Traditional incandescent light bulbs use about 20-80% more energy than LED or
energy efficient bulbs. LED bulbs also generally last a lot longer than your traditional ones. By
replacing up to five of your most used light fixtures in your home with energy saving LED bulbs,
it’s estimated that you can save up to $75 a year! The little things can really add up.

You might not realize it, but your day to day behaviors inside your home can have a huge
impact on your energy usage! This can be as simple as turning lights off when you’re not in a
room or shutting the water off while you’re brushing your teeth. Small everyday changes like
these can result in huge energy (and money!) saving results.

You see them everywhere nowadays; smart thermostats are all the rage, and for good reason!
Switching out your old thermostat with one that can be programmed can greatly reduce your
heating and cooling costs. This is because programmable thermostats can be set to
automatically turn on or off when you’re away from your home or asleep. Smart thermostats
even “learn” your favorite temperatures and when you’re typically away from your house to
further conserve energy usage. Homeowners, on average, have seen savings of up to $180 per
year by making this important switch!

Energy conservation is not only good for you, it’s also great for mother earth! Apply these simple
energy-saving measures to your home today and start saving!

One of the simplest things you can do is make sure your heating and cooling units in your home
are energy efficient. A recent survey performed found that 48% of a home’s energy use comes
from the heating and cooling system. That’s almost half! By keeping your HVAC system
properly updated and maintained, you can save money and reduce energy. It is also important
to make sure your HVAC professional installs your system properly. Improper installation can
actually make things worse, lessening the efficiency of your system by up to 30%! These tips
along with proper continuous insulation, air sealing in key locations and tweaking your
thermostat settings can help you save upwards of 30% on your energy bill while also vastly
reducing environmental emissions!

This one’s easy and can be tackled room by room! Start in your kitchen and select appliances
that are Energy Star approved. These appliances greatly reduce energy use without sacrificing
on performance. Move on to your laundry room, replacing old washers and dryers and then
finish of your energy efficient appliance upgrades with any random appliances throughout your
home like that old freezer in your basement!

Not just an awesome looking roof, a cool roof is reflective; delivering high solar reflectance and
high thermal emittance. In simpler terms, this type of roofing reflects the sun’s energy, reducing
rooftop temperatures while in turn keeping your home cooler! A cool roof is typically made up of
materials like tile, slate or clay; anything that is reflective or light in color.

We mentioned major renovations and this is one of them! Where a room is located in your home
can have a massive effect on your heating and cooling bills. For a great rule of thumb, homes
located in the Northern Hemisphere (like North America, Europe and Asia) should be oriented
north-south, which will lessen cooling demands in the summer months and maximize the
sunlight during the cold winter months which will lesson heating demands.