The Speediest Way to Cut Your Summer Energy Bills
Now that the hot weather has arrived, take time to seal up all the air leaks that are compromising your comfortably cool interior. See how quick, easy, and safe it is to do the project yourself.
Photo: istockphoto.com
When you’re trying to maintain a comfortably cool indoor temperature in the summer, your energy bills tend to rise with the mercury. Indeed, a small seasonal spike is inevitable when you’re using a system that runs only when it’s hot out. But you may unintentionally be driving up your energy costs. Uninsulated areas, such as bonus rooms, basements, and crawl spaces, allow the transfer of thermal heat and steamy air that undermine your air-conditioning efforts. As well, leaks and gaps can let in hot, humid air that forces your HVAC unit to work harder than necessary.
Eliminating drafts and adding insulation can help you keep your cool—and keep those costs down. Fortunately, this is something you can do without any professional help at all!
The Foam It Green Fast-Dry, Closed-Cell Kit puts the power in homeowners’ hands, making it easier to add insulation for results you can really feel—and see for yourself in your next utility bill.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Best Practices for Your Comfort and Your Wallet
For you to feel comfortable indoors in the summer, your air conditioner needs to both cool the air and reduce the humidity level. If the temperature drops but the humidity level remains high, you’ll still feel sticky and uncomfortable—and you’ll try to compensate by lowering the temperature even more. For example, at indoor humidity levels of 30 to 40 percent, most people will feel comfortable when the temperature is between 73 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. But if the humidity level creeps up to 50 percent or more, you might be inclined to turn the thermostat down an additional 4 to 6 degrees in search of comfort, and this will force your air conditioner to work harder.
Air leaks are at least partly responsible for the outdoor humidity that seeps into your home and disrupts your comfort. So, to reduce cooling costs and prolong the life of your AC unit, the first order of business should be sealing up the leaks.
Ordinary fiberglass insulation batts offer thermal protection, but they won’t seal leaks, because it’s impossible to fill all those tiny nooks and gaps without compressing the batts, which renders the insulation ineffective. Foam It Green, however, sprays on easily and immediately expands to fill all voids and cracks and create an airtight seal. By blocking off the drafts, you’ll lower the humidity level in your home, and your AC unit won’t need to work so hard.
But that’s not the only way that Foam It Green beats standard fiberglass batting. Foam It Green also boasts a higher thermal resistance value (R-value) and provides a greater insulating effect overall. Standard three-inch fiberglass batt insulation offers an R-value of 13. Foam It Green, on the other hand, provides an R-value of 7 for a one-inch-thick layer of applied foam, so a three-inch-thick foam layer would offer an R-value of 21—much higher than fiberglass insulation can achieve.
Photo: sprayfoamkit.com
Do It Yourself—and On Your Own Schedule
Have you ever put off insulating a spot in your house because you didn’t want to deal with fiberglass batt insulation? The possibility of fiberglass insulation irritating the skin or embedding its scratchy fibers in carpeting and clothing is enough to deter some homeowners from tackling the project. Foam It Green offers a simple, point-and-shoot solution that’s easier and more effective.
If you’ve ever used a paint sprayer, you can apply Foam It Green. The kit comes with everything you need to insulate up to 600 square feet at a one-inch depth: two chemical tanks (one yellow and the other blue), one 15-foot hose, a spray gun, and a variety of spray tips. The tanks of liquid both attach to a single spray gun, and the color of the output assures that you’re on the right track. When combined correctly, the blue and yellow merge to create a green liquid that expands on contact—almost like magic—to securely fill cracks and provide a dense layer of insulation.
See how easily Foam It Green goes on in this time-lapse video of the application process.
By handling the application yourself, you get complete control over the project. For starters, you know exactly what materials you’re installing. In this case, Foam It Green rises above the competition because it contains zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs). You also know that it’s safe to use and live with mere hours after it cures—there’s no need to evacuate your house for up to 72 hours to avoid off-gassing chemicals and particulates. Heck, you don’t even need to wait for an opening in a contractor’s schedule to get started!
Within two minutes of application, the expanded foam is dry to the touch. And once the foam has been applied, it’s there to stay. The water- and mold-resistant material will neither sag nor settle, and you’ll never have to replace it. You can leave it as is if you’re insulating an area that won’t be lived in, such as a crawl space, or you can install wallboard over it for a finished look. Either way, you’ll have a fully insulated, draft-free space.
This content is paid advertising created in partnership with Guardian Energy Technologies. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.
