professional insulation

The effectiveness of an insulation depends strongly on the quality of its installation. Many installations have poor quality, even those carried out by insulation professionals.

DIY vs. Professional Insulation

There are insulation works that can be performed by average DIY's: many of the insulation tasks related to floor insulation, or to pipe insulation, or adding insulation to open attics, for instance.

But there are also many other insulation tasks that require specific know-how and equipment and, consequently, a professional insulation: exterior wall insulation (including cavity wall insulation), for instance.

Insulation levels

To keep prices competitive, builders and professional insulation contractors tend to install sub-optimal levels of insulation.

Builders like to just install legal minimums, namely in walls, floors and foundations, where the insulation costs are higher. Be aware. Legal minimums are not sufficient, in many cases

Choosing a professional Insulation contractor

Choose a certified insulation contractor, whenever possible. That's a good starting point to ensure a professional insulation. See: Insulation Best: Finding Manufacturers, Associations and Contractors

Inform yourself

Choosing a professional contractor isn't all. Unprincipled insulation contractors are a problem, even among professionals.

There are many details - obviously dependent on the type of insulation - that should be conveniently addressed and controlled. Being informed, you are in a better position to deal with contractors and to assess their work.

See: Insulation Best

Checking

When dealing with insulation contractors, demand quality, ask questions, even if they aren't certified professional insulation contractors... Do not forget to...

- check and ask for references (insulation works, homeowners, certifications).
- ask cost estimations and compare them with those of other contractors.
- ask about insurance (involving the contractor, his staff and potential damages...)
- check the materials and their brands (be aware with insulation products packed in unlabelled bags).
- check the materials, which should be evaluated by their R-values.
- fact-sheets involving the installed insulation; law requires it in USA and other countries.
- check the final work (or demand to someone with enough expertise to do it).

Controlling insulation quality

If possible, control the work of the insulation contractors. Some types of insulation are prone to problems that may compromise its effectiveness. That’s the case of wall cavity insulation in existing homes, when using common loose-fill insulation, namely cellulose. And it is in such cases that taking into account the work of the contractors is especially important.

Official insulation rules

The USA Federal Trade Commission Home Insulation Rule 460 is particularly important. It states that consumers should receive fact-sheets involving the installed insulation, and a contract or a receipt (duly signed and dated by the installer/home builder) stating the area, thickness, R-value and details about the insulation (type, the number of bags of fiber used, etc.)

In the case of new homes, the sales contract should list the type, R-value and thickness (see: Insulation values) for the several types of insulation installed, and the rooms where it has been installed.

Demand these elements, even if the insulation work has been carried out by unsuspected professional insulation contractors.