Insulation: What's The Difference Between Cellulose And Fiberglass?

Choosing between cellulose and fiberglass insulation remains a hotly debated topic among homeowners, considering that these two are very common and affordable insulation options. Both materials have advantages and limitations, so let's take a look at the main differences to determine which type works best for your home and why. CompositionCellulose is made from shredded recycled paper mixed with chemicals to bind the fibers together and reduce the flammability of the material. Fiberglass, on the other hand, is made from recycled glass and sand.Fire Resistance When exposed to high temperatures, fiberglass will melt but will not catch fire. Cellulose, while made of paper, is treated with fire retardants to prevent combustion. However, these chemicals could leach out over time and decrease the material's ability to resist fire.SettlingFiberglass rolls and batts do not have settling issues. The loose-fill type, however, will settle slightly over time, although the settling is negligible. Cellulose material, on the other hand, can settle by as much as 20 percent, thus affecting the final thickness of the material and requiring an additional layer.Low Temperature PerformanceFiberglass loses heat more quickly than cellulose and often registers a lower R-value in cold weather.MoistureWater is used for installing cellulose insulation, so vapor retarders are added. It has to be completely dry before the wall cavity is closed up. Otherwise, the material will absorb moisture and become susceptible to rotting. Fiberglass does not have this issue.InstallationMost DIY projects involve fiberglass because it is easy to cut and install. It does, however, require careful, meticulous attention to install properly, which takes time. With cellulose, however, the process is quicker provided you have an insulation blower and you are not likely to do a sloppy job.So which type of insulation is right for you? Let our technicians at Air Assurance  help you decide. We have been providing top quality products and services to our clients in Broken Arrow for nearly 30 years. We can work with you to identify the best solutions for your needs.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Insulation R-Value: Important for Helping You Keep Your Cool

Summer is coming, and if you live in northeastern Oklahoma, you'll probably greet warmer temperatures and sunnier skies with open arms. However, when the weather changes, utility bills often get higher. Unrelenting sunshine and hot weather overtax your air conditioner, while new blooms produce pollen that can invade the home and aggravate allergies. One of the most effective and long-lasting ways to lower the cost of cooling and reduce the strain on your HVAC system and appliances is to improve the amount and quality of insulation that protects your home from the outside world. 

How do you know if your home is insulated properly? All modern insulation is graded according to how well the materials can resist heat. An insulation R-value is its resistance value, and it indicates thermal resistance to the flow of heat. In the wintertime, that heat flow needs to stop at the perimeter of your home, in order to avoid wasting money on heat that escapes outside. During the summer months, heat resistance is crucial because it determines how much energy it takes to beat the heat trying to get inside.

The most energy-efficient insulation may be able to reduce bills by as much as 30 percent each month. However, when it comes to insulation R-value, one size doesn't fit all. Insulation calculators and  estimates will help you determine the appropriate R-value for your home's specific altitude, proximity to bodies of water and local climate. Insulation efficiency also depends on how and where it's installed; multiple layers can increase the resistance value, while tightly compressed insulation loses some of its strength.

Regular maintenance, such as thorough, seasonal duct sealing and regular air filter replacement, is also essential to maintain good air quality and prevent energy loss. For more information and advice about keeping your home comfortable and efficient all year, contact us at Air Assurance in Broken Arrow. We have more than three decades of experience in Broken Arrow and the greater Tulsa area, and we can help maximize the quality of your air and make sure you're not wasting money or energy.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Air Filters: What Do You Want Yours to Do?

Air Filters: What Do You Want Yours to Do?

Ever feel overwhelmed at the prospect of choosing an air filter for your HVAC system? Fortunately, the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) provides a small, yet important glimpse into the world of effective air filtration.

Rated from a scale of 1 to 16 for standard air filters and 17 to 20 for HEPA filters, MERV measures an air filter’s ability to efficiently capture airborne particles and other pollutants. With these ratings, you can choose the right filter for your HVAC application:

• 1 - 4 MERV: Provide affordable and disposable filtration for residential applications, capturing up to 80 percent of pollen, dust mites and other particles greater than 10 microns in size.

• 5 - 8 MERV: Ideal for both residential and industrial use, these filters capture over 90 percent of airborne particles ranging from 3 to 10 microns in size. These particles include mold spores, cement dust and pollutants from dusting aids and hair spray.

• 9-12 MERV: Offer superior residential filtration, capturing over 95 percent of airborne pollutants as small as 1 micron in size, including Legionella bacteria, vehicle emissions and dust from humidifiers.

• 13-16 MERV: Commonly used in “clean room” environments, including hospitals. These filters trap over 98 percent of pollutants, including all types of bacteria, most tobacco smoke and other particles ranging from 0.3 to 1 micron.

• 17-20 MERV: Reserved for HEPA filters in order to signify their superior filtration properties. These filters can capture over 99.997 percent of airborne particles less than 0.3 microns.

High-MERV filters often require higher performance fan motors or specialized ductwork to make up for airflow issues. Air filters rated at MERV 7 to 13 offer similar performance to HEPA filters without the need for stronger fans or reworked ducts. Be sure to check these filters monthly, as they get clogged more easily.Remember, not all air filters are measured the same, therefore, it's best to buy from reputable sources who understand how this affects the system performance, not just because it's made by a large company.

At Air Assurance, we make it our business to take care of your home comfort needs and we've done the testing on filtration so that we know what kind of filtration works best with your system.  We have even had our filters specially made to our specifications so that you know there the best.  Contact us to learn more about air filters and your filtration options in the Broken Arrow area.

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Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Fall Maintenance: It's Not Too Soon to Think About It for Your Tulsa Home

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The sun and the elements are always taking a toll on your home, regardless of the season. As the summer begins to wane, it is a good time to start handling the maintenance tasks that you need to get to before winter sets in.Here are a few things to do to get the house ready for winter:

• Caulk around pipes and other openings into the house. Cold air can easily infiltrate these small cracks and make heating the home harder.

• Apply weather-stripping around doors and windows. This will keep these large openings free from air leaks.

• As the weather gets cooler, replace screens with storm windows and doors.

• Inspect the roof for damage. Air and water can infiltrate which makes heating and cooling the house difficult.

• Check the insulation levels in the attic. Consult with an expert to find the recommended R-value -- the thermal resistance rating for insulation -- for your area. Experts will need to know what type of insulation you have, where it is located and how thick it is to determine if it offers sufficient protection against heat loss.

• Have the heating system checked by a professional. All systems need routine maintenance to work properly.

• Make sure your stove or fireplace is in good shape. Have your chimney cleaned and serviced also.

• Change the direction of ceiling fans to pull air up. You want to pull cool air up and send warm air down to heat the house.

Getting your home ready for winter by performing fall maintenance does not take a great deal of time. And the time you spend is worth it for lower energy costs and a comfortable house during the cold months of the year.You also need to call in the professionals to check your heating system as part of your fall maintenance. Remember, by doing so, there is currently a $30 Rebate from Oklahoma Natural Gas!! If you want to talk to an expert in home comfort, contact us here at Air Assurance. We are a family owned and operated company that has served the Tulsa metropolitan area since 1985.Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Assess Your Home Insulation and Make Improvements Before Fall

Assess Your Home Insulation and Make Improvements Before Fall

When a homeowner thinks about home insulation, he or she is often concerned with its ability to keep the heat outside during the summer and, to a lesser degree, the fall. The reality, however, is that insulation is always a concern, even during the winter months when it's imperative that you keep the heat inside. Checking during the fall to make sure you have the correct amount and type of insulation in your home will work wonders on your energy usage and, in turn, your utility bills. Where to Check Your InsulationInsulation is located in various places around your home, including your basement, attic, walls, etc. Insulation can even be located in your floor. Its primary objective is to create a barrier within the walls, floor, and ceiling that keeps heat or cold from leaking inside or outside. The problem is that many homes don't use the correct kind of insulation for their needs.Evaluating Your Insulation NeedsIn order to insulate your home properly, you're going to need to evaluate each room. The first thing you need to learn is R-value. This refers to the degree of resistance against heat flow of a certain type of insulation. Knowing the recommended R-value in our area is essential if you're hoping for maximum protection against heat loss. The other part of the equation is the type of insulation involved. There are a number of different types, such as flexible rolls, foam, rigid and reflective.How can you tell which type of insulation to use and its required R-value? You can typically find information online or even by visiting your local hardware store. However, much of that may be too generalized. What you should really do is hire a professional HVAC technician who has been efficiently trained and can perform an energy evaluation to determine how to maximize the insulation's efficiency.For more expert advice on home insulation or other home comfort issues, please contact the experts at Air Assurance. We've been serving the needs of the Greater Tulsa Metropolitan area since 1985.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Insulation Tips To Help You Choose The Right Type For Your Home Improvement Project

Tulsa Insulation Services

When you're adding a room or remodeling, insulation is a vital component to add to increase the comfort of the space indoors. The effectiveness of insulating materials is measured by its R-value, which is the term that describes how long the product resists temperature change in hours. If a material has an R-value of R-19, it means that it can resist a temperature change for 19 hours. Insulation is available in a number of different forms, including batt, loose, formed and liquid. Choosing the right kind depends on the project and where the material will be used.Batt Batts are easy to install and provide R-values based on the thickness of the material. Most often found as fiberglass or rock wool, the batts can be nailed or stapled between joists or studs. Thicker batts have higher R-values. The EPA recommends R-values of R-30 to R-60 in the attic and R-15 in the walls in this part of Oklahoma. Adding insulation to your basement ceiling or attic is an easy project with batts, since they unroll easily and the material is contained within protective outer covering.Blown-inWhen you need to add insulation to existing walls or new construction, blown-in provides good R-values and it can be easier to install than other kinds. Blown-in insulating materials are most often made from cellulose, 85 percent of which is recycled paper. The product is treated with borates as a fire retardant, which also protects against insect and rodent damage. Installers use a blower to add the material to attics and walls. The depth of the installation dictates R-value and thicker is always better.FoamWhen space is limited, whether for new construction or retrofitting, foam products provide the best values for resisting heat, with R-values that range from four to eight per inch. These are available as formed sheets or expanding urethane sprays. Insulating with expanding foam is more expensive than batt or blown-in.When you're planning to add to your home or do a home improvement project, contact Air Assurance. We can help you with planning the heating, ventilating and air conditioning, and yes, insulation,  for the space.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today!     Insulation Maintenance image via Shutterstock