Allentown, PA – January 5, 2010 –

“With proper insulation, homeowners can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, which will be critical as utility rates are expected to increase dramatically in 2010 across the country.  Green Seal can help homeowners save money, while also keeping the impact to the environment at a minimum,” said David A. Johnson, president for fiberAmerica.  “The fact that our initial group of customers is already placing repeat orders is validation that Green Seal is meeting the market needs for a high-quality, environmentally-friendly insulation product.”

Tested and certified by R&D Services as well as in fiberAmerica’s on-site laboratory, the Green Seal product line uses high quality recycled paper and environmentally-friendly fire-retardant materials in its manufacturing process.  Green Seal’s excellent insulating properties help reduce energy consumption and provide superior acoustical insulation assets compared to fiberglass insulation.  Additionally, cellulose insulation is safe and non-toxic to installers and building inhabitants – promoting a healthier environment.

“Green Seal is absolutely fantastic,” said Angelo Aiello, president of A. A. Insulation.  “We’ve been installing cellulose insulation for 31 years and Green Seal is superior to any other product we have used.  It is a high quality product that offers excellent consistency, has a minimal dust factor and works well through our insulation machine.  It even stacks well in our warehouses, saving us storage space.  fiberAmerica has delivered our orders on time and their staff has been extremely knowledgeable and responsive to our needs.”

fiberAmerica will be announcing additional products in the near future, all manufactured in its new technically-advanced production facility conveniently located for installers throughout the eastern United States.

About fiberAmerica

fiberAmerica is an innovative manufacturer of consistent, high quality and environmentally-friendly cellulose fiber insulation products.  Based in Allentown, Pa., the company is conveniently located to serve contractors, distributors, architects, engineers and government agencies in the northeastern United States and international markets.  Manufactured in the most technically-advanced production facility in the industry and using high quality recycled paper, fiberAmerica’s “Green Seal” product line provides superior acoustical insulation properties, reduces energy consumption and promotes a healthier environment.

For more information on fiberAmerica, visit www.fiberamerica.us.

I’ve written quite a few articles over the years about the importance of properly air sealing a home to save energy and money. Even the best quality insulation won’t work very well if your home has air leaks that allow outside air into your home. I found a very useful site that offers some great information on air sealing and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Seal Your Home

The folks from DAP Products have sponsored a great site called Seal Your Home. The site has lots of great information on common household sources of air leaks and how to best seal them up. The “Test Your House” feature allows you to enter information about the size of your home and last years energy usage to compare your home to national averages. Comparing your home to the average can give you a good baseline for determining if air sealing might be beneficial to your home.

The site also provides some great information on some of the current tax credits associated with energy savings. Now is a great time to take advantage of some great tax credits for energy conservation upgrades to your home. The Stimulus Bill Tax Credits include credits for windows, insulation and certain heating and air conditioning equipment.

Check out Seal Your Home and you may find that there are some easy DIY projects that can help you save energy and money! You may also want to check out a recent article about Lowes Coupon that can save you money on your next project as well.

You may want to check out an online coupon offer that may help you save money as well. Check out the Lowes Coupon offer.

If you’re interested in checking out some basement renovations that include spray foam insulation then I recommend you head over to Home Construction Improvement and read:

• Spray Foam Insulation For Basements
• Foam Insulation – Closed Cell vs Open Cell
• Foam Board Insulation

The article includes links to two blogs where the home owners recently had spray foam insulation installed in their basements. Another link points to a home owner that recently evaluated several different basement insulation options and chose spray foam. The forth reference is to a site where the home owner broke out all the bids for fiberglass and spray foam to come up with a good comparison of costs. If you’re thinking about insulating your basement then check out that article.

I’ve written several articles on the benefits of cellulose insulation especially in attics. However, did you know that you can actually install cellulose insulation yourself i nthe attic? You heard me correctly, cellulose insulation in the attic can be a DIY project.

Installing cellulose insulation is really quite easy if you have the correct equipment. Cellulose insulation is installed using a large blower machine and a long hose (see photo). Commercial installers use a large truck with a built-in blower but there are smaller versions available for rent that fit in the back of a pickup truck. Most rental centers offer insulation blower rentals which typically cost about $50 per day.

If you decide to DIY then most all lumber yards and box stores carry bags of cellulose insulation to be blown in. Lowe’s sells Regal loose fill cellulose for about $10 and that does 16 cubic feet which gives you 32 sq. feet at 6 inches deep. That is just over $0.30 per sq. foot which is relatively cheap. Better yet, often times you can find a Lowes Coupon for additional savings.

Foam Board Insulation

Foam board insulation products are quite popular with some aspects of today’s green construction. If you’re looking for some information on these products then check out: Foam Board Insulation Types and R Values.

You may not think foam board insulation is green. However, recent studies from insulation manufacturers suggest that polystyrene insulation is manufactured with as much as 24% less energy compared to fiberglass insulation.

Some manufacturers are even offering recycled foam board products. The nice thing about recycled foam board is any off gassing is most likely completely finished and you’re recycling a product that is already quite green.

Foam board insulation makes a great basement insulation. Foam board makes a more cost effective basement insulation option if you can’t afford spray foam! You can also read another basement insulation article that we have showing another foam board basement remodel.

DIY and Save Money

The biggest benefit with foam board insulation is the ability of DIY’ers to effectively install it themselves. Foam board is very easy to work with and it doesn’t cause irritation like fiberglass insulation. Common tools like a utility knife can be used to cut and fabricate parts. Spray foam in a can can be used to adhere  foam board insulation to most surfaces including concrete.

Another way to save money is by using coupons. In fact, we know a place where you can sign up for a great Lowes Coupon to help you save on your next project.

To be effective, air sealing must be taken seriously and done thoroughly. Energy Star has some great guidelines on air sealing. The US Department of Energy also has guidelines for air sealing new and existing construction. You can also find advanced air sealing details and diagrams from Oikos. You can buy a Foam Gun from Amazon that will attach to pre-mixed foam cans.

The easiest way to approach air sealing is by trying to visualize every spot in the building envelope that can leak and allow air to penetrate your home. If you stop and think about it that way you may be surprised how many penetrations exist in the building envelope. The following is a list of building envelope locations that should be sealed (this is based on new construction).

Air Sealing Locations

• Wall plates – use caulking to seal along the junction between floors and wall plates, the junction between the two top plates.
• Wall framing – gaps between two adjacent wall studs (jack stud and main stud).
• Electrical penetrations – foam around all holes made in framing for wiring, foam around junction boxes, foam behind junction boxes for better R value, seal around light fixture housings, seal around fan fixture housings, and seal around junction boxes after drywall is installed.
• Plumbing penetrations – seal around all holes in the framing for pipes.
• Attic hatches – make sure you seal around attic hatches.
• Windows – seal around window framing with a low expansion foam.
• Doors – seal around door framing with low expansion foam.
• Fireplaces and chimneys – seal around fireplaces and chimneys, make sure you use high heat caulking that’s rated for this application.
• Rim joists – seal around rim joists and plates at the foundation level.

Taking the time to properly air seal your home can result an energy savings as much as 20%. Todays construction industry uses the phrase “build it tight, ventilate right”. I strongly believe i this approach and hope you’ll consider air sealing as part of your next green construction project.

Is your basement Insulated?

Another area that not only needs air sealing but also insulation is your basement. Basement Insulation is extremely important if you want to save energy and keep your home warm.