Josh Lowe’s Dr. Energy Saver FAQ
Western Oregon is in Zone 4, and new construction code here for the floor is a minimum of R-30. For attic insulation, it is R-38 minimum. However, we do recommend insulating your attic to R-60. Walls have a minimum R-value of R-21.
Mold in the crawl space or attic of your home can develop in a variety of ways. The usual ways are from high humidity in the space, or from water leaking in. This will create perfect breeding grounds for mold.
This hazardous allergen can create ailments so removing mold from your home is critical for the health of your family.
Our Energy Consultant will investigate your home to determine what is happening to cause the mold growth. The first step is to swiftly treat the mold growth and to stop it from growing further. Our company uses Mold-X and Mold-X2, and our energy consultant will work with you to determine which product will be the best choice for your situation.
Mold spore allergies can damage your health. A large presence of mold and mildew in your crawl space or attic can significantly worsen over time. First, our expert team applies Mold-X or Mold-X2 to neutralize the mold and keep it from spreading. They then also address the issue of the moist air, whether with a dehumidifier under the house, or venting the bathroom fan to the outside. If your home currently has mold or is at risk of developing it, we can help make your house dry, clean, and safe. Call us to set up your free evaluation.
Most houses we inspect have leaky attics! Air (that you pay to heat or cool) flows from inside your home up into the attic through leaks in the structure and around the can lights. Blowing in cellulose insulation will help you save on your utility bills, and you will be more comfortable in your own home, yet you also need to seal the leaky areas first. We always recommend sealing BEFORE having us blow in the insulation so you can save the most money.
Windows from our team are made-to-order by Simonton Windows to fit your home. Since each home is unique, and there are different styles to choose from, do contact us to set up a free, no-obligation appointment so we can take measurements and give you a firm proposal on the cost.
We advise our clients to NOT use fiberglass! It is just a big air filter (it just slows down air, rather than stopping it) and rodents love to live in it.
You can re-insulate with fiberglass, but you will have to do it over again and again, and it just never performs as well as all the other options you have. We are amazed that new construction houses still choose to use it.
Contact us for a free evaluation to discover what insulation material other than fiberglass will work best for your home and your situation.
The closed-cell spray foam we chose to use (rather than open-cell) to help make our client’s home more comfortable and energy efficient is a 2-part foam. As it is sprayed, the two liquid materials, a resin and a catalyst, combine and expand. They fill cracks and crevices so it gets rid of un-insulated voids and helps stop air movement. You want to keep your conditioned air that you paid to condition inside your home!
Each home is unique, and since we offer a variety of insulation types (e.g., blown-in cellulose, closed-cell spray foam, foam board, fiberglass batting), it is best to have an evaluation to determine what will perform best for your home. Blown-in cellulose and spray foam perform the best. Contact us for a free evaluation to determine why your home is not keeping you comfortable year-round and what the best solution will be!
Blown-in cellulose and closed-cell spray foam are both great solutions that do a MUCH better job than fiberglass that most folks see in their attics. Cellulose and spray foam block the flow of air, while fiberglass just slows it down and really just acts like an air filter. When choosing cellulose, the air leak spots also need to be sealed. Our trained energy consultant will do a thorough evaluation of your attic and show you photos of what is found. Call us or use our online form to set up your free evaluation.
You need to determine the reason why mold is growing in your crawl/basement or attic, otherwise it will come back. Mold needs moisture from the air to survive. When humidity levels drop below 60%, mold is not able to thrive. A wet crawl space, or a bathroom vent that dumps into the attic, are the most common issues we see. First, our expert team applies Mold-X or Mold-X2 to neutralize the mold and keep it from spreading. They then also address the issue of the moist air, whether with a dehumidifier under the house, or venting the bathroom fan to the outside. If your home currently has mold or is at risk of developing it, we can help make your house dry, clean, and safe. Call us to set up your free evaluation.
Our company uses “closed-cell” spray foam, which has an R-value of R-6.8 per inch.
A client usually has us spray between 2 inches and 4 inches. It seals everything, eliminating all air gaps and stopping air flow, and has a non-conductive property so heat cannot transfer through it like that of fiberglass.
All these properties make it perform far better than any other insulating materials.
Severe damage from mold can affect your home and personal property. Mold won’t fix itself. If your home currently has mold or is at risk of developing it, we can help make your house dry, clean, and safe. Let our expert team neutralize the mold with Mold-X or Mold-X2 and then deal with whatever issue is causing the mold to grow in the first place. Call Josh Lowe’s Dr. Energy Saver to set up your free evaluation.
Blown-in cellulose insulation and spray foam insulation are the options that out-perform fiberglass. In an attic, fiberglass just acts like an air filter as the air flows through it. You want a giant thick blanket in your attic to help keep your home more comfortable, and spray foam or cellulose will do this. Our Energy Consultant will evaluate your attic and help you determine the best route for your home.
It depends! Is it your attic, your crawl space or basement, your walls? Plus, what are you looking to accomplish?
The higher the R-value, the better the performance will be for the level of insulation to resist heat traveling through it.
In Western Oregon in zone 4, code for new construction says attics should be R-38. We recommend R-60 for a better insulating factor. Unless a wall cavity is really really deep, you would not be able to get that much blown-in cellulose into a wall. Hence why we say “it depends”!
Let us help you determine how much insulation and what type will be best for what you are looking to accomplish. Contact us for a free whole home evaluation.
Isn’t your window there so you can see outside and to let more light or fresh air inside? Our Simonton Daylight Max window is your solution, offering up to 40% more glass viewing area than any other manufacturer on the market. Contact Josh Lowe’s Dr. Energy Saver to set up a free, no-obligation appointment with one of our window specialists. You will also learn about other features of the Simonton line of windows, from Energy Star ratings, to transferable lifetime warranties to windows that tip in for easier cleaning. Ask about energy rebates on qualified windows.
Having been in business since 2006, we are your one-stop company for closed-cell spray foam insulation, plus your other options–cellulose, rigid foam board, and fiberglass. Our Energy Consultant will meet with you to discuss what you are looking to achieve, investigate your home or business from attic to crawl space/basement, and show you what was discovered. We then work with you to determine the best solution for your situation and what you want to accomplish.
Air you pay to heat, or cool, may be quickly leaking out of your house! You want that air to stay in your home, thereby heating or cooling all the items in your home and keeping YOU comfortable.
There are many places where air can leak out. Attic spaces are notorious for leakage, whether it’s where lights from rooms below are cut in to the attic floor, where the roof meets the house, or construction issues. Even if your home is new, it doesn’t mean it was built well.
Sealing leaks and properly insulating your attic can be an amazing solution to reduce your utility bills and make you more comfortable in your home. Contact us to set up your free whole home evaluation.
There usually will be a variety of reasons why your home is cold, thereby making YOU uncomfortable in your home! The best thing is to get a full evaluation of your home by one of our energy consultants.
We don’t just stick our head into the attic or crawl space and say, “Yep, you need more insulation.” Our energy consultants actually suit up with protective gear and crawl into the attic and/or crawl space to see what is actually going on.
Are there can lights cut into the attic and air is escaping from your living space through there? Are your soffits not insulated?
You may have some insulation in your attic and crawl space, but chances are it’s not doing much other than being an air filter (e.g., fiberglass). Instead of insulating over it, it is better to remove it. Then our insulation crew can cover can lights, seal air leaks, and then re-insulate. We offer blow-in cellulose and spray foam.
Each situation is unique, so since we offer different insulation materials. Contact us to set up your free evaluation to discover how to be comfortable again!
