Spray Foam Insulation Test for Homeowners Looking to Install Spray Foam

Top Questions to ask yourself if your ready to invest in Spray Foam Insulation in South Carolina and North Carolina:

• Is your home or office building already insulated with fiberglass insulation?Even Insulated with fiberglass insulation, is your home or office still warm in the summer or cold in winter?
• Do you have a extremely hot attic space in the summers?
• Do you pay more than $200/month on Energy Bills?
• Does it Seem Like your HVAC system is running constantly in extreme temperatures?
• Have you received tax credits for insulating your home yet?
• Does your home seem to produce a lot of dust & allergens?
• Do you have moisture problems where some of the insulation is installed in your home?
• Are you willing to pay a slightly higher installation and material cost (vs. fiberglass) for long term energy savings?

These are just a few questions you should ask yourself if you are considering spray foam insulation as a source of reducing energy cost in your home or office building. If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then you are probably a good candidate for spray foam insulation. Retro-Solutions Insulation Contractors of Myrtle Beach, SC offer a variety of different Spray Foam Insulation services, with both Open Cell and Closed Cell Spray Foam Insulation solutions. Our experienced team of Spray Foam Insulation experts, can guide you thru which type of SPF you need in your home, and which spray foam insulation product will benefit you more, but we will try to break down some of the differences for you now.

Retro-Solutions Construction Company Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 706-951-0158 http://www.scroofingcontractors.com Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |

Spray Foam Insulation Video

Spray Foam Insulation YouTube Video Post



If you've been keeping up with our Energy Saving Home Improvements blog, then you've already read about how spray foam insulation is installed, so now you can see how spray foam insulation is installed with our new YouTube video.  Retro-Solutions Construction Company installs Spray Foam Insulation all over the Coastal Carolina areas, and many of our potential customers would like to see how it works, and how it is installed.  Well in our new video posted on YouTube, customers can see how spray foam is installed, and how it is made in place.  Notice in the video how spray foam seals all gaps & cracks, providing the best insulation system on the market.  If you didn't believe that spray foam insulation is a far superior insulation system to fiberglass insulation from reading our blog, then now you can see why it is a superior way to insulate your home.  More videos and photos to come, and keep up with our blog for more Energy Saving Home Improvement ideas.

Here is the direct link if the video doesn't play or you want to follow us on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftV6ao5VfOg

For more information, or to get a spray foam insulation quote in North Carolina & South Carolina, contact us thru any of the methods listed below.  Once again, thanks for reading our blog, and be sure to stay tuned for more ways to lower utility bills.

Retro-Solutions Construction Company Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 706-951-0158 http://www.scroofingcontractors.com Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |

How Much Does Spray Foam Insulation Cost?

How Much Does Spray Foam Insulation Cost in North Carolina and South Carolina?

If you have been keeping up with our Energy Saving Home Improvements blog then you already have a lot of information to make an informative decision on whether or not spray foam insulation is a product for your home.  The only other factor now is how much does spray foam insulation cost?  What we intend to do in this blog post, is educate a potential spray foam insulation buyer, on how an estimate is calculated for installing spray foam insulation in a home or business.  Although prices will be generalized, as cost of material vary from month to month.  The main factor for this variable is the fluctuation of gas prices, and the overall weight of raw materials to make spray foam insulation.  Each barrel weighs 500 lbs, and it takes 2-500 lb. barrels to do the average home in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia.  Spray Foam Insulation is a fuel dependent industry, as spray foam insulation equipment is generally run off a diesel generator, and requires the use of fuel to make and install quality spray foam insulation.  Even with the fluctuation of gas prices, we can give you a general idea of what spray foam insulation will cost, on average, to install in a home or business in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia. 

 

How Homes and Businesses are measured for Spray Foam Insulation Estimates

 

Raw Materials for Spray Foam as said above are sold in 50 gallon barrels, with a Part A and a Part B, each part costing the same amount.  When chemical manufacturers sell to spray foam insulation installers, they give a board foot amount of coverage, that one set of 2 barrels will do.  Most homeowners do not know how board feet is calculated, nor what the coverage area 1 board foot would equal in their home, so we want to first explain how board feet is calculated, and then converted to a square foot measurement:

1. Measure the width (W) and thickness (T) of the the area in inches.
2. Measure the length (L) of the area in inches and divide it by 12.
3. Solve the following equation to calculate board feet: (W x T) x (L ÷ 12) = board feet.
4. Divide the number of board feet by the thickness of the board. This will give you the square footage of the area going to be sprayed.

This is how spray foam insulation contractors determine how much raw material is going to be needed to cover the square footage that is going to be sprayed with spray foam.  Once they have calculated the raw materials needed to spray foam the area requested to be estimated by the homeowner, they can give the homeowner a price of material needed to cover that area.  As stated before, prices of raw material change frequently due to the variable cost associated with producing and transporting the raw material.  This is important to homeowners because this is the cost that is going to be eligible for tax credits. 

Now that we have the square footage price of materials, we will then add in the labor cost associated with installing the spray foam insulation.  Though figured as a fixed cost for most insulation contractors, labor rates vary from contractor to contractor.  This is really the most important factor homeowners need to concerned with, as it is normally the deciding factor on which contractor the homeowner is going to hire.  Normally an experienced spray foam insulation contractor is going to cost a homeowner less money to install spray foam insulation, given they understand the building envelope better.  An experienced spray foam insulation has also seen more homes & buildings, and will be able to find the best building envelope for the homeowner that is going to maximize energy efficiency of the home.

Once you have material cost, and labor cost, the only factor left to calculate is profit & overhead which most contractors include in the same line item on a estimate.  Here again, a more experienced contractor is going to be more affordable because they generally have proved to insurance companies that they are a safe & worthy contractor, and also have lower operating cost because there equipment is probably already paid for, thus reducing cost to homeowners.  Profit rates vary from contractor to contractor, however there gonna be in line with competition in most markets.  Homeowners need to understand that a company needs to make a profit or else they wouldn't be in business, so don't panic if you see this line on an estimate.  Contractors including this line is actually a good sign, because they are being up front and honest with homeowners, indicating that they're giving the homeowner a fair price and also going to deliver a quality install. 



Retro-Solutions Construction Company Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 706-951-0158 http://www.scroofingcontractors.com
Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |

Save Money on Utility Cost in Myrtle Beach, SC

Home Improvement Sale in Myrtle Beach & Horry County SC



Retro-Solutions Construction Company is proud to announce a sale on Energy Saving Home Improvement products proven to lower utility cost in Myrtle Beach, SC & Horry County.  With the dog days or summer finally arriving, with temperatures climbing into the High 90's, Retro Solutions is offering a sale on our Energy Saving "Green" Building Products.  If you are a homeowner or business owner in the coastal Carolina area looking to lower utility cost, and improve the overall comfortability of your home or business, then call us today.  We can help make your home a cooler, more comfortable place to live and work.  Below is a list of our services and Coupons for saving money on installation.

1. Spray  Foam Insulation - Recieve $100 off Spray Foam Insulation services when re-insulating your home.
2. Wall Foam Insulation - $100 off when having all exterior walls on your home re-inuslated with wall foam insulation.
3. Standing Seam Metal Roofing - $150 off Standing Seam Metal Roofing on New or Existing homes in the Horry County, SC and surrounding areas
4. Crawl Space Encapsulation - Get $100 off crawl space encapsulation when getting your entire crawl space encapsulated w/ spray foam insulation
5. Tile Roofing Products- $150 off any Energy Star rated tiles installed by Retro-Solutions Construction
6. Solar Powered Hot Water Heaters - $100 off purchase and installation of a solar powered hot water heater system in Myrtle Beach, SC and surrounding areas.
7. Home Energy Monitoring System - $50 off installation of a Home Energy Monitoring System
8. Other Energy Efficient Roofing Systems - $150 off any roofing system that has a energy star rating or "green" building product listing.

Retro-Solutions Construction Company has some great sales going on right now on Energy Saving products.  We have Free Estimates on all our services, and more information on our services can be found in our other blog post and on our company website.  All the products listed above have been proven to lower utility cost dramatically for homeowners and business owners alike.  So take advantage of these additional savings on installation, in addition to many tax credits being offered to South Carolina homeowners as well.  This is the time of year in South Carolina where homeowners pay the most for utility cost, so call us today to help us lower your utility bills.  You can't beat these savings anywhere so Call Dan today for a Free Estimate at 706-951-0158.


Retro-Solutions Construction Company Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 706-951-0158 http://www.scroofingcontractors.com Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |

Remodelling With Spray Foam Insulation

Remodelling with Spray Foam Insulation in the Carolinas

With high inventory levels and a poor real estate market across the nation, many homeowners are deciding to remodel their existing home, instead of buying new.  In addition, most real estate markets are not seeing the increase in real estate value of their home from year to year, as in recent years.  This has lead to many homeowners looking for other ways to add real estate value to their home, and remodelling is the best way to add value, and curb appeal to your home.  One home improvement a lot of homeowners in North Carolina & South Carolina are making, is re-insulating their home to make it more energy efficient, and in turn lowering utility cost.  With rising utility cost and increase in gas prices, energy efficiency is a top priority among most homeowners looking to remodel.   By re-insulating, homeowners can see a return on their investment in the form of utility savings.  Current tax credits for re-insulating is also encouraging more homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their home.  In order to maximize utility savings homeowners are turning to "green" building products like spray foam insulation, wall foam insulation, and crawl space encapsulations.  Though slightly higher in installation cost, energy & utility savings are much higher as well, helping to offset installation cost.  "Green" building products not only help homeowners save money on utility bills, going green also helps to save the environment as well. 

Here is a list of some of the most popular energy saving home improvements our customers are having installed in 2011:

• Spray Foam Insulation
• Wall Foam Insulation
• Crawl Space Encapsulation
• Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters
• Standing Seam Metal Roofing
• Tile Roofing Systems
• Solar Integrated Roofing Systems

If you are a homeowner in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia reading this blog, and looking to save on utility bills in 2011 and in years to come, then call Retro-Solutions Construction Company of Myrtle Beach, SC.  We have experienced, professional, and licensed install teams across all of NC, SC, and GA, and we can help make your home or business more energy efficient. 

For a Free Estimate on any of our Services, follow this link: Free Estimates


Retro-Solutions Construction Company Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 706-951-0158 http://www.scroofingcontractors.com Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |

Salisbury, NC Homeowners Can Save Money on Utility Bills With Spray Foam Insulation

Save on Utility Bills With Spray Foam Insulation in North Carolina

If your a homeowner in North Carolina you already know that thru the months of May thru June, your utility cost is going to go up do to high temperatures and high humidity producing lots of heat, keeping your A/C running most of the day.  Heating and Cooling are the number one utility cost for most homeowners, so areas with hot climates in the summer, like North Carolina, experience a spike in utility cost for homeowners with traditionally insulated homes.  The air conditioner runs most of the day just to keep your home at a comfortable temperature level, and some homeowners find that even with the A/C running all day, there house still feel warm and uncomfortable during the hot summer month in North Carolina.  We call this the "hot house" effect.  This blog post is to let homeowners in North Carolina know that their is a solution to high utility cost during the summer months, in addition to lifetime energy savings.  Spray Foam Insulation can save homeowners 33% or more on utility cost versus traditional fiberglass insulation.  What this blog is going to explain is why spray foam insulation works so much better than traditional fiberglass insulation in North Carolina, and how payback on investment with spray foam insulation is a lot higher than with traditional fiberglass insulation.  Lets first talk about how fiberglass insulation works.

The reason why many homeowners in North Carolina experience the "hot house" effect, is that most homes are insulated with traditional fiberglass insulation, creating a buiding envelope, that traps hot air in the attics, and crawl spaces of most homes.  Vents and fans are designed to vent the attics, however many attics in North Carolina with traditional fiberglass insulation, are 30-40 degrees warmer than the rest of the house.  In poorly vented attics, we have seen temperatures of up to 180 degrees.  Thru a process known as convection, the hot air in the attic will covect heat thru fiberglass insulation and sheetrock, to make temperatures warmer in the home.  In turn, the A/C will run longer, in order to compensate for the extra warm air entering the home.  A new A/C unit may be able to blast the cool air into the home, and cool a home quickly, however this does not eliminate the problem of warm air entering the home.  So even with a newer HVAC system, your house is still getting warmer faster due to the hot air in the attic convecting heat into the home thru the ceiling.  The best way to eliminate this heat in the attic is to balance the temperatures between the two spaces.  In order to do this, the builidng envelop must be changed, to include the attic space, and crawl spaces where applicable.  The only way to do this is to make these areas conditioned space, which means moving the insulation from the ceiling of the home to the rafters of the roofing system, creating a semi-conditioned space.  Fiberglass insulation can not be installe in this method, due to air gaps and unsealed space, which would result in condensation forming.  The only way to get this desired method is to use Spray Foam Insulation, which can penetrate and seal all gaps and cracks, eliminating the possibility for condensation.

Since spray foam insulation can penetrate all gaps and cracks, and is made in place, it eliminates the worry of moisture or condensation forming in the attic, allowing the insulation to be installed on the rafters of the roofing system.  By installing the spray foam insulation on the rafters, it totally changes the dynamics of your home's building envelope.  Instead of trying to vent warm air out of the attic, as traditional fiberglass insulation systems are designed, spray foam insulation works to balance the temperature of the attic space with that of the home, and also prevent warm air from entering the attic space thrue the roof as well.  This building envelope design not only reduces attic temperatures, it also uses the inefficiencies of your HVAC system to cool attic space as well.  Even in a well designed duct systems, there is always energy loss, and spray foam insulation takes advantage of this energy loss, helping to cool the attic space and balance temperatures between the home and attic space.  With the balance of temperature, and the elimination of warm air entering the attic space, A/C systems operate much more efficiently than with traditional fiberglass insulation.  Spray Foam Insulation also has a much higher R-Value than traditional fiberglass insulation, reducing the loss of cool air leaving the home as well.

What all these factors of the spray foam insulation building envelope design means is, your air conditioner runs less, thus reducing your utility cost by 33% or more in North Carolina. In addition to providing these huge energy savings, Spray Foam Insulation also offers a number of other major advantages & benefits that fiberglass insulation does not offer as well. Spray Foam Insulation is about creating sustainable living solutions such as reduced mold and allergens, and lowering the amounts of dust found in your home.  Spray Foam Insulation has also been proven to prevent pest such as ants and termites from entering the home, in combination with homeowners having up to date pest control policies.  Spray Foam Insulation is a "green" builidng product, in addition to being an energy star product as well.  Tax Credits are still available, and homeowners can get credits upt to $500 for 2011.  Spray Foam Insulation can be installed in new or existing homes, giving any homeowner the chance to take advantage of the huge energy savings that spray foam can bring.  Though cost of installation for spray foam insulation is higher than that of traditional fiberglass insulation, payback on investment is a lot quicker and homeowners realize energy savings over the life of the home, making spray foam insulation an home improvement that will actually pay the homeowner back over the life of the home.  Being a lifetime product, Spray Foam Insulation will loses little or no R-value over the lifetime of the product, eliminating re-insulation cost associated with having to replace fiberglass insulation every 10 years.  

In summary, whether your looking to get a cooler home in the summer in NC, or looking for a new product to re-insulate your home, spray foam insulation is the best choice.   Most homeowners look at their home as a long term investment, making spray foam insulation even a better choice due to the lifetime payback in energy savings.  Not only will you be making a wise investment for your home, you'll also be doing your part to be "green" & more enviromentally friendly.  Being a "green" building solutions contractor, we love to hear satisfied customers stories about having spray foam insulation installed in their home, or about any of the other energy saving solutions we can offer North Carolina residents. If your looking for more information, please see our other blog post, visit our company website, or call our local North Carolina phone number at 704-636-9338 or our home office in Myrtle Beach, SC at 706-930-0322.  We offer competitive pricing and affordable solutions to saving on utility cost in North Carolina & South Carolina, however our business is in the promotion of green energy solutions to save the enviroment.  We love promoting spray foam insulation and other "green" building products, so please comment with current information or ideas for blog post. 


Retro-Solutions Construction Company
Home Office: Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 706-951-0158
North Carolina Sales: 704-636-9338
http://www.ncroofingcontractors.com
Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |

Why General Contractors are Installing Spray Foam Insulation in New Construction

Spray Foam Insulation & "Green" Building Products in New Home Construction

With the changing face of new home construction in the United States, many General Contractors are looking for ways to differentiate their product from what competitors are offering.  One way many general contractors in South Carolina & North Carolina are differientiating their homes from other general contractors homes, is the use of "Green" Building Products; to offer potential homebuyers in North Carolina & South Carolina, long term energy savings and payback in utility bill savings over the life of the home.  The great thing about new construction, is that new homes being built, open all kinds of new options for energy saving "green" building products. In a tough housing market like today's economy, a builder needs every possible way to differientiate there home from others on the market.  Long term energy savings, payback on investment, Tax Credits for Home Owners, Energy Star Ratings, and other great qualities can help sell a home a lot more quicker, then a typical fiberglass insulated home that offer little energy savings to homeowners.  Some reports have reported as high as 80% of potential homebuyers in today's economy have insulation and energy efficiency on their list of things their dream home will have.  Spray Foam Insulation, Crawl Space Encapsulation with Spray Foam, Solar Powered Appliances, and Energy Efficient Roofing have all been proven to sell homes faster in today's real estate market.  Lets talk about a few ways "Green" Building can pay off for general contractors in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

In North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia real estate markets have been flooded with homes from bankrupt spec builders, foreclosures, and just areas flat out being overbuilt.  Though housing inventories are depleting, many general contractors are having trouble luring potential home buyers away from foreclosures and short sales, with the main reason being that they are trying to offer the same product at a higer price.  The most popular way our general contractor clients are finding to build and sell successfully in North Carolina, South Carolina, & Georgia Housing Markets, are "green" building products & other materials that offer long term energy savings.  Though cost of these products are slightly higher traditional building materials, it still cost a lot less to install "green" building products in new construction versus retrofit installation in existing homes.  Another reason why "green" building materials help sell homes in North Carolina, South Carolina, & Georgia has a lot to do with the hot climate the southeast experiences during the summer, giving many fiberglass insulated homes the "hot house" effect.  What we call the "hot house" effect, simply means that even with the A/C running all day, your home still fills warm or hot during the summer.  Spray Foam Insulation is the best solution to eliminate the "hot house" effect, and is even more energy efficient installed in new homes, then being retrofit into existing homes due to walls and other open spaces being exposed.  Here is a list of some of the most popular "green" building products and materials general contractors are using in new construction in North Carolina and South Carolina real estate markets.

1. Spray Foam Insulation - our number one seller to general contractors and homeowners, as it offers lifetime insulation solutions to the potential and existing homeowners both, with 33% more energy savings then fiberglass, and payback on investment over the life of the home.  Closed Cell Spray foam insulation  adds structural integrity & pest control capabilities as well. 
2. Crawl Space Encapsulations - create a dry, clean crawl space that offers additional energy savings to homeowners, and also offers pest control qualities as well.
3. Solar Energy Powered Appliances - with cost of taking a home completely solar still being very high, the development of Solar Panel technology has allowed affordable installation of solar panels to power high energy using appliances like hot water heaters and pool heaters, reducing utility cost for homeowners on average of $300/year or more.
4. Standing Seam Metal Roofing - popular in style, and also an "Energy Star" rated product, offering addittional home energy efficiency for potential homebuyers.  The reflectivity quality of metal roofing has been proven to lower utility cost for homeowners.
5. Home Energy Monitoring Systems - Contractors this would make an excellent housewarming gift for new homeowners that can lower enegy cost even more.  Old TV's, computers, and such can be increasing utility cost for the family.  Low Cost Installtion & Monitoring make it the perfect housewarming gift for new homeowners, and an addittional weapon for existing homeowners to fight high utility cost.

If you are a general contractor or a potential new home builder in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia looking to install new "green" building technology into new construction homes, or existing homes during remodel or addittions, then call Dan at Retro-Solutions Construction Company at 706-951-0158 for a free estimate, or for general information on "green" building products offered in the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia areas.  We can help homeowners and general contractors both, with energy saving home improvement solutions that really do lower utility bills & improve overall saleability of your home in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.  Read our other blog post for more information on our products and services.  Increase the value of your home:

http://www.scroofingcontractors.com

Retro-Solutions Construction Company Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 706-951-0158 http://www.scroofingcontractors.com Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |