Homeowners, rental owners, and HOA associations all share a common interest in making sure their buildings are properly insulated in order to reduce heating and cooling costs as much as possible. Ricochet Construction is a Dallas-area leader in all forms of insulation work, including spray-in attic insulation, which helps insure that buildings are prepared to deal with the major area of heat transfer, their roofs. We do spray-in insulation for any size multi-family community, often for very large apartment and condominium communities that host 1,000+ rental units.

In the following article, we will talk about the advantages of spray-in insulation, and why we often suggest this form of insulation over other forms for a Texas-based structure.

Heating and cooling are often the largest ongoing expenses in a home, and can reach as high as 50-70% of your total bills. This cost can be enormous, especially in the Dallas-area, where air conditioners run non-stop throughout the summer months.

Air will naturally transfer heat to cooler areas. Which means that in the summer, hotter external air is always trying to exchange heat by flowing into your cooler, air-conditioned home. In the winter, your warmed air will try to leave the house and flow into the colder external air. Insulation is made to resist heat transfer, in effect trapping air so that it cannot flow as easily from one space to the other.

Because heat transfer can be so substantial, any area of your home that is not insulated should quickly be insulated, to keep your treated air exactly where it should be -- inside your home, and not mixing with external air.

All insulation carries an R-value, which tell you the quality of its thermal resistance (translation: how good is it at keeping out or in heat). The higher the R-value, the better the insulation is at stopping heat transfer. It’s usually a good idea to purchase as high an R-value as possible in order to get the best return on your investment.

There are three main types of insulation you can purchase:

Batt or Roll insulation. This is the most commonly known form of insulation (known for its brown paper and thick, pink fiber sheets). The advantages of Batt or Roll insulation is that it can be cut to fit into exact spaces, and can even be treated with fire-resistant chemicals to reduce fire hazards.
Blown-in loose fill insulation. This is made of loose fibers and loose fiber pellets that can be blown in via hoses to fill in an entire attic floor space. The advantages of loose-fill are that it can cover unfinished flooring, and the materials can be made from recycled paper or other similar products.
Foam spray-in insulation. Foam spray insulation, also known as Icynene, begins as a liquid, and quickly expands into a hardened foam that forms a tight seal in all air-transfer spaces. The advantage of foam spray is that it creates a complete seal, and will not allow any air to pass through that space.
Each of these type of insulation have their uses, and each can be a good choice, depending on cost, size of your space, access, etc. We get the most questions about spray-in, so let’s briefly talk about why we like this option.

Spray-in insulation is the newest form of insulation on the market, and consumes are often less familiar with it. But it offers some clear advantages over other forms that are important to many consumers. These include:

Creates a “thermal envelope” throughout the structure by sealing off every area of air escape
Efficiency stays the same over time, doesn’t degrade
Reduces infiltration of dust, pollen, rodents, and bugs
Reduces noise
Doesn’t settle
Reduces the likelihood of mold
For these and other reasons we often suggest spray-in insulation, especially in attic spaces. We are well-equipped and fully experienced in insulation repair, and can inspect your properties and advise you on exactly what you need, and how long installation should take. We have contracted with numerous owners and HOA’s on insulation work, and can supply a long list of satisfied customers to give references as to the quality, timeliness, and professionalism of our work. Contact us any time to find out more!