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Blowing Insulation is one of the most cost-effective energy conservation measures you can take. Blown-in insulations offer completely uniform coverage, especially in hard-to-reach attic areas. Because covering is so complete, blown-in materials become an excellent thermal blanket, leaving no nook or cranny exposed for heat to escape.

At SDI we use Insulsafe 4 Premium Blowing Insulation by CertainTeed Corporation. InsulSafe 4 must be pneumatically installed by a professional contractor - such as SDI Insulation - who is trained and qualified to evaluate insulation needs based on climate and energy standards for the area. Insulsafe 4 is used primarily in attic applications.

SDI provides you with only the best blown insulation products, and has chosen Insulsafe 4 based on these key features: InsulSafe 4 can increase a home's energy efficiency and help reduce costly heating and cooling loss. It is permanently noncombustible. Unlike cellulose products that contain sulfates, InsulSafe 4 will not corrode pipes or wiring. When installed in interior and exterior walls, InsulSafe 4 improves the acoustical performance of the wall assembly.

InsulSafe 4 contains no additives that can cause noxious fumes or odors. It won't absorb and retain moisture that can cause deterioration. Because InsulSafe 4 is made of glass fibers, it contains nothing to provide sustenance to insects or animals. InsulSafe 4 complies with federal and local building standards and qualifies as a Type I insulation under ASTM C 764. InsulSafe 4 has been tested and verified in accordance with approved test methods by recognized independent laboratories in Canada and the U.S. And finally, like all CertainTeed insulation products, Insulsafe 4 is GREENGUARD® Certified for superior indoor air quality performance.

SDI is your blown insulation specialist, providing you with top of the line, environmentally responsible products and quality job performance.

Cathedral ceilings can add an element of charm and grandeur to any new home, but it is important to use the proper building techniques to manage moisture and energy performance issues. Condensation in the insulated cavity space can lead to wood rot and mold, which can compromise the durability of the roof, the efficiency of the home, and health of the homeowners.

The bulk of moisture moving into any insulated cavity is driven primarily by air. The best practice for building insulated cathedral ceilings is to create an airtight roof assembly. There are two options: vented batt insulation and unvented spray-applied insulation.

Considering the first option, cathedral ceilings built using 2 x 12 roof rafters allow enough space for the fiberglass batt insulation and a 1.5" gap for ventilation. This type of roof assembly is designed so the air can flow up the soffit vent, through an insulation baffle, pass through the 1.5" gap between the insulation and roof sheathing, then exit through a ridge vent.

By using spray foam insulation, the second option, air movement through the insulated space is stopped, so venting is not needed. This option can save the homeowner the cost of the soffit and ridge vents. The sealing nature of spray foam insulation works to make the ceiling cavity airtight. This will help keep moisture-laden air from entering and condensing within the insulation or forming on the underside of the roof sheathing, and is our preferred application at SDI Insulation Inc. In non-vented ceiling applications, we are proud to offer Spray Foam as a tool.

It's hot air that rises. An air mass that is warmer than the air around it will rise in relation to that cooler air. The process of hot air rising is called convection. It's only one way that heat can escape a building. Two others are conduction and radiation.

Floor insulation limits all three modes of heat loss. A warmer floor reduces the temperature difference that drives convection. Floor insulation also directly impedes conduction and radiation to the colder air below the floor.

When time, water, rodents, or even live animals are introduced to your crawl or attic space, the outcome often results in damage. When this happens, you will need removal of insulation, vapor barrier, sanitizing, exclusion, ventilation, and an install of new insulation & vapor barrier, or other materials.

The removal of insulation is done in a variety of clean and efficient ways. This service is not recommended for the "do-it-yourselfer" as there are multiple diseases associated with rodents and live animals.

SDI Insulation will use state of the art equipment that moves the insulation from your attic into a filter bag which is located in the back of our vehicle.

Crawl space insulation is removed by cutting the twine, removing slats or wood laths, or removing the tension wires which were holding the insulation in place, pulling down any remaining insulation, bagging it, and then removing it from underneath your home. All materials removed by SDI Insulation are properly disposed of at a local transfer station.

Older fireplaces have efficiency ratings of just 5-10%. This low efficiency is due to the open combustion design that allows the heated room air to be drawn into the fire, wasting energy and cooling the rest of the house. In contrast, a fireplace insert is an insulated, sealed system with high efficiency that translates into more heat output and helps you save money on your heating bills.

Home Performance is the belief that buildings can and should be made safe, comfortable, durable, and energy-efficient. Putting building performance into practice requires a whole-house perspective. Having a certified contractor measure, calculate, and analyze a building, allows them to better understand the way your specific structure works and operates in order to recommend the best way to improve it without off-setting the balance of how it effects you.

SDI Insulation will provide you with a whole-house perspective to identify where your home is loosing energy and propose the most effective solution. Understanding the "house as a system" also allows building performance contractors to solve problems like chimney back-drafting that arise from interactions between the building's shell and mechanical systems.

SDI Insulation will use a diagnostic approach to problem solving. Experience and observation, coupled with pressure diagnostics, infrared imaging, and combustion analysis, allow them to diagnose and correct the most challenging building performance problems.

Many of the benefits of solar energy are obvious — it provides clean power without burning fossil fuels, electricity-generating costs are pegged to a low, fixed rate (or potentially eliminated) and power from solar panels is generated most efficiently at peak times (when electricity is needed most). But there are other benefits, too. A photovoltaic system is also a sound financial investment with very low risk, and increases the value of your home dramatically. It all adds up to good news for your electricity rates, your home equity and a greener economy. It's a win-win, no matter what moves you.

Once in a while, a new construction material or method comes along that not only complies with all code requirements, it's capable of raising the standards. Spray Foam Insulation has been making a profound change in the perceptions of insulation's role in commercial and residential construction for over a dozen years.

Spray Foam Insulation expanding foam is an environmentally safe development in low density, cellular plastics. Chemically, it is in a class of its own. It allows foam to be sprayed without ozone destroying gases (HFA's or HCFC's) or formaldehyde. The micro-cells of this breathing material are filled with air and there are no gas emission hazards.

Spray Foam Insulation is not just an environmentally responsible insulation system, it insulates and air seals. Building scientists have recognized that air leakage has a greater impact than R-value on the performance of a building. Spray Foam Insulation is becoming the industry standard for providing maximum building envelope performance. Spray Foam's pour and spray formulations represent a breakthrough in the science of moisture and thermal management.

Spray Foam Insulation is the leading 100% water-blown foam insulation that minimizes air leakage for increased energy efficiency (often as high as 50% of conventional costs), creates a healthier indoor environment, reduces airborne sounds and offers greater design freedom. Spray Foam maintains its performance with no loss of R-value over time. It does not shrink, sag or settle. Spray Foam adheres to most construction materials and is the perfect insulation for walls, attics, ceilings and floors.

Our sales staff is constantly being trained at seminars and conventions, and awaits the opportunity to explain the numerous benefits of Spray Foam Insulation. Please contact either of our offices, or submit an estimate request online.

Spray Formula
Applied as a liquid, Spray Foam expands to 100 times its volume in seconds to fill every crack and crevice while remaining flexible so that the integrity of the building envelope seal remains intact over time.The spray formula has an R-value of 3.6 per inch. It acts as a complete insulation and air barrier to minimize air leakage and seal the building envelope for optimal air tightness.

Pour Fill Formula
Spray Foam's pour fill variation is an insulation and air barrier that injects the latest building technology into an older building to maximize energy efficiency while still preserving its original architectural details. Spray Foam Insulation fills the wall cavity completely, starting at the bottom and slowly expanding upwards to 60 times its initial volume. Since Spray Foam expands in the direction of least resistance, it will not expand outward and damage the wall. The pour fill formula has an R-value of 4 per inch.

Cellulose is "green." It's made of 80% post-consumer recycled newsprint. The fiber is chemically treated with non-toxic borate compounds (20% by weight) to resist fire, insects and mold. The Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association (CIMA) claims that insulating a 1500 ft2 house with cellulose will recycle as much newspaper as an individual will consume in 40 years. If all new homes were insulated with cellulose this would remove 3.2 million tons of newsprint from the nation's waste stream each year. There's room to grow. Fewer than 10% of the homes built today use cellulose. Cellulose earns "green" points because it requires less energy than fiberglass to manufacture. Disciples claim 200 times less petro-energy than fiberglass. More realistically, Environmental Building News reports that fiberglass requires approximately 8 times more energy to make when adjusted to reflect energy cost per installed R-value unit.

Cellulose insulation is safe. It is made of paper, but the chemical treatment provides it with permanent fire resistance. There's been static generated by the fiberglass industry warning that cellulose could burn. But independent testing confirms it's safe and cellulose is approved by all building codes. In fact, many professionals consider cellulose to be more fire-safe than fiberglass. This claim rests on the fact that cellulose fibers are more tightly packed, effectively choking wall cavities of combustion air, preventing the spread of fire through framing cavities.

Fiber glass batts or rolls are high-quality flexible products made from mineral fibers, and are used in various construction applications for thermal and acoustical insulation of walls, ceilings and floors. Unfaced insulation is manufactured in increased widths to permit frictionfit installation in wall cavities. They are available in widths suited to the standard spacing of wall studs and attic or floor joists, and the continuous rolls can be hand-cut and trimmed to fit. Batts are also available with vapor retarder facings, such as CertainTeed's MemBrainTM and The Smart Vapor Retarder. Batts with a special flame-resistant facing are available in various widths for basement walls where the insulation will be left exposed. Kraft Faced insulation is manufactured with an integral vapor retarder. Theb kraft facing includes attachment flanges at the edges that are used for either face or inset stapling. The kraft facing, applied with asphalt to the fiber glass insulation, has a vapor transmission (permeance) rating of one perm or less.

At SDI we use CertainTeed Standard Fiber Glass Building Insulation, which is a thermally and acoustically efficient inorganic insulation used for the entire home or office building. It is lightweight and flexible which makes for a quick installation. Because this fiber glass is inorganic it is noncombustible, noncorrosive and will not deteriorate or absorb moisture. And because it is a higher density fiberglass it provides added energy savings to any building. As with all CertainTeed products, fiber glass batts are GREENGUARD® Certified for superior indoor air quality performance.

SDI's highly experienced sales team is here to help you determine the best insulation system for your residential or commercial project. We will work with your budget and plans to provide you with superior thermal and acoustical performance.

Coming Soon

PG&E currently offers rebates for attic and wall insulation for existing homes. SDI is an approved PG&E contractor and will help facilitate the process for you.

Visit the Energy Upgrade California™ to get more local information.