About
Everguard Home Insulation
Everguard Home Insulation was founded in 1959 as a family business.
Today, three generations later, we are proud of our standing in the
community. We are licensed, bonded and fully insured. We have absolutely
no complaints with the Better Business Bureau, League of California
Homeowners or the Contractors State License Board. You may notice
our license number, #224328.….we’ve been around!
We specialize in the insulating of existing homes, also referred to
as retrofit. Our experience and equipment allow us to tackle some
of the most difficult and custom installations. We are proud of our
innovative methods and feel we offer more experience then any other
company.
Our success is based on an approach to customer satisfaction: competitive
pricing, excellent products and outstanding service. We place a lifetime
guarantee on both our products and installation.. A family member
or partner in the business will be working at your home, we do not
subcontract or find guys off the corner.
The bottom line is this: if we do an outstanding job, offer a great
price and leave you happy….we’ll likely earn your referral.
Your satisfaction means everything to us. Along with insulation we
offer lots of advice, a free inspection of your home and an old-fashioned
and honest approach to doing business. We provide a life-time guarantee
on all our work and have a low-price policy to ensure you are receiving
top-notch service at the best pricing around!
By insulating your home you do several things. Beside saving money
on your energy bills and having a more comfortable home….you
will have done your part to help the environment while also helping
with the economy. A well insulated home means less gas burned, less
coal combusted, less uranium used and less emissions released into
our environment. This helps reduce our dependence on foreign fuels
and helps provide for generations to come. The money you save on your
bills becomes income you can spend elsewhere and thusly helps our
economy. Insulation, particularly cellulose, also helps with our recycling
efforts. We all win. Whether it be through our company or another….please
insulate your home. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
HOW INSULATION WORKS
Insulation serves as a thermally resistant barrier which inhibits
the migration of thermal energy into and out of the house. In simple
terms: insulation blocks heat from entering the house in the summer
and holds heat in during the winter. The results are a cooler house
in the summer, warmer home in the winter, and lower energy bills.
Summer
During the summer the suns powerful rays radiate down onto our homes,
the walls heat up and the temperature in the attic can rise to nearly
180 degrees. This heat enters the home and causes things to become
quite uncomfortable. You then have two choices….turn on the
air conditioning and watch the electric meter spin….or suffer
with the heat.
By turning on your air
conditioning you essentially pump heat out of your home, but often
the air conditioning can only keep up with the heat entering the
home. Customers often complain of an air conditioning system that
runs all day and never cools the house below 80 degrees….this
is typical of a poorly insulated home. The solution is to reduce
the heat coming into the home to start with. Insulation installed
in your attic and walls will dramatically reduce the amount of heat
infiltrating into your home; the house stays cooler, the air conditioning
runs less often.
Winter
Insulation works equally well in the winter, it’s amazingly
effective when it comes to retaining heat. Just as insulation can
block heat from entering the home in the summer, it works in the
same way to keep the heat contained within the home during the winter.
Homeowners frequently complain of cold homes and furnaces that never
turn off….the heat escaping about as fast as the heater can
produce heat. Once insulated, heat is retained within the home for
hours longer. The result is a warmer home that uses less energy
to stay warm.
An additional benefit to an insulated home is that the air does
not get processed as much through your furnace system, this means
the air does not get dried out. Insulation also serves to reduce
outside sound from entering the home. People near airports and schools
often report dramatically less outside sound infiltrating.
Attic
Insulation Cooler
in the Summer AND Warmer in the Winter!!!!
The attic is by far the most critical area of your home to have
insulated. Attic insulation works both summer and winter. In summer
it blocks heat from entering the home and in winter it blocks heat
from rising out. The result is a more comfortable home with lower
energy cost year-round. For a better understanding of how insulation
works, see our section on How Insulation Works.
The attic can be insulated using rolled fiberglass, blown fiberglass
or blown cellulose….your choice. The rolled fiberglass generally
costs a bit more on account of the time & labor involved in
its installation. We strongly feel the blown cellulose is the best
insulation material to choose from. For more information, see our
sections on Cellulose vs. Fiberglass, or our section on Blown vs.
Rolled.
Many homeowners suspect they have sufficient attic insulation already
in their homes. You want to have enough insulation such that you
have an R30 rating. Cellulose develops and R30 rating with approx.
8” of thickness, while fiberglass requires closer to 12”
to attain the same R30. For more info, see our section on How much
attic insulation do I need.
Most homes have some old or “existing” attic insulation
already in their attic. Typically we just add more material to what
you already have in order to bring the attic up to an R30 rating.
In some instances the removal of old insulation is needed, for more
information see our section on Insulation Removal.
Attic insulation is quick & easy, most homes can be completely
insulated in only 2-3 hours. We enter the attic through a crawl-hole,
typically located in the hallway, closet or garage. The process
is quiet, clean, and you don’t need to leave your home. We
utilize a dust-reduction system and keep our jobs nice & clean.
Dollar-per-value, attic insulation is unbeatable. Typically paying
for itself within one year, it is perhaps the best money you’ll
ever spend on your home. It pays for itself and then continues to
save you money. Not just an improvement….an investment! Our
government recognizes the importance of having proper insulation
and sometimes offers Rebates to provide an incentive to homeowners
to insulate.
How
much attic insulation do I need?
The performance of an insulation is measured by “R-value”,
where the “R” stands for resistance. Most homeowners
and organizations target R30 as a standard for attic insulation.
The thicker the insulation, the greater its R-value and insulating
ability/power.
Most homes already have some old insulation in their attic, we refer
to this as existing insulation.. Typically we leave the old material
alone and do not remove it. The old material may have settled, packed
and be a bit dusty/dirty, but there is no harm leaving it there.
In fact, we can often use the existing material as a base to build
upon:
If your attic has no existing insulation, you will want to install
an R30.
If your attic has 2-3” of existing material, you will want
to install R25 to achieve a total of R30.
If your attic has 4-5” of existing material, you will want
to install R19 to achieve a total of R30.
Some homeowners choose to install more then an R30. Today’s
standard building code has recently been upgraded to R38, this is
something to consider in hotter/colder areas. The thicker your insulation,
the higher the R-value and comfort level, but there comes a point
where additional material will not serve to provide additional performance….call
us for a free consultation.
Insulation
Materials
Long ago there were several insulation materials available. Over
the years we’ve seen many of them fall off the market…they
were found to be dangerous, ineffective or impractical. Today there
is basically 2 choices: Fiberglass or Cellulose. It’s not
that difficult to figure out which one best suits your needs. When
possible, we recommend cellulose, but read on for a better understanding.
Materials Comparison Cellulose
vs. Fiberglass
Cellulose
Life-time guarantee
Non-toxic, safe
No itching
Rodent resistant
Insect resistant
Mold/mildew resistant
8.1” to attain an R30
Soundproofing
Soft material
Non-flammable |
Fiberglass
No guarantee
Hazard-warning label
Very itchy & irritating
Rodents nest in it
No resistance to insects
No resistance to mold/mildew
requires almost 12” for R30
Minimal soundproofing
Rigid glass fibers
Merely melts in a fire |
FIBERGLASS
Fiberglass is available in two forms: as batting (rolls) or as a
loose-fill (blown) material. Many homeowners typically feel they
want rolled insulation, but once they do the research they find
otherwise. Fiberglass insulation, whether rolled or blown, has several
negative characteristics of great concern. Please research before
using fiberglass. Also, see our section on Fiberglass vs. Cellulose
for much more comparative info.
Much like asbestos, the fibers of fiberglass are very small, rigid
and sharp. On account of this, all fiberglass products have a warning/hazard
label on them clearly relating to the danger of cancer, upper respiratory
irritation and other related illness. Anyone who has every worked
with fiberglass can attest to the terrible “itch”. Contractors
or workman are often hesitant or charge more to work in an attic
that has fiberglass.
Homeowners often feel that the attic area is separate from their
homes living quarters, but the increased use of recessed lighting,
HVAC & furnaces and other devices located in the attic has lead
to a surprisingly high amount of air interaction between attic area
and living quarters. When a home develops health issues for the
occupants, environmental companies are quick to remove fiberglass
insulation from attics.
Fiberglass does not carry a lifetime warranty. The blown fiberglass,
particularly, is known for settling and packing over years. Fiberglass
is less efficient as compared to cellulose; fiberglass must be over
12” thick to produce an R30 rating, while cellulose need only
be 8.1” in order to attain the same R30 performance.
Fiberglass does not have any insect or termite resistant qualities,
in fact, fiberglass makes a splendid home for rodents and vermin.
Quite often we find evidence of rats and mice in homes with fiberglass.
Given some moisture, fiberglass also provides an excellent media
for mold & mildew to grow and foster. Cellulose is mold, mildew
and fungal resistant…as well as rodent and insect resistant.
See our materials comparison section for more info.
CELLULOSE
Cellulose is only available as a loose-fill (blown) material. We
consider it the most effective, efficient, longest-lasting and safest
material you can use. Cellulose has many advantages over fiberglass;
it has a lifetime warranty, is permanently non-flammable and proven
resistant to both insects and rodents. It also has soundproofing
qualities and does not itch. Best of all, cellulose is non-toxic,
safe and environmentally friendly. Typically it costs less then
fiberglasss.
Cellulose has many advantages over fiberglass. Cellulose attains
an R30 rating with only 8.1”, whereas fiberglass needs be
about 12”, this makes cellulose far more effective per inch.
Unlike fiberglass, cellulose has no hazard/warning labels. The product
is rigorously tested and approved by the Consumer Products Safety
Commission, OSHA and the Underwriters Laboratories, UL label.
Cellulose is made from reconstituted wood fiber product, which includes
newspaper, cardboard and other wood related products. While some
would imagine this to be flammable, the cellulose is treated with
borate to be permanently non-flammable. Cellulose carries an ASTM
Class 1 rating and meets specifications set by federal, state and
local building authorities for being non-flammable. You can actually
hold a match or torch to the product and it will not burn!
An additional benefit of the cellulose being treated with borate
is that it is resistant to insects, rodents, molds, mildew and even
microbes. Cellulose is also very earth-friendly in that it is made
from almost entirely recycled products. Cellulose also have excellent
sound-reducing qualities too, homeowners frequently report a quieter
home as well. Please see our materials comparison section.
For more information on cellulose, check out these websites:
www.Greeenstone.com
www.cellulose.org
www.ornl.gov -
Department of Energy
BLOWN
VS. ROLLS (BATTING)
Fiberglass rolls (or batts) are useful in that they can be hung
under floors or in open-framed walls of a home. Attics, however,
can be either be rolled with batting OR blown with a loose-fill
(fiberglass or cellulose) material. A blown application offers several
advantages over batting.
Many homeowners assume batting is better, or they’re drawn
to what appears to be a cleaner job. Some homeowners are directed
by their trusty contractor and others just feel a sense a familiarity
towards the rolls. The truth of the matter is that rolled fiberglass
is often installed during construction merely because it is convenient.
When homeowners, contractors or architects do some research, cellulose
blown insulation easily emerges as the best choice of materials.
The downfall of batting is that it must be placed between each ceiling
joist, sometimes fitting tightly, sometimes loosely. Batting must
go over, under and around the many obstacles in the attic; this
application compromises the performance of the insulation by creating
gaps, voids and other “leaks“. The blown application
seals and provides a much “tighter” blanket of insulation
throughout the attic.
Studies have established that a blown-in insulation rated at R19
can provide equal performance to that of the same job done with
R30 batting. The flip side of this equation is that R30 batts only
render an R19 effectiveness. Another problem arises when an attic
already has an old insulation; batts do not lay well over existing
insulation.
A blown installation provides coverage over the entire floor of
the attic. This continuous insulating membrane, a monolithic fill,
provides a much tighter and solid insulating barrier then the rolled-in
process. Blown insulation thoroughly encapsulates around conduits,
ducts, piping and other obstacles. Another advantage of blowing
insulation is that we can get in to all the tight areas that would
otherwise not be accessible with batting. Our equipment can blow
as far as 40 feet if needed.
The most important benefit of blowing insulation is that it allows
us to use cellulose insulation instead of a fiberglass product.
Cellulose is by far a more effective, efficient, longer lasting
and safer material as compared to fiberglass. Please see our products
comparison section for more details.
For more information on cellulose, check out these websites:
www.Greeenstone.com
www.cellulose.org
www.ornl.gov -
Department of Energy
Wall
Insulation Works
Summer AND Winter!!!!
Most homes built before 1972 do not have insulation in the walls.
Also, few homeowners are even aware that their home has empty walls.
During the winter, insulated walls will serve to hold the heat in
and prevent warmth from escaping. Once insulated, the walls won’t
feel ice-cold and condensation/mold is significantly less likely
to form. Wall insulation makes a huge difference in the comfort
of a home.
During the summer, wall insulation will reduce the amount of heat
coming in through the walls and help contain the coolness within
your home. The South & West facing walls are often referred
to as the “hot walls”….the sun tends to bake on
them causing the walls to be hot. These heated walls often tend
to radiate heat into the home even well after sundown. Once insulated,
the heat entering the home is dramatically reduced.
Wall insulation is usually done when homeowners are about to re-paint,
re-stucco or texture-coat their homes. The reason for this is due
to the many holes we must drill on the face of the walls. Wall insulation
can not be injected through the attic area nor from underneath the
home…we have to drill holes on the face of the wall, from
either the exterior or interior.
The process involves drilling 2” holes in each bay, above
and below the fire-block. This generally means one hole about 3’
up the wall and another hole about 6’ up the wall. These holes
are made every 16” across the wall to access each bay. The
walls are then injected with insulation until full, the holes are
then fitted with a plug, and patching is applied.
We can drill from either the interior OR exterior of the home. When
working from the interior it is best when the home is vacant, under
heavy remodeling or prepared for exposure to dust. Because wall
insulation can be a bit dusty, most of our work is done from the
exterior.
We provide an exterior stucco patch as part of our process (some
companies do not). The texture we can best match is a standard rough-sandy
finish, typical of most homes. Textures such as a raised Spanish-lace,
texture coating or skip-trowel are not finishes we can match very
well. We have contractors we refer to deal with this. Our patch
typical dries in a day and can be primed & painted soon after.
Some homeowners repaint the whole house, others just color-match
the paint the holes alone.
Interior patching involves using a spackle or joint compound. The
patching generally looks great when finished, but will tend to shrink
and crack as it dries. In order to get a perfect finish, additional
patching (not provided by us) will be required. The final process
of such patching typically involves some sanding….which can
also be quite dusty.
Floor
Insulation
Customers often call us inquiring about floor insulation. We strongly
encourage homeowners to check their attic insulation and make certain
it is up to R30 prior to insulating their floors. More often then
not, cold is not coming in from the floor, but rather the heat is
escaping through a poorly insulated attic. Once the attic is well
insulated, the heat is retained in the home and the overall feeling
is that of a warmer home. Remember, it is not that cold comes in,
but rather that heat is lost. The floor may feel cold, but it is
reflective of a cold interior temperature.
Soundproofing
There are many different types and applications of soundproofing.
Our service involves drilling holes in walls, ceilings or floors
and injecting insulation into hallow cavities/bays. We typically
soundproof between rooms for musicians, doctors, lawyers or between
residential units where neighbors don’t want to hear each
other. We have provided soundproofing for some of the most prestigious
recording studios, as well as offices and private residences alike.
One quick note: we do not have pipe insulation, egg-carton absorbent
material or foams that are applied onto surfaces. We have nothing
for automobiles, speakers or jacuzzi’s. All we offer is cellulose
insulation injected into walls, ceilings or floors. We basically
fill empty cavities with our soundproofing insulation. For other
applications and materials we suggest calling Steven Klien’s
Sound Control Room at (818) 788-1238.
Soundproofing is not like waterproofing. With waterproofing there
is no transfer of water at all. Soundproofing can not totally eliminate
all noise, only reduce it. Results vary and we can not offer any
guarantees on performance.
The process is similar to wall insulation; holes are drilled and
insulation material injected. With soundproofing we generally will
try to compress as much material into the cavity as possible. The
material we use, along with our machinery and application techniques
allow us to install 30-40% more material then many other companies
can. We have, in fact, gone to jobs where other companies have broken-down,
and injected more insulation into walls that they have considered
finished and full.
We often receive calls from unhappy people explaining that they
can hear sound clearly coming through the walls separating between
them and their neighbors. Very often we discover the wall already
contains a fiberglass insulation, while this material is effective
for thermal purposes, it has proven virtually useless for soundproofing.
WE CAN NOT BLOW ADDITIONAL MATERIAL INTO WALLS OR CEILINGS THAT
ALREADY CONTAIN INSULATION.
People often insist the walls or ceilings MUST be hollow and empty
of insulation, but time and again we have traveled to these jobs
to find existing insulation material already in the wall, even in
places built in the 1930’s. Please take the time to make a
hole and thoroughly inspect your walls/ceilings to make certain
it’s empty. If you have material already in the walls, we
can not add more. You can either have a drywall contractor remove
the insulation or apply layers to the wall.
Insulation
Removal
Many homeowners inquire about removing the old insulation from their
attic, rarely is this necessary. The only time we recommend removing
old insulation is when the insulation has been fire damaged, water
damaged or heavily infested with rodents. While old material may
have settled, packed or is dirty….there is really no need
to remove it. In fact, most homes we insulate already have some
old material….we actually use it as a base to add more insulation
to. Also, our insulation will seal and encapsulate the old material…rendering
it harmless.
Insulation removal is very costly, often costing more then installing
new material. As mentioned above, it is rarely necessary. We do
not perform this work, however, we have a few contractors who specialize
in this. Please call our offices for referrals if you feel you need
this service performed.
New
Construction
Everguard Home Insulation specializes in working on already existing
and built homes. Many contractors are using batting (rolls) in the
floors & walls, but waiting until the drywall is up and instead
blowing the attic with cellulose insulation. This is extremely popular
in Arizona, Nevada and other states where top performance is sought.
The cellulose blown insulation is far superior to batting material:
it’s safer, longer-lasting, more efficient, more effective,
insect & rodent resistant, does not itch, costs less and has
a lifetime guarantee. If, however, you require fiberglass batting,
we refer:
In Los Angeles and surrounding areas: RBH Insulation at (800) 497-4724,
ask for Valli
In the San Fernando Valley & surrounding valley’s: All-Weather
Insulation at (818) 709-5929, ask for Larry
WORKING IN AN ATTIC AFTER INSULATION
Homeowners often express concern about working in the attic after
it has been blown with insulation. The good news is that homeowners
often report that working in blown insulation is not nearly as difficult
as they had imagined. The loose-fill material can simply be displaced
with a dustpan and shifted out of the way temporarily when areas
need to be worked in. Also, cellulose provides an R30 with only
8.1”…which is much easier to work in then the nearly
12” of the fiberglass required to achieve the same R30 rating.
Cellulose is easy to work in, it washes off easily and effortlessly.
Fiberglass, even when rolled out, can still be dangerous to breath
and leave you miserably itchy. After insulating with blown material,
many homeowners have installed recessed lighting, wired for computers,
alarms and other such devices with no reported problems. The blown
material does not become hard or damage from being walked on. You
need only take care to stay on top of ceiling joist when walking.
PRICING
& SCHEDULING
All of our work is priced on a square-foot basis. We are extremely
competitive and offer a low-price guarantee. Please call our offices
for pricing quotes. Often we can provide our service and insulate
your entire home for less then do-it-yourself. We can also arrange for easy payments at no interest rate or cost.
Typically we can get to your job within 2-3 days notice. We are
available 7 days a week and very early in the morning: whatever
it takes to get your job taken care of. Attic insulation generally
takes 2-3 hours. Walls generally take about 5-6 hours. You don’t
have to leave your home, the noise is minimal and there is nothing
dangerous or toxic involved
GUARANTEE
All of our work carries a lifetime guarantee. The insulation is
guaranteed to remain permanently non-flammable, non-toxic and non-harmful
to your health. This guarantee is provided through the manufacturer.
Everguard Home Insulation further guarantees that the insulation
is properly installed throughout the entire attic and (with cellulose)
the insulation will not settle, pack or loose its insulating value.
SERVICE
AREA
We are based in the San Fernando Valley. We service all of Los Angeles
and travel as far North as the Santa Clarita Valley, West towards
Camarillo, East towards Pasadena and as far South as Long Beach.
We insulate attics and walls of existing homes. Attics are insulated
by blowing or rolling insulation into the attic area. Once the attic
is properly insulated your house will remain cooler in the summer
and warmer in the winter. The attic is the most important area to
have insulated, it typically pays for itself in about one year and
makes a significant difference in the comfort of your home. Attics
can be installed in about 2 hours, the process is very clean and
quiet .
REBATES
Presently there are rebates available through the Southern California
Gas Company. Rebates are offered on attic insulation and wall insulation.
The rebate program is based on paying a 15-cent rebate for each
square foot of insulation installed.
Attic insulation. A 15-cent per square-foot rebate is offered when
you bring your attic up to an R30 rating. The entire attic must
be done. Call us for other details.
Wall insulation. A 15-cent per square-foot rebate is offered for
each square foot of wall you insulate. You are not required to insulate
all your walls and only exterior walls are considered. Call us for
details.
To save you time and trouble, we have rebate applications on our
trucks and will help you fill-out and apply for your rebate. These
rebates are available on a limited basis and we can not guarantee
your receiving the rebate. Please call us for further details and
information.
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