Spray Foam Insulation Resources by RevFoam of Chicago IL

Winter Heatloss in Chicago, IL

Typically we overcome our environment through brute force. If the house is cold… we turn up the heat! At REVFOAM Insulation we address the building envelope and stop the heat loss. Overcoming the harsh Chicago environment with logic allowing your home to work smarter not harder to heat and cool itself.

Summer Heat Gain

Attics are inherently like ovens. Traditional insulation does not stop summer heat build up from radiating into the house. Spray foam insulation, properly installed, creates a barrier that the heat will not penetrate.

Diagnose your own Chicago Home

As a homeowner you can diagnose major insulation problems by looking at the outside of the house in winter time or, by taking the temperature on different levels in the summertime.

Snow melting due to poor attic insulation — In the pictures above you can see the drastic difference in the amount of snow on the roofs where the house is heated and not heated (garage).

This is due to heat loss. The traditional insulation in the pictures does not stop the heat from escaping through the roof. When the heat (heat which should not escape at all) reaches the roof it melts the snow, causing icicles and ice damming. This insulation problem can lead to additional problems including costly roofing repairs.

Another easy way to diagnose heat loss is by using our hands to feel around electrical outlets. When you feel cold air around outlets you know you have an insulation problem.

Diagnosing insulation problems in the summertime is not so easy but, with a little work we can learn alot. All you need is a thermometer. If you have a multi-level home, take temperatures on all the different levels and compare. If you have a single level home take temperatures at the floor and as near the ceiling as you can. These temperatures should not vary more than 5 to 10 degrees.

Recognizing insulation problems is the first step to increasing your energy savings. Of course there are other factors that affect your energy consumption. The information above is intended to give every home owner some simple tools to recognize how your home may be losing significant energy.