How to Pick a Contractor

RELY ON A PROFESSIONAL

CertainTeed recommends calling a professional insulation contractor to do the job. An insulation expert evaluates your insulation needs based on the area of the country in which you live and the design of your home. He can recommend the areas that should be insulated and the amount of insulation required to increase the comfort in your home and provide optimum energy savings. For a start, use our Find a Pro link or look in the Yellow Pages and ask friends and neighbors for recommendations.

ASK FOR CREDENTIALS

Most reputable contractors belong to a local contractor association, the Insulation Contractors Association of America (ICAA), the Insulation Contractors of America (ICA), the Better Business Bureau, and other professional groups. Ask the contractors you contact for a list of their memberships. And if you have any questions check with the organizations.

CHECK THEIR REFERENCES

True professionals are proud of their work. Get a list of the contractors recent customers and call them for references.

COMPARE THE PRODUCTS

Compare the products being offered. Some insulation products must be treated chemically for fire safety. Make sure you are being offered options that are thermally efficient, noncombustible, safe insulation.

GET AN ESTIMATE

Get an estimate beforehand. Make sure the estimate spells out exactly the material to be used and the work that will be done. With insulation, R-Values (rather than inches) determine thermal performance. The R-Value is the measure of an insulations resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-Value, the greater the insulating power.

HOW MUCH INSULATION?

As energy costs increase, additional insulation to provide higher R-Values is usually justified to help provide lower energy consumption. In some areas of the country, heating costs determine how much insulation should be used; in others, air conditioning costs are the major influence. In many areas, both heating and air conditioning contribute to the DOE recommendations found in Helpful Resouces.

NEW CONSTRUCTION

If you are planning to build a new home, there is another way to assure that the insulation contractor who insulates your home does it right. Ask your builder to use a Certified Insulation Contractor; one certified by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center. Using a contractor participating in this third-party certification program is a good way to know that your new home will be insulated properly and be both comfortable and energy efficient.