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Ruh Roh! Houston, We Have A Problem Part 2 of 3

By
Real Estate Agent with thredUP.com

Well, I'm on my way to get out of the Greenhouse Gas Hall of Shame!  Yesterday I posted Part 1 of 3 where I talked about re-insulating my attic.  I won't go into all of the details again, I will just get down to business.  On my way to find out the TRUE End Results of Re-Insulating your home with GREEN Insulation.

Air Blown Insulation Machine

 

 

The guys showed up this morning around 8:15.  This machine is in the back of a normal delivery truck. WOW! They needed a big one for this job!  I didn't expect that. 

They got to work upstairs attaching Webbing to the Knee Walls (because of my vaulted ceilings) and worked on the area over my Covered Front Porch area to reduce Heat Gain.  As soon as it was all prepped, they started my Transformation.

They did a great job, cleaned up well, (it was pretty messy) and were out of here by about 11:15 am. 

Below are before and after photos.  The difference is not so much what you can see as much as what you can't.  Let's just say there was a blizzard in Houston today.

 

                    BEFORE                                                                                                                     AFTER

Poorly Insulated AtticNewly Re-Insulated Attic

 

Ok, I promise that this photo was taken from the same area.  In the far back is my Covered Front Porch area. 

 

 

 

                    BEFORE                                                                                                                   AFTER

Poorly Insulated AtticNewly Re-Insulated Attic

 

 

This one was taken from a slightly different angle, but it is the same area.  There were still Newspaper Flurries in the air and MUCH darker.

 

 

Now, can I tell a difference?  Short answer, YES!  It has been less than 12 hours and I do believe I can feel a difference.  I honestly believe that there will be a drastic reduction in my utility bills.  Here is a Before and After breakdown on my home.  Now, I will say one thing. It was an extremely Overcast day for Houston and this is, again, less than 12 hours from getting this put in.

Before:    

  • My home has always been somewhat humid inside. Not sticky, but I have no better word for it. I thought it was coming from the windows.
  • There have always been "Hot Spots" that never go away.  Some rooms hotter than others.  WAY Hotter.
  • I never took my A/C above 75 in June. 
  • The A/C would run for...well, it would run. For a long time.  Then cut off and start again in about 12 minutes.

After:

  • I do not notice that Humid feeling.
  • I do not notice the "Hot Spots"-all of the rooms seem to be more even in temperature.
  • I had my A/C at 75 like normal and it froze me out of the house.  I took it up to 81 as a good experiment before I left to go make my rounds on my listings. That was at 2:00 pm.  At 6:00 pm when I got home I was welcomed by a Cool Draft of air...that was not the Air Conditioner!
  • My A/C seems to be running for 8 minutes. Cuts off and starts again on an average of 18 minutes.  That is still at 81 degrees on the thermostat.

I am going to wait and see what my August bill is before I do Part 3.  August is always my highest bill of the year.  Last year it was more than my car note...slightly over $400.  Let's see what it is this year. I believe my $665 investment will pay off in a pretty short period of time.

Oh, and for those of you that watched the video on Applegate Insulation's website...I tried it, without the blowtorch of course.  After burning it for almost 1 minute the insulation was cool enough (the part I burned, what was now black) for me to pick up with my fingers.  Cooler than a cookie HOT and fresh out of the oven.  Unbelievable.  As of today, I would say this is one GREAT way to start going GREEN!

Comments(10)

Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Stephanie,

 I think you ought to do TV ads for these people You seem pretty darn pleased with them.

Jun 22, 2007 03:48 PM
Stephanie Edwards-Musa
thredUP.com - The Woodlands, TX
knitwit at thred UP
Hey Steven- Do you know anything about this product?  So far I like it.
Jun 22, 2007 03:51 PM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
Hey...that was pretty cool. Using your own home and what you're doing to improve is really outstanding work as well as writing. Thanks for sharing...it really ought to give others insight...it's not just about caring...it's also about your finances!
Jun 22, 2007 04:35 PM
Matthew J Blum - (retired from the business)
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Stephanie,  awesome post.  I really enjoy the green piece you are doing.  Keep it up!   Can you post the usage on your utilitie bill before and after?
Jun 22, 2007 11:57 PM
Christina Lackey
Coldwell Banker Prime Properties - North Syracuse, NY
Syracuse Central New York Real Estate
Great post!  You are doing a great job with this and I'll bet others will follow your lead, especially once we see your actual savings.  Nice work, as always.
Jun 23, 2007 02:52 AM
Jeff R. Geoghan
Coldwell Banker Realty - Lancaster, PA
REALTOR, Marketing Manager
Looking good, Stephanie.  Give us more!
Jun 23, 2007 07:03 AM
Stephanie Edwards-Musa
thredUP.com - The Woodlands, TX
knitwit at thred UP

Thanks Sally!  I thought this would be a good way for everyone to know that it really does make a difference.  The companies that do the work tell us that, but from a consumer...I think it speaks louder.

Thanks Matt!  I will show the difference in the bills but I am going to wait until August or so.  It will show us a more accurate description of what will happen.

Thanks Christina!  I think this is something a lot of people should do.  Not because I am doing it, but because it really will help them.

Thanks Jeff! I'm working on it.

Jun 24, 2007 09:57 AM
Jeff Fulgham
T.U.P. Realty - Tupelo, MS
Broker E-Pro ABR
My goodness. Remind me not to come visit you. If your AC is set on 81 I wouldn't last 10 min in there
Jun 24, 2007 01:34 PM
Stephanie Edwards-Musa
thredUP.com - The Woodlands, TX
knitwit at thred UP
Jeff F- I think my thermostat is off.  When I set it on 80, it's not 80.
Jun 30, 2007 07:20 AM
Mary McGraw
GLREA - Rockford, MI
2015: Solar Energy Is Still A Simple Machine!

Excellent Stephanie! I love the photos also. It will be interesting to hear what happens to your utilities. I like what you have noticed so far....I will show this to my other half, maybe something we can do! We've had many 80+ (90+) days in Michigan so far this year (and it's only the first of July)!Love the comfort but I hate the bills that come with the A/C!

 

Jul 01, 2007 04:02 PM