It is important to insulate the walls of a house, as this will prevent cool or warm air from coming in and out of the house. You can save a lot of electricity if the walls are properly insulated. No matter what the weather is, you can keep the house cozy when you use a heater or an air conditioning unit. This, there is no need to run these machines full blast (and suffer from high electricity bills), as long as the house has insulation.
When insulating an existing closed-up wall, it is ideal to do it by using the blown-in insulation method. You need to have an insulation blowing machine for this task. A blower forces different insulation materials into the attic or wall cavity such as fiberglass, rock wool and cellulose. You can rent an insulation blowing machine if you intend to do the job by yourself. However, it is a tedious task, which would often require a professional for efficiency in insulating the house.
There are different types of insulation blowing machines. Each type contains standard components such as the blower, hopper, the hose and the engine. Here are more details about the insulation blowing machine types.
1. Professional or Commercial-Grade Insulation Blowing Machine
This type of blower has massive capacity and heavy-duty materials. These professional-grade blowers can force in about 85 to 135 bags of insulation materials per hour. Some brands of blowers contain odor-free materials that are noncombustible and noncorrosive. For instance, Northern White blowing insulation does not contain chemicals that cause bacteria or mildew. Moreover, the material used with this blower will not absorb any amount of moisture that would cause decay.
Industrial-type blowers are also enormous in size. Some machines have a huge dimension of six feet by four feet and a hefty weight of up to 1,500 pounds. These blowers used for commercial purposes cost around $16,000 or even more. Nevertheless, you will find the blowers very efficient to use if you are working on a huge construction.
2. Lower-Capacity Insulation Blowing Machine
If you think that a blower that costs several thousand dollars is too overwhelming, you can consider using a blower with lower capacity. These blowers cost much cheaper, thus making them ideal for a low-budget company. However, you will expect lower volume and capacity specs with these machines. Several brands of lower-capacity blowers can force in about 450 pounds of fiberglass or 2000 pounds of cellulose insulation per hour. Hence, this type of blower is ideal for residential buildings and even commercial establishments that do not require a massive blowing insulation machine.
The lower-capacity blower is also quite light, as compared to professional-grade ones. You can also move the machine easily because it comes with wheels. A typical blower with low capacity weighs about 300 pounds, and it can fit perfectly at the back of a truck.
Aside from the size and capacity of the two types of blowers, there is also a difference in how they are powered. The professional grade blowers use gas to power the motors, while the low capacity can use about 20 amp of household circuit.
Although the insulation process may appear simple, it is still much better to leave the work to professionals. Renting a blower can cost you about a hundred dollars; moreover, the whole process can be very long and tiring. The process is also quite tricky because you have to do the insulation perfectly to achieve excellent results. Hence, it would do you well to consult a professional who can handle the insulation of your attic or the walls in your house.