Welcome To SpringField Insulation

Are you in search of an experienced and professional insulation contractor in Springfield, Massachusetts, Chicopee, Northampton, Holyoke or somewhere else in the greater Springfield metropolitan area? Look no further.  We at Springfield Insulation are experts in all things insulation and offer comprehensive insulation solutions for residential and commercial clients, regardless of the size, scope or complexity of the job, we a confident we're capable of providing a solution that fits your needs. Whether you are in Springfield, Chicopee , Holyoke , Longmeadow or another area in Hampden, Hampshire or Franklin county and the greater Pioneer Valley, you'll want to get in touch with us for insulation installation, maintenance, inspection and assessment. Beside blown insulation installation, spray foam insulation installation,  injection foam insulation installation, and air sealing we also offer energy assessments so that you get the most benefit from your insulation. And of course we offer free no-pressure consultations—just click on the number above or complete the contact form to set something up with us.  

​Unlike other companies we are experienced with all kinds of insulation and we work with both residential and commercial clients. We aim to provide the best solution to our clients, not just the solution that is easiest for us to provide based on what we prefer. We like to take a consultative and informative approach to providing service, and we do not view ourselves simply as insulation contractors or insulation service providers but partners in optimizing one system among many in a building or home. To that end, we believe excellent work and service are the best kinds of referrals. We know that if we do right by our clients, they will do right by us. That's why we've not only stayed in business but thrived. 

WHy install insulation

Most homeowners and business owners understand that insulation is important to provide a building with a comfortable temperature and air quality in an eco-friendly way, that is without contaminants or pollutants harmful to people, pets or the environment. But there is a wide range in the effectiveness and performance in insulation for a given application. This depends on the type of insulation, how it is installed, where it is installed, and what the aim of the insulation is. Every kind of insulation has its pros & cons and is optimal for specific applications. 

One of the first things people think about when they think about insulation is that it is responsible for keeping warmth inside and cold outside.  Especially here in New England good insulation is essential to keeping old man winter out. Insulation does this by only slowly releases the heat energy it absorbs. That means when the furnace is blasting in winter, insulation will keep more of the heat inside for longer before it dissipates in the the atmosphere outside. And when cold air penetrates the home it only slows down the stimulated atoms in the insulation a bit(as compared to poor insulating materials like metal or wood) also helping to keep inside warm.

Another application of insulation is to keep heat out, which makes sense if you stop to think about it for a moment. Because insulation holds onto heat energy, that heat energy from the sun can be held just as well from the outside as the inside. This is the same reason why a basement is about the same temperature all year around. Basements are surround by earth which is a classic insulator. With the right insulation in a home, the same thing happens. Heat gets trapped in the insulation and gets trapped there, keeping the inside of the building cooler than it would be otherwise. As a secondary effect of this, good insulation in a building reduces energy costs significantly, since the inside of the building is cooler and less energy is required to bring it to a comfortable temperature inside.

Another advantage of good insulation is that in inhibits moisture accumulation and the attendant damage excessive moisture can bring to building. Insulation does this by preventing condensation through water dew forming on surfaces. The temperature at which free water vapor in the are forms dew on a surface is called the dew point. Insulation keeps surfaces above this temperature. Otherwise, surfaces exposed to temperatures below the dew point are at risk of accelerated wear and even damage through water. This is most evident in metal piping, 

In line with preventing water condensation, insulation also prevents mold and mildew growth. Mold and mildew low environments with high humidity,  that is high amounts of gaseous water, an organic substance it can subsist on, and temperatures about 10 degrees Fahrenheit above freezing.  Insulation keeps a livable environment for mold from forming by managing moisture and temperature and denying mold food when it is made of inorganic materials like spray foam or fiberglass. When paired with proper moisture mitigation strategies, insulation keeps dry indoor environments dry, removing one of mold's three essential conditions to grow. 

Properly installed, insulation can also decrease noise as a physical barrier that slows down the movement of sound through air. Insulation is an important component of any sound proofing or sound reduction application. Even if it is not specifically or primarily installed to reduce sound as a part of a mitigation strategy for unwanted sound, insulation has the add benefit of reducing sound in addition to it's temperature and moisture control properties. How well insulation does at reducing sound depends on the kind of insulation deployed and where it is installed. An experienced insulation professional can determine the best way to achieve the desired balance of effects. 

What kinds of Insulation are there? 

Insulation works by absorbs heat energy and releasing it slowly. In order to do this, materials with a specific property of absorbing heat and releasing it slowly are deployed. This property of materials is measured in terms of R-value. R-value is the measure of a material's resistance to the flow of heat. The higher the R-value the better a material is at impeding the flow of heat through it.

In addition to not allowing heat to pass through them easily, good insulators do not conduct, or allow electricity to move through them. On a micro level, insulators have their atoms spaced far apart so heat (energy) has a harder time moving through them. That said, it's easy to see what the best insulators are, gasses, liquids, foams things like that. Now it's impractical for us to implement gas or liquid as an insulator in the typical residential or commercial building,  but foams are ideal for the job. ​Foams are the best of both worlds. They are full of high R-value air, but solid enough to stay put; in fact foams are able to get into just about any space, which is why spray foam insulation is a popular insulation type.

Besides spray foam, other materials have been and continue to be used as insulation. The most common insulation material is fiberglass. Fiberglass is just that, very thin strands of glass and sand. Fiberglass insulation comes in rolls, loose or panels or batts. Some advantages of fiberglass are it is among the most inexpensive insulation materials, is fire-resistant, moisture resistant, and sound-resistant. Some disadvantages of fiberglass insulation are that fiberglass is eye and skin irritant, it is difficult to use to cover small, odd angles, and while it is moisture resistant, when it gets wet is looses all of it's insulating properties. 

Another material used in insulation is cellulose. Cellulose is the fiber found in plants and mainly used to make paper and paper products. The most common form insulation comes in is loose-fill. Cellulose has the advantages of inexpensiveness,  being good for the environment because it often made of recycled materials, being equal to or better than alternative materials in air permeability, being easy to install. Some the disadvantages of cellulose insulation are that it must be treated with boric acid, a chemical whose chief component boron is relatively scarce,  besides boric acid, cellulose insulation must be treated with other chemicals to make it fire resistant, but these chemical can be harmful if ingested or inhaled in certain quantities. In addition cellulose insulation does not come packed together in sheets the way fiberglass insulation does, instead it is comes loosely in fibers. The biggest negative about cellulose insulation is that it is not as fire-resistant as other kinds of insulation, though advances in this area are being made. 

Another common insulation material is mineral wool commonly know as rock wool or slag wool. Rock wool is  synthetic substance comprised of a variety of natural mineral fibers, for example basalt rock. Rock is heated until it becomes pliable and then spun into fibers. Slag wool is made of blast furnace slag. Slag is the byproduct of steel production and is spun into fibers the same way. Mineral wool is an advantageous material for insulation for several reasons. It has a high r-value that is stable over time. It does not shift or change shape easily one installed, withstanding compression well. Because it is produced at high temperatures and made of relatively inflammable minerals, mineral insulation is very fire resistant. It is a good sound absorber and resists mold, fungus, and bacterial growth because it is not made of a organic substance which those organisms need to live on.