How Do I Lower My Energy Bills?

The energy consumption in your St. Cloud home is directly tied to the condition of your crawl space. During the summer, the humid outside air enters your crawl space and then rises into your home. This is possible because hot air is lighter than cold air, and the air in your home is significantly cooler than the air outside. During the winter, the density of the cold air forces the warm air to flow above your home and escape via your attic. This is called the stack effect, and it forces your HVAC system to consume more energy during extreme weather.

The stack effect can be minimized by waterproofing, insulating, and encapsulating your crawl space. First, you need to make sure that the air isn’t able to flow in and out of the crawl space by getting a vent cover and encapsulating the space with a vapor barrier. The air in the crawl space needs to be purified and cooled down a little by removing the moisture, which is something that a dehumidifier can do. Finally, the air needs to be trapped so that it cannot rise into your home. This can be achieved with AquaStop ExTremeBloc™, an insulation material offered by us at Innovative Basement Authority.

AquaStop ExTremeBloc™ is a reflective insulation material made of polystyrene foam and embedded with graphite particles for maximum efficiency. With an impressive R-value of 11, AquaStop ExTremeBloc™ can reduce the energy consumption of your home between 15 to 20%. Unlike some other insulation materials, it does not deteriorate when exposed to water. The insulation panels trap the air in the crawl space by bouncing the heat off each other. All these installations are crucial if you want to stop overworking your HVAC system and lower your energy bills.