We are Missoula’s most knowledgeable, careful, and thorough insulation contractors.

There’s a LOT more to doing an excellent job of insulating a home than meets the eye. Energetechs offers the most thorough, careful, and effective insulation and air-sealing services in Missoula, MT. We are Missoula’s most knowledgeable and thorough insulation contractors. Our fully trained and experienced team uses state-of-the-art equipment and proven techniques to provide maximum energy savings and comfort. Our attention to detail is unmatched in the industry and ensures that our systems will provide reliable performance for the life of the building. Our unparalleled knowledge of Building Science (the study of how air, moisture, and heat move through and affect buildings) means that we are concerned, not just about the thermal comfort of your home, but also your health and safety as well as the durability and longevity of your home.

Safe Insulation.

Hidden Dangers of Insulating

As laughable and dramatic as this may sound, there are actually some potentially serious problems that can be created by the incorrect application of insulation and air-sealing to your home. The most obvious of these is the danger of adversely affecting the air-quality inside your home. If a house is made air tight without the provision of adequate ventilation it can quickly become an unhealthy place to live due to the build up of chemical gases, VOC’s, and excessive humidity inside the home. This is sometimes called “Sick Building Syndrome” and many so-called “experts” will tell you that “you don’t want to make your home too air-tight”. Unfortunately this is only half the story because, in a cold climate like Montana’s, the only way you can make your home energy efficient is by combining excellent insulation with excellent air-tightness to create a highly effective Thermal Boundary. So, in an energy efficient home, Heat Recovery Ventilation is essential to preventing Sick Building Syndrome while ensuring maximum energy savings.

Warning!!! Don’t add insulation to an attic without air sealing first!!!

Another, less well known danger of insulating houses is the increased potential for hidden condensation problems in certain situations. The most well-documented of these can occur when insulation is added to an attic without first taking care of the air sealing between the home and the attic. If this is not done there can be significant movement of water vapor from the house into the attic which is now much colder because of the additional insulation that has been added. This moisture vapor finds itself in a cold environment and can condense on any cold surface. In extreme cases this can lead to serious mold problems and even water dripping from light fixtures in the winter time. In one, sad case that we investigated the poor homeowners had replaced their entire roof thinking that they had a roof leak when in fact they had a condensation problem caused by the extra insulation they had added to their attic. This can occur in walls as well and particularly in basement walls where there is a higher likelihood of moisture problems.

So it is important for the homeowner to be very careful when considering adding insulation to their home. There are many insulation contractors out there who do not have the kind of thorough understanding of Building Science that we have at Energetechs. Their bids are likely to be less than ours because they may not take the same “house-as-a-system” approach that we take to ensure that you not only save heat, energy, and money but are protected from unhealthy indoor air and potential condensation and mold problems. If these problems do occur they will certainly cost you a lot more in the long run. So call Energetechs to have it done right the first time.

CLICK HERE to read an independent, authoritative article about this subject…

Energy Efficient Insulation.

Missoula, Montana has a harsh, cold climate that makes it challenging to build energy efficient, durable, and comfortable homes. Buildings insulated by Energetechs are among the most energy efficient ever built in this area.

To create an effective Thermal Boundary it is important to understand that insulation by itself does not stop air movement. An excellent insulation job requires excellent air-sealing in order to be effective. Insulation without good air-sealing is like being out in a blizzard wrapped in a thick blanket that has a lot of holes in it. It won’t keep you warm. On the other hand, air-sealing without good insulation is like being out in a blizzard dressed only in a tightly sealed garbage bag. It won’t keep you warm either. Your insulation contractor has to provide BOTH good insulation AND good air-sealing, and that is the Energetechs advantage.

We understand the need for both and we know how to achieve them in our installations. This makes the buildings we insulate much more energy efficient and saves you more money on utility bills year after year.

Home Comfort.

A really well insulated and air-tight building not only saves money, it is more comfortable. Proper air-sealing eliminates drafts that rob you and your home of heat. And well-installed insulation causes the interior surfaces of your home to be warmer in winter and cooler in summer. This feeling of comfort in their homes is something that our customers value at least as much as the energy and money that they save.

Healthy Homes.

As mentioned above there are some very real and hidden dangers with insulating homes that can adversely affect the health of both your home and the air inside it. By combining a thorough knowledge of Building Science with over twenty years of experience in the energy efficiency business we can ensure that you and your investment in your home are protected when it comes time to improve your insulation and air-sealing.

Blown-in Cellulose Insulation

Wherever possible we prefer to use blown in cellulose insulation which contains no formaldehyde and no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s). Because it is made from natural recycled wood fiber it is also capable of absorbing and releasing impressive amounts of moisture without promoting mold growth. Plus it is treated with a natural Borate compound that acts as a fire retardant and mold inhibitor. We find that cellulose insulation is often the best choice for both attic (roof) and wall (cavity) insulation.

Spray Foam Insulation

However there are certain situations, particularly when remodeling existing homes, where the best choice is to use spray foam or rigid foam insulation. Foam insulation typically has the highest R-value (a measure of a material’s Resistance to heat flow) per inch of any insulation product which means that we can achieve excellent insulation values in small spaces. There are many types and densities of foam insulation such as Expanded Polystyrene, Extruded Polystyrene, Blown Polyurethane, and rigid Polyisocyanurate. The closed-cell, higher density varieties have the added advantage of being both a high-R-value material AND an air and moisture barrier. So in situations where it is necessary to control condensation potential in order to prevent rot and mold and to protect the health and durability of the home, spray foam insulation is also the right choice for a healthy home.

You need an insulation contractor and installer who understands all of these factors when it comes to insulating and sealing your home in order to save energy.

Well sealed and insulated buildings are healthiest when they are provided with a  Heat Recovery Ventilation system. This gives a constant supply of fresh air without losing heat as it recovers the heat from the stale air that is exhausted. We can help you decide whether this is something you should consider for your home and we have extensive experience with designing and installing these systems.

Sustainable Insulation.

Our cellulose insulation is made almost entirely from recycled natural fibers. It has the lowest embodied energy of any of the standard insulating materials. It releases no greenhouse or ozone depleting gases. All in all it has a very small environmental footprint which makes it the greenest and most sustainable insulating material available.

There are certain areas of some homes that, for one reason or another, cannot be insulated with blown-in cellulose. In these areas (as mentioned above) we often use spray foam because it provides the very highest R-value per inch of any of the insulation types available. It can also be excellent for air-sealing making it a very energy-efficient insulation product. And, since the largest part of a home’s environmental impact over its lifetime comes from the energy it uses over that lifetime, making your home as energy conserving as possible is the most responsible thing that you can do for the environment.

Tested and Proven Installation Services.

We use Blower Door and Infrared Camera testing to verify the quality of our insulation and air-sealing installations. Buildings we have insulated have been tested and proven to be amongst the most energy efficient in the country. All in all, we are the most knowledgeable, careful, thorough, and reliable insulation contractors in the business.

We invite you to give us a call or send us an email via the Contact us tab located at the top of this page.

CONTACT US – Energetechs, Inc., – ph.