When the storms and tornadoes passed through Missouri and Illinois, many homeowners suffered damage from the high winds and debris impact. This damage exposed structural weaknesses, poor insulation, and poor construction methods.
How Did This Happen?
Many homes in the Arnold and Imperial areas, and in fact all along the I-55 corridor, were originally constructed with styrofoam panels behind the vinyl siding. When that siding blew off in the high winds we recently experienced, that styrofoam sheathing was revealed.
In other words, instead of a sturdy substrate you would hope to find, like plywood or OSB (both strong wood products), they discovered their wood framing had been covered in 4×8 sheets of ½” thick styrofoam.
If you need to repair storm damage, now is the time to upgrade the structural strength of your home, add foam insulation, improve the comfort of your home, and cut down on utility bills – all at the same time.
The downsides of poor insulation
Unfortunately, this I-55 corridor is also where homeowners often say they can hear their neighbors talking outside as if they were in the house. They can hear the highway as if the windows were open. These are the same homes that are hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Poor insulation is to blame.
The foamboard is sold in sheets like plywood. To cover a house in 4×8 sheets, you have lots of them with seams between them. Water and air can pass between the sheets. When the rain passes between the sheets, it can contact the wood studs of the house and rot the studs. Furthermore, half-inch foamboard exacerbates the inefficiency of fiberglass insulation. It allows the noise to easily come into your home, and poor insulation also causes high energy bills.
Take Action Now
Now that this storm has passed through, it is time to get your home fixed up. As long as you are getting it fixed, let’s get it done right.
Quick-Start Guide
The steps are simple:
- Get quotes: Find out what you have behind your siding and get quotes. (Get your quote from Gateway RetroFoam here.)
- Remove substrate: While your siding contractor is removing your siding and putting the new siding on, they can also replace your foamboard with plywood.
- Get foam insulation: Gateway RetroFoam will remove inefficient fiberglass insulation and replace it with spray foam or RetroFoam.
- Finish the job: Then your siding contractor will complete the job by installing plywood and siding.
Find out what is behind your siding and get a quote
Do you have styrofoam or plywood behind your siding? While you have your siding contractor on site, ask them to confirm if you have foamboard or plywood behind the siding. (It’s best to check for foamboard at least 3 feet away from the corners.)
If you’d like to know before speaking with a siding contractor, we’d be happy to come out to your home, talk about your insulation options, and inform you if you have plywood or foamboard. Regardless of whether you have plywood or foamboard, invite Gateway RetroFoam to get your discounted quote.
As long as the siding is off, let’s take advantage of that by upgrading your insulation at a discounted price. We are able to offer a discount because we do not have to remove and reinstall your existing siding.
Upgrading your insulation is more cost effective than you think
Are you reluctant to check out your insulation options due to cost? Let Gateway RetroFoam come out and show you how affordable it can be to upgrade your insulation by creating more energy efficient walls.
To help homeowners affected by the storm, we are offering a reduced price and encourage you to at least get a quote so that you can determine just how quickly improved insulation will give you a return on your investment.
Pricing Benefits Available Now
Reduced price: We are offering a reduced price for those who have a siding contractor removing and reinstalling siding. With your siding crew handling the labor costs to allow access to the home exterior walls, that is a perfect time for us to come in and insulate your home with RetroFoam or spray foam. For many homeowners struggling with repairs from storm damage, this is by far the best opportunity to upgrade your insulation.
Tax credit: We advise all our customers, make sure you take advantage of the $1,200 Federal Tax Credit for re-insulating your home. All homeowners anywhere in the United States are eligible for this tax credit.
Financing available: Gateway RetroFoam is a preferred contractor for Spire Energy. That means homeowners who are Spire customers can finance up to a maximum of $5,000 for 5 years at only 3% interest, repaid at $90/ month on your gas bill.
Reduced energy bills: RetroFoam will reduce your utility costs by up to 40% and spray foam insulation will reduce your utility costs by 50% more than fiberglass. As always, energy-efficient foam insulation greatly improves the comfort of your home and significantly reduces noise from your neighborhood. Reducing your energy bills by 40-50% results in a very fast return on investment (ROI)!