Insulation

How do I know if my home needs additional insulation?
High Bills: Although high electric usage can be a sign of many different things in the home. One of those factors is the need for additional insulation. This is especially true of manufactured homes.
Cold & Hot Floors: If you notice cold floors in the winter and hot floors in the summer, there is a good chance that your insulation is not sufficient.
Lack of Attic Insulation: If you suspect you need additional insulation and can safely get to your attic - look for lack of insulation. If your insulation level is at or below the top of the floor joists, you probably need to add more insulation. It is important that the insulation be evenly distributed with no low spots; sometimes there is enough insulation in the middle of the attic and very little along the eaves. The attic is the easiest place to add insulation to improve your comfort and the energy efficiency of your home.

I'm pretty sure I need additional insulation. What do I do next and what is the process?

  • Contact our Energy Services Department by calling 509-412-4148 or 509-547-5591 and ask for Energy Services.  You cam e-mail energyservices@franklinpud.com so we can determine the need for insulation by conducting a virtual pre-inspection. You will be asked to provide photos of the attic and crawlspace.
  • Once the pre-inspection is complete, one of our Energy Services Specialist will determine if your home's efficiency can be improved by installing insulation or increasing the value of the current insulation in your home.
  • Franklin PUD offers two insulation programs:
    Low Income: If you think you may qualify for the low-Income program, our Energy Services Department will help you with the income verification process. We will ask you to submit household income verification documents. The Sustainable Living Center, a third-party agency, will process your verification paperwork and determine eligibility. We will guide you through all these steps.
    Standard: Our standard program does not require income verification; the only requirement for this program is that our customer must select one of our authorized contractors to perform the project.
  • Our Energy Services Specialists will provide you with a Participation Agreement and answer any questions you may have.
  • Next, you will choose a contractor from our Approved List of Insulation Contractors. We encourage you to get estimates prior to making your final selection. Contractors will provide both you and our Energy Services Department with an estimate.
  • Schedule your installation with your contractor. Installation times will vary depending on their availability. Once the project is completed, both you and the contractor will be asked to provide photos of the work performed to help complete the final inspection.

Do I need to own my home to qualify for the program? 
No tenants also qualify for both our standard and low-income insulation program. The standard program will cover 50% of the cost and the low-income will cover 90% of the cost, therefore the landlord must authorize and pay for any out of pocket expenses. 

An explanation of R-Value:
Insulation levels are specified by R-Value. R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat flow. The higher the R-Value, the better the thermal performance of the insulation. The recommended level for attics in a single or multi-family home in our area is to insulate to R-49 or about 16 to 18 inches, depending on insulation type, and R-22 for manufactured homes.

Common types of Insulation for our area:
Mineral Fiber Blankets, Batts, or Rolls: This is the most common and available form of insulation. It's used mainly for floor and cathedral ceilings. It's made of flexible fiberglass manufactured in the right size to feet between walls joist, studs and under floors.
Mineral Fiber Loose Fill: Is made of small particles of different material that can be blown into areas. Used mainly for open attic areas. Benefits: Can be blown-in into areas that may be hard to reach or where is difficult to apply other types of insulation.
Cellulose Loose Fill: Made of recycled newsprint. Use mainly for attic and dense pack into walls.