CLEVELAND — Jeff Monreal has been climbing ladders and serving homeowners in Northeast Ohio for more than 30 years.
“So we lose 70% of our heat loss goes up into the attic. Well, a lot of times people complain that their walls are cold, and a lot of times their walls are cold because the heat's already escaping out the attic,” Monreal said.
He is the owner of Installed Services Inc., which specializes in installing attic and wall insulation. Nine out of 10 homes are under-insulated, leading to air leaks and wasting money on energy utility costs. As many northeast Ohioans are preparing for another polar plunge, Monreal said these services are crucial for preserving heat during the cold weather.
“So we put foam baffles and at the eaves,” he said. “We also seal around bathroom fans, chimneys, anything that protrudes from the floor below up into the attic to allow the air to not infiltrate into the attic so we don't lose heat loss.”
The first step all homeowner must take is determining the attic’s R-value, Monreal said, which measures the thermal resistance of the insulating material. In other words, the higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness.
For Ohioans, that number should be between 50 to 60, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, and at least 15 inches of insulation.
“So most homeowners don't know that, how much insulation they have in their attic. They go, I have insulation, but a lot of times they have 3 to 6 inches [of insulation], and that's not adequate. You get icicles, which can create damage in the house.”
Gary Vitanye is born and raised in Ohio, living in Concord Township for 40 years.
Vitanye said he didn’t realize his home had insulation problems until a historic lake-effect snow event unfolded across Lake County after Thanksgiving last year.
“What that resulted in was a tremendous amount of snow on our roof and garages,” Vitanye said. “Our house was encased with massive amount of icicles, which I never anticipated, nor I've ever seen here in the time I've lived here.”
He said he later contacted Monreal to inspect his attic, revamping the insulation to meet the state’s suggested value.
And now, Vitanye is urging his friends, family and neighbors to do the same.
“There are no more sleepless nights and wondering what could happen if I didn't address this,” he said. “The temperatures are going to go down, and likely we'll have some more snow over the rest of the season, but I'm feeling much more comfortable that we are covered.”
