Weatherization & Insulation

About 50% of your home’s energy usage goes toward heating and cooling. Without proper sealing and insulation, the warm or cool air inside the house can escape—wasting energy and driving up your utility bills.

Sealing Air Leaks

Even when well-insulated, the average home contains enough cracks, leaks, and gaps between building materials to add up to a 14″ by 14″ hole in the wall! Air leaks are commonly found around recessed lighting, door and window frames, and dropped ceilings, but they can also occur in less obvious areas, such as the attic or crawl space, where you might not feel a draft.

During an energy assessment, Lantern technicians will perform a blower door test, which pinpoints drafts and air leaks within the building envelope. Once identified, air leaks and areas of poor insulation can be repaired as necessary—ensuring you won’t be wasting energy or money.

Adding Insulation

If your home is uncomfortably warm in the summer or cold in the winter, your home may need new or additional insulation—the most efficient energy-saving expenditure. In general, you can get an idea of how much insulation your home has by checking in your attic. The insulation should come past the top of the joists in the floor. However, the material’s thickness is neither the only nor the most important factor in determining whether your home’s insulation is adequate, so it’s usually best to check with an expert before making changes.

Lantern technicians will perform an insulation check as part of every energy assessment. If your insulation falls short, we can help. Lantern Energy is a certified installer of cellulose insulation, and we offer a 5% discount on insulation jobs scheduled during energy assessments.

Visit our Financing page for details ›

Sealing Ducts

A duct system that is well-designed and properly sealed can lower your energy bills and make your home more comfortable, energy efficient, and safer. But in a typical house, 20% of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. Poorly performing ducts can lead to higher summer and winter utility bills, and can make it difficult to heat or cool certain rooms in your house.

During an energy assessment, our technicians will perform an airflow and duct pressurization test, which will help pinpoint any leaks, holes, or gaps within your duct work. Identified air leaks can be professionally sealed by our technicians.

Fiberglass vs. Cellulose Insulation

See what makes cellulose the best option for your insulation project.

• Energy Efficient. Cellulose is three times denser and packs tighter than fiberglass insulation. It also allows for 30% less air infiltration than fiberglass, which can translate into an energy savings of 25% for home heating.
• Tighter Air Sealing. While fiberglass is subject to air movement around and through batts (causing substantial loss of its R-value), cellulose is good at fitting around walls, pipes and wiring, allowing for better air sealing and fewer air pockets.
• Better Thermal Performance. In the event of a temperature drop from 45° F to 18° F, fiberglass can lose up to 50% of its R-value, while cellulose has no loss.
• Environmentally Friendly. Cellulose is made of 75% – 85% recycled paper (compared to only 30% in fiberglass insulation).
• No Known Health Risks. Fiberglass is often a nesting material for bats and other rodents, but animals find it almost impossible to live in cellulose due to the lack of oxygen and presence of borates. These borates also give cellulose insulation a class-one fire rating and help to prevent mold.

Initially Mike and his crew came out to do an audit based on a recommendation. These men worked tirelessly and helped me understand some cost-effective repairs that could help save me money monthly, i.e., adding insulation. Once the insulation process took hold, I had the constant guidance of Margaret in the office to help me understand paperwork and loan information. Jim, Stefano and Mark came to my house to do the insulation. I have never seen three guys work harder in such unpleasant surroundings for so long, only taking a half-hour lunch. And still they were kind and courteous, and very informative. Thank you Lantern Energy!