Home Comfort Insights from Connecticut's Insulation Experts
Professional insights, money-saving tips, and real solutions for Connecticut homeowners.
The Cellulose Insulation Dry Pac System: A Guide for Contractors
For contractors looking for an efficient, high-performance insulation solution for new home construction and additions, the cellulose insulation dry pac system is an excellent choice. This method provides superior thermal performance, air sealing, and soundproofing while being cost-effective and eco-friendly.
For contractors looking for an efficient, high-performance insulation solution for new home construction and additions, the cellulose insulation dry pac system is an excellent choice. This method provides superior thermal performance, air sealing, and soundproofing while being cost-effective and eco-friendly.
If you're new to this process, here’s what you need to know about how to properly install a cellulose dry pac system and why it’s a smart choice for your projects.
How the Dry Pac System Works
The dry pac system is a method of densely packing cellulose insulation into framed wall cavities using 6-mil poly as a containment barrier. This creates an airtight thermal barrier that outperforms traditional batt insulation.
Step-by-Step Installation Process for Contractors:
- Hang & Secure 6-Mil Poly – After framing, staple and stitch 6-mil poly to the interior side of the studs, fully enclosing the wall cavities.
- Cut & Insert Blowing Hose – Make small incisions in the poly to insert the insulation blowing hose into each bay.
- Dense-Pack Cellulose – Using an insulation blower, densely pack each cavity with high-performance cellulose insulation, ensuring no gaps or air pockets.
- Tape & Seal the Holes – Once the insulation is packed in, seal the holes with tape, maintaining the integrity of the poly barrier.
Why Contractors Should Use the Cellulose Dry Pac System
✅ Higher R-Value Per Inch – Dense-packed cellulose provides superior thermal performance over traditional fiberglass batts.
✅ Air Sealing & Soundproofing – The dry pac system minimizes air leaks and acts as a highly effective sound barrier.
✅ Eco-Friendly & Code-Compliant – Cellulose insulation is made from recycled materials and meets or exceeds energy code requirements.
✅ No Settling – When properly dense-packed, cellulose won’t settle over time, ensuring long-term performance.
✅ Moisture & Fire Resistance – Treated with borate, cellulose resists mold, pests, and fire.
Perfect for New Construction & Additions
This system is ideal for:
✔️ New home builds needing high-performance insulation
✔️ Additions where airtight insulation is required
✔️ Energy-efficient & passive home construction
At Nealon Insulation, we’ve been working with builders and contractors along the Connecticut shoreline for 48 years. Our team specializes in cellulose insulation installation using the dry pac system, helping you deliver top-tier energy efficiency and comfort for your clients.
What Is EnergizeCT? A Homeowner’s Guide to Energy Savings and Insulation Incentives
Learn how EnergizeCT helps Connecticut homeowners save on energy costs through rebates and insulation incentives. Discover how Nealon Insulation can help you maximize savings and improve home efficiency.
What Is EnergizeCT?
EnergizeCT is a state-supported initiative that provides Connecticut residents and businesses with energy efficiency programs, renewable energy solutions, and financial incentives to make energy-conscious upgrades. The program is funded by utility companies like Eversource and United Illuminating, with oversight from the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF), the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).
Benefits of EnergizeCT for Homeowners
EnergizeCT offers numerous benefits for homeowners looking to improve their home’s energy efficiency, including:
- Home Energy Assessments – Through the Home Energy Solutions (HES) program, homeowners can schedule an assessment to identify areas where their home is losing energy and receive on-the-spot energy-saving measures.
- Insulation Rebates & Incentives – One of the biggest advantages of EnergizeCT is its insulation incentives. Homeowners can receive significant rebates to lower the cost of installing high-performance insulation, helping to improve comfort and reduce heating and cooling costs.
- Lower Energy Bills – By improving insulation and implementing energy-saving upgrades, homeowners can experience lower monthly energy bills, making their home more cost-efficient year-round.
- Increased Home Comfort – Proper insulation helps regulate indoor temperatures, reducing drafts and eliminating hot and cold spots in your home.
- Environmental Benefits – Using less energy means reducing your home’s carbon footprint, contributing to a more sustainable future for Connecticut.
How Nealon Insulation Helps You Benefit from EnergizeCT
As a proud member of the EnergizeCT Insulation Installers network, Nealon Insulation makes it easy for homeowners to take advantage of these valuable programs. Our team specializes in installing high-quality cellulose insulation that improves energy efficiency and enhances indoor comfort.
Here’s how we help:
- Guiding You Through the Rebate Process – We help homeowners understand and apply for insulation incentives available through EnergizeCT.
- Providing Expert Insulation Solutions – With 48 years of experience insulating homes along the Connecticut shoreline, we ensure your insulation upgrade is done right.
- Maximizing Your Energy Savings – By working with EnergizeCT, we help you achieve the best possible energy efficiency improvements at the most affordable cost.
Get Started Today
If you’re ready to make your home more energy-efficient and take advantage of EnergizeCT’s insulation rebates, Nealon Insulation is here to help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and start saving on your energy bills while enhancing your home’s comfort and sustainability.
At Nealon Insulation, we are committed to helping Connecticut homeowners maximize their energy savings. Let’s work together to create a more efficient, comfortable, and environmentally friendly home for you!
How to Deal with Mice in Homes Along the Connecticut Shoreline?
Living along the Connecticut shoreline has many perks—beautiful views, fresh sea air, and a vibrant coastal community. But one common challenge homeowners face, especially in older homes, is dealing with mice. These pests can squeeze into tiny openings, contaminate food, chew through wiring, and even cause structural damage.
Living along the Connecticut shoreline has many perks—beautiful views, fresh sea air, and a vibrant coastal community. But one common challenge homeowners face, especially in older homes, is dealing with mice. These pests can squeeze into tiny openings, contaminate food, chew through wiring, and even cause structural damage.
If you’re struggling with a rodent problem, here are some of the best ways to prevent and eliminate mice in your shoreline home—including an insulation upgrade that can help keep them out for good.
1. Seal Entry Points
Mice can squeeze through openings as small as a dime. The first step in mouse-proofing your home is to seal all possible entry points, including:
✔ Gaps around pipes and utility lines
✔ Cracks in foundations and walls
✔ Spaces under doors
✔ Gaps in attic vents and eaves
Use steel wool, caulk, and hardware cloth to block these openings—mice can’t chew through these materials.
2. Keep Food and Trash Sealed
Mice are always on the lookout for food sources. To make your home less appealing:
✔ Store dry goods in sealed glass or metal containers (not cardboard or plastic).
✔ Clean up crumbs and spills immediately.
✔ Take out the trash regularly and use bins with tight-fitting lids.
✔ Avoid leaving pet food out overnight.
3. Reduce Clutter and Hiding Spots
Mice love dark, undisturbed areas, so reducing clutter inside and outside your home can help keep them away.
✔ Keep storage areas clean and organized.
✔ Avoid stacking firewood, leaves, or debris near your home.
✔ Trim back shrubs and branches that give mice easy access to your house.
4. Upgrade to Cellulose Insulation (A Natural Pest Deterrent!)
Did you know that your insulation choice can play a big role in keeping mice out?
If you have fiberglass insulation, it can actually become a nesting ground for rodents. Mice love burrowing into fiberglass because it provides warmth and shelter.
Why Cellulose Insulation Deters Mice
Cellulose insulation, like the kind we install at Nealon Insulation, is treated with borate, a natural mineral that pests hate.
✔ Borate makes cellulose insulation resistant to mice, insects, and other pests.
✔ Unlike fiberglass, cellulose insulation doesn’t provide good nesting material, making it less attractive to rodents.
✔ It’s eco-friendly, highly effective, and improves your home’s energy efficiency—all while helping to keep pests at bay!
If you’re dealing with mice in your attic or walls, upgrading to borate-treated cellulose insulation can be a long-term solution that keeps your home warm, efficient, and pest-free.
5. Use Traps or Call a Professional
If you already have a mouse infestation, traps can help remove them before they cause more damage.
✔ Snap traps – The most effective for quick elimination.
✔ Live traps – A humane option if you plan to relocate mice far from your home.
✔ Professional pest control – If the infestation is severe, calling an expert may be the best solution.
Protect Your Shoreline Home with Nealon Insulation
At Nealon Insulation, we’ve been insulating homes along the Connecticut shoreline for 48 years, and we know how important it is to keep pests out while improving energy efficiency.
By upgrading to borate-treated cellulose insulation, you can help prevent mice infestations and enjoy a more comfortable, well-insulated home.
👉 Ready to make your home more energy-efficient and pest-resistant? Contact Nealon Insulation today for a free consultation!
What Insulation Reduces Your Carbon Footprint?
When choosing insulation, energy efficiency is just one factor to consider. If you want to reduce your home's carbon footprint, it's important to look at the environmental impact of the insulation materials themselves. Some insulation types require more energy to produce, while others are made from recycled or renewable materials with a lower carbon impact.
When choosing insulation, energy efficiency is just one factor to consider. If you want to reduce your home's carbon footprint, it's important to look at the environmental impact of the insulation materials themselves. Some insulation types require more energy to produce, while others are made from recycled or renewable materials with a lower carbon impact.
The Best Low-Carbon Insulation Options
A few insulation materials have an extremely low environmental impact, but they are not widely available in Connecticut:
- Cork – A natural, renewable material that provides good insulation and soundproofing. However, it’s expensive and not commonly used in residential insulation.
- Hempcrete – Made from hemp fibers and lime, hempcrete is breathable, mold-resistant, and has a negative carbon footprint. However, it’s more common in specialized eco-friendly construction.
- Straw Bale – This renewable insulation has excellent thermal performance, but it requires specific building methods and is rarely used in existing homes.
The Best Practical Choice: Cellulose Insulation
While cork, hempcrete, and straw bale have great sustainability benefits, they are not widely available or practical for most homeowners. The best low-carbon insulation choice that balances performance, affordability, and sustainability is cellulose insulation.
According to Green Maine Homes, cellulose insulation has the lowest carbon footprint of the commonly available insulation options. Here’s why:
- Made from 85% recycled paper – Unlike fiberglass or foam, cellulose is primarily composed of recycled materials, reducing landfill waste.
- Low energy production – It requires far less energy to manufacture compared to fiberglass or spray foam, meaning lower emissions.
- Excellent thermal performance – By reducing heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer, cellulose helps lower energy use and carbon emissions.
- Biodegradable and non-toxic – Unlike spray foam, which contains petroleum-based chemicals, cellulose is a safer, eco-friendly option.
Why Choose Nealon Insulation?
At Nealon Insulation, we specialize in cellulose insulation, making homes along the Connecticut shoreline more energy-efficient while reducing environmental impact. With 48 years of experience, we understand how to properly insulate homes to maximize comfort and savings while using sustainable materials.
If you want to insulate your home with an eco-friendly, high-performance material, contact Nealon Insulation today to learn more about cellulose insulation!
Credit for picture: https://greenmainehomes.com/blog/choosing-the-right-insulation
How to Insulate Walls Without Removing Sheetrock/ Drywall
When a home was built without proper insulation—or the existing insulation has settled and lost effectiveness—there are several insulation methods that can be installed with minimal disruption.
If you’re looking to improve your home's energy efficiency, reduce drafts, and lower heating and cooling costs, you may be wondering: Can you insulate without removing sheetrock? The good news is yes, in many cases, you can upgrade your home’s insulation without the need for costly and invasive demolition.
At Nealon Insulation, we specialize in non-invasive insulation solutions that improve your home's thermal performance without tearing down walls. Here’s how:
How to Insulate Walls Without Removing Sheetrock
When a home was built without proper insulation—or the existing insulation has settled and lost effectiveness—there are several insulation methods that can be installed with minimal disruption.
1. Drill & Plug Dense-Pack Cellulose Insulation
One of the best methods for insulating existing walls is drill and plug insulation, also known as dense-pack cellulose insulation. This process involves:
✔️ Drilling small holes (typically 2-inch diameter) into the drywall or exterior siding
✔️ Inserting a hose to densely pack cellulose insulation into the wall cavities
✔️ Sealing the holes with a matching plug or patch for a seamless finish
✅ Best for: Homes with empty wall cavities or settled insulation that no longer provides proper coverage.
✅ Benefits: Provides high R-value, soundproofing, and air sealing while keeping your home intact.
2. Injection Foam Insulation
Injection foam insulation is another option that allows you to insulate walls without removing drywall. The process involves:
✔️ Drilling small access holes in walls
✔️ Injecting expanding foam insulation into the cavity
✔️ Sealing the holes once the insulation is in place
✅ Best for: Older homes with narrow wall cavities that need added insulation without major construction.
✅ Benefits: Expands to fill gaps, reduces air leaks, and improves energy efficiency.
3. Exterior Sidewall Insulation for a Seamless Process
For an even more seamless process, sidewalls can be insulated from the outside, eliminating the need to drill into interior walls. This method involves:
✔️ Removing the exterior siding to access the wall cavity
✔️ Drilling small holes into the sheathing
✔️ Dense-packing the wall with cellulose insulation to create an air-sealed thermal barrier
✔️ Replacing the siding for a clean, untouched interior
✅ Best for: Homes with accessible exterior siding, such as vinyl or wood clapboard.
✅ Benefits: Completely preserves interior finishes while providing superior insulation and air sealing.
Other Areas That Can Be Insulated Without Removing Walls
Even if your walls already have insulation, there may be other areas in your home where adding insulation can boost efficiency and comfort:
✔️ Attic Insulation – Blown-in cellulose or fiberglass can be added without disruption.
✔️ Basement & Crawl Space Insulation – Spray foam or rigid foam board can improve air sealing and prevent moisture issues.
✔️ Garage Ceiling Insulation – Drill & plug dense-pack insulation can be installed to keep rooms above the garage warmer.
✔️ Rim Joist Insulation – A common source of energy loss that can be insulated with spray foam or rigid board.
Why Choose Nealon Insulation for Non-Invasive Insulation Upgrades?
At Nealon Insulation, we specialize in retrofit insulation solutions for existing homes. With 48 years of experience serving the Connecticut shoreline, we help homeowners upgrade their insulation without the mess of removing drywall.
✅ Drill & Plug Dense-Pack Cellulose Insulation
✅ Injection Foam Insulation
✅ Blown-In Attic Insulation
✅ Basement & Crawl Space Insulation
✅ Energy Efficiency Improvements & Air Sealing
If you’re ready to make your home warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, and more energy efficient year-round, contact Nealon Insulation today!
📞 Call us now for a free insulation consultation!
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