|
While AppleBlossom
specializes in green technologies, we also offer a wide
range of traditional solutions to meet any client needs. We
encourage you to browse our education section and talk with
a member of our team to learn about the best option to meet
your energy and budgetary needs.
Energy Star
Certifications
 Creating
greater energy efficiencies in your home is one of
the most effective and easy-to-implement
eco-friendly improvements you can achieve.
AppleBlossom's green cellulose insulation materials
are not only healthier for you and your family than
standard fiberglass insulation, as they do not
contain petro-chemicals like foam insulations, they
are also made of recycled materials to produce less
of an effect on the environment and they simply work
better!
At AppleBlossom, we're passionate about making a
difference and committed to helping provide a warm,
comfortable home for all - while conserving energy
and generating cost savings for homeowners. |
We
guarantee our clients will see savings of 20-40% on
their energy bills once they've implemented a custom
solution for their home using our superior
insulation products.
We also help home and business owners obtain an
ENERGY STAR® label for their properties. ENERGY
STAR®-certified homes receive a rate discount from
power companies and traditionally provide additional
value during resale.
With certified Energy Raters on
staff, AppleBlossom Insulators is uniquely qualified
to walk a homeowner or builder through the ENERGY
STAR® certification process. |
Our Team Members Will Help You...
- Identify improvement opportunities by
rating the home or building's efficiency with the ENERGY
STAR® Energy Performance Rating System.
- Use the Energy Performance Rating
System to set goals for existing buildings. We also use
the ENERGY STAR® New Building Design Guidance, including
Target Finder, to achieve goals as well as recognize
plans for buildings designed to earn the ENERGY STAR®.
- Justify projects in powerful
financial terms, prioritize opportunities, and establish
plans for reaching goals using the ENERGY STAR® Building
Manual.
- Compare improved energy performance
against goals using the Energy Performance Rating
System.
- Document and communicate project
success, identify buildings eligible for the ENERGY
STAR® Label, achieve leadership awards, and develop case
studies.
*ENERGY STAR® is a joint program of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department
of Energy, helping us all save money and protect the
environment through energy efficient products and practices.
With the help of ENERGY STAR®, Americans saved enough energy
in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent
to those from 27 million cars â€" all while saving $16
billion on their utility bills.
AppleBlossom's insulation pays for itself within 18-34
months of installation with noticeable energy cost savings.
We guarantee it!
Contact
us for a free estimate and start saving!
Energy Audits
 AppleBlossom
Insulators will provide a complimentary Energy Audit
for your home or building in order to evaluate how
best to improve both your energy and financial
conservation.
During the assessment, we evaluate air loss at
windows, plumbing pipes, bypasses (places or little
cracks where warm or cold air escapes) or any place
where energy could be lost. This will determine
which areas need shoring up or new insulation
solutions. Leakage in an air distribution system can
cause up to 50% of the climate-controlled air to
escape prior to reaching your living space. This
type of leakage also pulls in mold spores, moisture
and dusty air from crawl spaces and attics. Our
skilled technicians will also measure the efficiency
and performance of your major appliances, including
furnaces, lighting and more. |
Based on the audit results, AppleBlossom's highly
trained staff will design a solution to meet your
needs and budget in order to conserve energy usage
and reduce energy spending.
We can also help you obtain an ENERGY STAR® label
for your home or business.
ENERGY STAR®-certified
homes receive a rate discount from power companies
and traditionally provide additional value during
resale.
With certified Energy Raters on staff, AppleBlossom Insulators is uniquely qualified to
walk a homeowner or builder through the ENERGY STAR®
certification process.
See Sample Audit
More about Energy Audits |
Insulation
Installation
 Though
we also offer traditional options, our preferred
insulation technology is
Nu-Wool Engineered Cellulose Insulation, an
energy-saving insulation made from recycled
newspapers. AppleBlossom Insulators' experienced
team members have extensive training and experience
in the installation of this product.
For insulation to work properly, it must be
installed carefully with no gaps, crimping or
compression. This is especially important in areas
where the insulation has to fit around obstacles
such as pipes and electrical wiring and outlets. |
There are four major types of loose-fill cellulose
products generally characterized as:
1. Dry cellulose
(typically used in existing homes by blowing the
cellulose into holes drilled into the tops of
walls):
2. Spray applied cellulose (used most often for
new construction).
3. Stabilized cellulose (utilized in
attic/roof insulation).
4. Low dust cellulose
(sometimes used to reduce dust levels, though new
dust will not be created after installation).
These
products and procedures are used in different parts
of a building and for different reasons, and AppleBlossom provides installation expertise for all
aspects of your energy-savings plan. |
HVAC Testing and
Installation
 The purpose of testing, adjusting, and
balancing an HVAC system (Heating, Ventilating, and Air
Conditioning) is to ensure the system is providing maximum
occupant comfort at the lowest energy cost possible. At
AppleBlossom, we have partners who are specially trained in
fine-tuning furnaces and balancing airflow.
HVAC Testing is
part of our commitment to energy conservation and increasing
the comfort of our clients while minimizing home and
business climate-control costs.
More about HVAC Testing and Installation
Duct System
Design and Installation
Content...
Duct Sealing &
Insulation
 Quality insulation correctly installed in
an air-sealed home minimizes heat loss, saves money, and
contributes to better air quality by reducing the time your
air distribution system is running.
At AppleBlossom
Insulators, we can help you to "green" your existing home by
sealing your ducts to make sure your heating and cooling
components function to their full potential.
You will benefit from duct sealing if you answer "yes" to
any of the following questions:
- Do your filters get dirty quickly?
- Are there dirt streaks showing at the
corners and seams of duct connections?
- Do you have rooms that just don't get
adequate air flow and never seem to feel comfortable?
- Do you have ducts in your attic or
crawl space?
An unsealed or poorly sealed air distribution system wastes
your money and may contribute to unhealthy air in the home.
Sealing your ductwork and air handler not only saves money
and conserves energy, but also improves air quality in your
home while reducing the carbon off-gassing from your home
into the atmosphere.
Most of today's existing homes were built before we
understood the importance of energy efficiency to saving our
money and protecting our planet. Homes built prior to 1984
were not required to have the joints in the duct system
taped, but even newer houses that do have taped joints are
ineffective. Taping doesn't work because naturally occurring
condensation causes the tape to release. AppleBlossom
Insulators will use our diagnostic equipment to determine
when ducts are adequately sealed for the improved comfort
and energy efficiency of your home.
Sealed Crawl
Spaces and Closets
 Professionally
installed quality insulation in crawl spaces and attics is
critically important in the Carolinas' climate. With the
spring and summer humidity, homes are susceptible to mold or
moisture damage, musty odors, wood warping and insect
infestation. AppleBlossom Insulators
can ensure your home or business is protected from these
issues, with our eco-friendly insulation solutions.
More about Sealed Crawl Spaces and Closets
Green Homes &
Offices
AppleBlossom Insulators joined with U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel Bodman as part
of a new national energy-saving initiative: the U.S.
Department of Energy's Builders Challenge.
"For AppleBlossom Insulators, building high-performance
homes has been a core business model since day one," said
John Meeks. "We welcome this voluntary initiative for
Builders, and look forward to working with DOE to build
consumer awareness of the benefits for buying highly energy
efficient homes."
The EnergySmart Home Scale, or
E-Scale serves as a tool for marketing energy-efficient
homes. Consumer interest has been increasing in the top
energy-performing homes, and now there is a tool that
clearly allows builders to differentiate their products in
the marketplace.
"AppleBlossom Insulators believes it is possible to build
new homes that are more efficient than code by 30 percent or
better at little or no net cost," continued John Meeks.
"Achieving these efficiencies does require sophisticated
design and installation techniques that go beyond standard
industry practice, but the competitive advantage of these
homes with their high quality means faster sales. And, we
believe this kind of high-performance building is the right
thing for our nation, our natural environment, and our
customers."
The Builders Challenge encourages U.S. home builders to
adopt the E-Scale on a voluntary basis, and also to utilize
best practices for home design and construction. The
initiative seeks to accelerate use of successful whole-house
design and construction practices that have been developed
and verified through DOE research in its Building America
program.
More
About Green Homes
RESNET
Certified RESNET's standards are
officially recognized by the U.S. mortgage industry for
capitalizing a building's energy performance in the mortgage
loan, certification of "White Tags" for private financial
investors, and by the federal government for verification of
building energy performance for such programs as federal tax
incentives, the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY
STAR program and the U.S. Department of Energy's Building
America Program.
RESNET Ratings provides a relative energy use index called
the HERS® Index - a HERS Index of 100 represents the energy
use of the "American Standard Building" and an Index of 0
(zero) indicates that the Proposed Building uses no net
purchased energy (a Zero Energy Building). A set of rater
recommendations for cost-effective improvements that can be
achieved by the Rated Building is also produced.
More
about our RESNET
BPI Training
 AppleBlossom Insulators is an affiliate of
the
Building Performance Institute, Inc., an organization
that provides nationally recognized training for
certification, accreditation and quality-assurance programs
within the building industry. BPI affiliates are experts in
their field that help raise the bar in home performance
contracting, making homes healthier, safer, more comfortable
and more energy efficient.
AppleBlossom Insulators is dedicated to advancing the BPI
mission. We now offer training in the following specialties:
Building Analyst, Shell Specialist, Mobile Home Specialist
and Multi-Family Building Specialist. Through this training,
our experts will offer specific education and administer
written and field examinations.
This BPI training is currently offered at the Concord, NC
location, with plans for continuing education opportunities
at our new Asheville location. Please
contact
us for more information.
More About BPI Training
Apprenticeship
Programs Energy Audit Apprenticeship
Insulation Placement
Air Sealing Energy Modeling Software
Training
More about our Apprenticeship Programs |
What Our
Clients Say about Us...
When I found out that someone local was
installing cellulose insulation in existing houses I admit I
as a little shocked. I was sure I could find someone to
install the pink stuff. I can rent a machine from The Home
Depot and blow it myself but I was looking for a better
isolative product. I wanted something that would work better
and I found it with Apple Blossom Insulators.
I knew cellulose was superior to fiberglass but until I met
John Meeks I didn't know just how superior it really was.
When John cranked up his "birdhouse" display and started to
explain how much better cellulous is in comparison to
fiberglass I was shocked. I know what you're thinking, I've
already used the "shocked" twice in the first two paragraphs
of this description of our experience with Apple Blossom but
brace yourself because I'll probably use it a couple more
times.
John and his crew came and did an assessment of our home.
Wait let me back up. When I met John my wife was six months
pregnant with our second child. John and his crew went to
great lengths to make the process of insulating our house a
great experience despite the fact that we were experiencing
a time of great transition in our lives. Ok so John came out
and looked over our situation and did a blower door test.
This involved temporarily installing a special "door" in one
of our exterior doorways. It then pumps air out of the house
and the resulting negative pressure made it easy to
calculate the amount of air flowing into our home. We live
in an 80-year-old house so as you can imagine, there was a
lot of air flowing in. His crew set out to seal leaks which
were easy to find with the blower door running. Even before
any insulation was added to the house was much more
efficient because our heating and cooling system could
re-circulate more air from inside our own home and mix it
with less air from outside- air that in the winter is much
colder and in the summer is much hotter.
Then John's crew took to the task of blowing insulation into
our attic and into our walls (which previously had NO
insulation!). They finished by adding insulation between the
floor joists beneath our house. What was the result? Well
get ready because I'm going to use the word "shocking"
again. We were shocked. Our heating and cooling costs during
the last year are down between 25 percent and 75 percent
depending on the month. I can't even get home from work on
the first day of the month without hearing about our latest
bill. My wife calls me at work when she receives our bill
electronically on the Internet. "Guess how much we're down
this month?" she'll ask me. The tax rebate we got for energy
efficiency coupled with the reduction in the cost of heating
and cooling means this insulation pays for itself very
quickly.
Let me mention two other advantages. We've noticed a
significant reduction in noise from outside. It was strange
actually because we were used to some noise from the street
in front of our home and after the insulation installation
was complete, it almost completely went away. It's also nice
to know that the burn rate of our insulation is much slower
than typical insulation. It's nice to know that if we were
to ever have a fire that our walls would burn more slowly.
John Meeks and Apple Blossom Insulators provided my family
with an excellent service, and did so in a timely manner,
exceeding all. This country can be more energy efficient and
companies like Apple Blossom can lead the way. I highly
recommend them.
~ Aaron Newton, Concord, NC
The entire process was very easy. His
prices are VERY competitive and his work superior. Anywhere
my furniture or doorways came into contact with his
equipment, they were protected. I had no marks anywhere.
This man knows what he is doing, and he does it right the
first time... no cutting corners. I would recommend him
highly!
~ Troy C., Charlotte, NC
AppleBlossom did a great job and I would
highly recommend this company. The owner, John Meeks, was
professional and prompt. He called us to make sure we were
happy with the job his crew did, and he even asked his crew
to come back and adjust the attic dam to make it easier for
us to access the attic. The final cost was lower than the
estimate, and I feel like I got more than my money's worth.
~ Christine D., Charlotte, NC
They were prompt, professional and very
knowledgeable. They did a very thorough job and the crew
members were very hard workers! I am very satisfied.
~ Pamela W., Albemarle, NC
I would highly rate John and AppleBlossom
Insulators. John is the owner and the person that I dealt
with from the first call to the completed project. Our job
and attic was a very difficult job due to the tight quarters
and age of the house, the heat, and the animal droppings.
John was great. He returned my calls very promptly, and he
was timely with meeting for a quote. Our job had some minor
setbacks and complications; however, John was very timely in
correcting those and was genuine in his concern for our
satisfaction. He is a great example to the commitment to
excellence of a small business owner. I am delighted with
the finished product and the man that stands for the
company.
~ Donna B., Charlotte, NC
Dear John,
I would like to thank you for the great work that you did at
Celadon. The Nu-Wool blown cellulose insulation was an
excellent choice to thermally insulate the buildings as well
as providing acoustical separation between the tenants.
After running the energy calculations of the building
through the ResCheck program, we were up to 25% better than
the energy requirements as required by code. The blown
cellulose insulation also filled all the small crevices and
cavities in the walls for a much tighter envelope than
regular Batt blankets. The blown cellulose insulation was
also integral to the team's sustainable design goals. This
product is truly recycled and is completely non-toxic to the
installers, occupants and to the environment. We at Liquid
Design truly believe that using this product has kept us
true to our design goals and separates us from those who
simply 'green-wash' their projects.
Thanks again for your service and your knowledge in helping
us and the contractor deliver a superior product.
~ Gaurav Gupte, Liquid DESIGN |
