Now is the perfect time for contractors to refocus their sales and marketing efforts on loose-fill insulation, according to Eric J. Brown, CertainTeed's director of marketing and order management. (PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CERTAINTEED CORP.)

Three industry experts — Eric J. Brown, director of marketing and order management, CertainTeed Corp.; Jason Shermer, portfolio leader for spray systems, Johns Manville; and Fred Vincelli Jr., director of sales, Applegate Insulation — discuss the state of loose-fill insulation:

Q: With housing starts on the decline, how is the market for loose-fill insulation?

Brown

Brown:Like the market in general, the loose-fill market is down. During dynamic market conditions, it is usually difficult to get a good read on the relative performance of any particular product category. Generally, loose-fill insulations have been outperforming the overall market.

Shermer

Shermer:Now is a good time for contractors to get into the retrofit business, and loose-fill insulation is a critical element to the transition. Energy prices are high, and homeowners are looking for ways to lower their heating and cooling costs. According to Harvard Public Health, about 60 percent of U.S. homes are under-insulated. The best way to make those homes more efficient is by insulating the attics, where, according to the Department of Energy, 40 percent of all air leaks in the average home occur.

Q: With so many U.S. homes under-insulated, how can contractors seize the market opportunity?

Brown:This is the perfect time for contractors to refocus their sales and marketing efforts to upgrade the thermal performance of existing buildings, either residential homes or commercial buildings. There is an ever-growing array of relatively inexpensive ways to market upgrading the energy efficiency of buildings in local markets. Becoming involved in utility company programs, marketing through utility bills, working with local green building programs or HBA's (home builder associations), and implementing a professional "retail focused" sales and installation team are among a few ways contractors can target this sizable market place.

Shermer:Most homes built before the 1970s do not have adequate insulation, as many building codes prior to this time were not strict enough regarding assembly performance. By examining the history of homes in their local markets, contractors should be able to target certain neighborhoods where there are significant retrofit business opportunities. Additionally, in some cases, manufacturers are creating tools for contractors to use so they can sell the value of retrofitting their attic to homeowners.

Vincelli

Vincelli:Start up a program that guarantees energy savings and then promote it. This is not an easy task and requires a lot of upfront legwork. Follow-up by the insulation contractor can be very effective in generating new sales.

Q: In what situations would a homeowner choose loose-fill insulation over batts or rolls?

Brown:Many re-insulation projects are easier to complete using loose-fill insulation. In addition, a combination of batts (potentially the existing insulation) and loose-fill (the new or upgrade insulation) has long been recognized as an excellent method for obtaining great thermal performance. There is no wrong choice between these two products.

Q: What are the financial benefits for a contractor to invest in loose-fill insulation?