Insights & Guides
Expert insights on home insulation, energy efficiency, building science, and Minnesota-specific tips to help you make informed decisions about your home.
Why Air Sealing and Insulation Work Better Together in Minnesota Homes Here’s a mistake we see constantly: a homeowner insulates their attic to R-60, but then complains it’s still cold. Or they seal a
Foundation Insulation for Minnesota Homes You probably don’t think much about your foundation. It sits below grade, out of sight, supporting everything above it. But if you have cold floors, drafty li
Why Minnesota Crawl Spaces Need More Than Fiberglass Batts If you’ve ever looked under your Minnesota home and noticed loose fiberglass insulation draped across the floor joists, you’re not alone. For
What is a Home Energy Audit? A home energy audit is a comprehensive assessment of how your home uses and loses energy. Using specialized diagnostic tools, a certified building analyst evaluates your h
What is a Blower Door Test? A blower door test is a diagnostic tool that measures how much air leaks in and out of your home. It’s the gold standard for evaluating a home’s airtightness and is now req
What is Retrofit Insulation? Retrofit insulation is the process of adding or upgrading insulation in an existing home without major renovation or demolition. Unlike new construction where insulation g
Ice dams Minnesota prevention requires more than just attic insulation. You added insulation last spring and spent thousands doing what every contractor recommended. Then winter arrived, and there the
If you’ve ever wondered why your floors feel ice-cold in winter despite cranking up the thermostat, the answer might be hiding in plain sight. The culprit is often a narrow band of wood called the rim
If you’re searching for vermiculite insulation replacement Minnesota homeowners can trust, you’ve come to the right place. If your home was built between 1930 and 1990, there’s a strong possibility yo
Minnesota Homeowners Have Just Months Left to Save Up to $1,200 Time is running out. Federal insulation tax credits that can save Minnesota homeowners up to $1,200 on energy-efficient upgrades will ex
When Minnesota homeowners start looking for insulation upgrades, one of the first questions they ask is: “Who are the best insulation contractors near me?” With long winters, high heating bills, and t
Many Minnesota homeowners spend August fighting the same problem. The air conditioner runs all day, yet certain rooms never cool down. Bills climb higher, but comfort does not follow. Often, the culpr
Minnesota winters put extreme stress on home insulation. Many homeowners find that their attic insulation is not only failing but also causing serious issues such as ice dams, energy loss, and poor in
Last winter, while your neighbors cranked their thermostats to 75 degrees and still shivered in their living rooms, imagine your home staying comfortable at 68 degrees with lower energy bills. That’s
Older homes across Minnesota are full of charm, but their lack of insulation is a costly issue. Many were built before modern insulation standards, leaving walls hollow, attics under-insulated, and ho
As energy costs climb and sustainability becomes a priority, 2025 presents an unprecedented opportunity for Minnesota homeowners to invest in energy-efficient insulation upgrades, and get paid to do i
If your home still feels drafty even after adding insulation, you’re not alone. Many Minnesota homeowners face this exact issue — especially those with older homes or outdated building materials. The
A Homeowner’s Common Struggle: Battling Moisture in the Attic Moisture in the attic is a common problem for Minnesota homeowners, especially in older homes. Whether it’s damp insulation, water stains
The Project The Federated Church, built in 1972, stood as a cherished space for worship and community. Its natural wood sanctuary ceiling gave it a distinct charm, but it came with a hidden cost. Over
Why Energy Efficiency Starts with Your Walls Reducing energy consumption in your home is not just about cutting costs, it’s also about improving comfort and reducing your environmental footprint. Amon
When it comes to keeping Minnesota homes comfortable and energy-efficient, addressing common insulation problems is essential. From moisture infiltration to poor installation practices, insulation iss
Is Your Home’s Air Making You Sick? Indoor air quality (IAQ) is something most homeowners don’t think about until they start noticing allergy symptoms, persistent dust, or odd odors that linger no mat
Enhancing Office Productivity Through Effective Sound Dampening In today’s open-plan office spaces, noise control has become a top concern. Excessive noise impacts productivity, increases stress, and ha
Ensuring your home is well-insulated is crucial for maintaining comfort, reducing energy costs, and enhancing your home’s overall efficiency. If your exterior walls are poorly insulated—or not insulat
When it comes to foundation block hole insulators, choosing the right insulator is essential for improving your home’s energy efficiency and comfort. Foundation block holes, commonly found in basement
Cost of Wall Insulation: What Minnesota Homeowners Need to Know Understanding the Importance of Wall Insulation Minnesota homeowners are no strangers to the challenges of maintaining a warm, comfortab
Wall insulation plays a crucial role in maintaining home comfort, energy efficiency, and reducing utility bills. Despite its importance, many homeowners are misled by prevalent myths about wall insula
Introduction to Insulation R-Values Insulation R-values are a crucial factor in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of your home’s insulation. At RetroGreen Energy, located in St. Cloud, MN,
Introduction to Wall Insulation Wall insulation is a crucial aspect of home improvement that offers a multitude of benefits, significantly enhancing the overall comfort and efficiency of your living s
Did you know that just like an X-ray to find broken bones, you can use X-ray vision to find cracks and leaks in your home? Professionals can use infrared technology to find the leaks in your home that
The days are getting shorter, and although the changing colors and falling leaves are beautiful to look at, many people need to catch a glance through sniffles and sneezes. Spring is the biggest insur
Have you ever heard of a building’s envelope? Most homeowners understand that proper insulation is important in keeping a comfortable home and lower utility bills without giving the idea much more tho
Older homes often have poor Indoor Air Quality. Aging materials and outdated construction practices offer little to pest control, air sealing, moisture control, and other important air quality measure
Especially if you live or work in a city, you know how distracting and irritating the sounds of some properties can be. Neighbors, animals, nearby lawn mowers, garbage trucks – it all can be very dist
Crawlspaces: In older homes, it might just be that creepy space behind the wall, under your home, or in your basement. It might only be accessible via a door outside attached to your home, or you migh
The higher temps and humidity spikes for summer have returned again. Each year, Minnesotans find themselves thankful to be rid of winter, then slowly dreading venturing outside in the high summer heat
Purchasing a home is likely the most expensive purchase you’ll ever make. It’s not something people decide quickly. In fact, there are plenty of decisions to make before you even begin shopping. Becau
Spring is the season of new growth. The grass is growing again, flowers a jetting out of the ground, and trees are budding. In Minnesota, this also means the last of the snow is melting (or still fall
The quality of the air in your home is determined by a few factors–mainly your home’s HVAC system. All indoor air has the opportunity to become polluted–especially this time of year when mold growth i
At the beginning of a new year, it’s time to look at your finances and see whenever you can slim down a few areas of your budget. Is your energy bill astronomical? Turns out, you’re not out of luck. Y
As a new decade is ushered in, Minneapolis continues to fight to decrease its carbon footprint. This year, the city is requiring homeowners to be transparent about their home’s energy efficiency. This
Icicles forming on the eaves of your home may seem like a festive element of the winter wonderland that surrounds you. Unfortunately, icicles forming can be a red flag that a larger problem lies up on
“’ Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” Are you picturing a quiet and quaint holiday with your family? Well, your plans could be
Low energy grades are must-fix in your home. Low energy grades often lead to higher energy bills and overall, a home that is often too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. The major culprits
Identifying where air leaks are inside your building is a bit of detective work. New on the insulation market scene is blower door testing, which has now become a mandatory test in Minnesota’s buildin
Injection foam insulation is one of the newer insulation methods that has hit the market. Due to homeowner’s unfamiliarity to the product, misconceptions and false doubts are often spread about the pr
When it comes to maintaining your home, one of your highest priorities should be checking the condition of your house’s insulation. Insulation is one of the few materials that keeps your home safe fro
When you’re making the decision to add insulation to your home, it’s usually because you notice that it’s unusually cold in your home during the winter or your electric bill is far too high because yo
You may recall a few months back that we did a “Do you know what’s in your walls?” blog that talked about some of the weird things people have found in their homes either when they were moving out, do
One of our main goals here at RetroGreen Energy is to use high performance insulation and building science to improve home performance and energy efficiency. We retrofit existing buildings with an ins
If your rooms are drafty, you’re noticing condensation in your windows, and you have cold spots on your floors or walls, it’s probably time for an energy audit to determine where you are losing heat.
You pay enough each month for your electric bill—you don’t want to be wasting that precious energy you’re paying for. To ensure your home is operating safely and efficiently, schedule an energy audit
Do you notice condensation on your windows during the winter? You might think condensation on your home’s windows is just a normal part of the cold weather routine, but it certainly doesn’t need to be
If your walls could talk, what would they say? Would asbestos be present in the materials? Would rodents or bats be scurrying or flying around? If you have critters in your walls or thousands of snake
Why pay such high costs to treat and heat the air in your home if it’s escaping anyway? The U.S. Department of Energy reports that as much as 30% of heating and cooling costs can be contributed to air
There are a lot of good reasons to consider investing in some new, greener energy for whatever it is that you need powered, and there are plenty of good means by which to do that, so why not choose on
Have you ever walked past an exterior wall of your house only to feel the winter wind coming through the insulation? Homes insulated 30 years ago have lost a substantial portion of their R-value over
Energy savings for existing homes is more than just saving a few bucks and getting some rebates, but these benefits sure help raise awareness for one of smartest things homeowners can do to their home
For many people living in and around the Minneapolis and St. Cloud area, spring is the time of year that signifies long, warmer days. Some, however, associate the spring months with an onslaught of se
Although it’s an area you probably don’t give much thought to, your attic is an important part of your home. How can you take care of it to ensure you experience year-round comfort and savings? Attic
It’s fall in Minnesota, and Minneapolis/Saint Cloud homeowners can get a lot of mileage out of taking the next few weeks to prepare for the winter weather that is ahead. One of the most common concern
Fall is here in Minneapolis and Saint Cloud, MN. For many, it’s the time of year to reflect upon the fun of summer and start thinking about preparing for the cold winter months ahead. This is especial
Although you probably know just how important insulation is here in the Saint Cloud and Twin Cities area, you might not be aware of the common mistakes which inhibit its effectiveness. Our Minnesota w
Many people who live in the Minneapolis and St. Cloud area believe that the main purpose of insulation is to keep their homes warm in the wintertime when the snow is falling. While this is true, it ov
The moment the summer weather starts to set in here in the Twin Cities, many residents immediately reach for their thermostats and start lowering them by at least a few degrees. While extensively runn
Summer is right around the corner here in the Minneapolis and St. Cloud, MN areas, and many residents are doing everything they can to ensure that they’re ready for the hot weather to come. While AC m
Crawl spaces are extremely common in the Minneapolis and St. Cloud areas, yet they often go ignored by homeowners who are looking to enhance home performance and energy efficiency. What many people do
> One of the first things that many people who are setting out to improve their home’s insulation discover is that there are a number of different materials from which to choose. Deciding on the right
When it comes to valuable home performance upgrades, insulation often finds itself at the top of the list for most home performance contractors. It’s importance simply cannot be overemphasized, and wh
One of the keys to living comfortably year-round in the Minneapolis and Saint Cloud areas is to take a close look at the home’s perimeter, or “envelope.” The home envelope is essentially the physical
Many homeowners in the Minneapolis and Saint Cloud areas wonder how exactly home performance experts can identify and diagnose a home. The fact is, there are a number of key indicators that can clue c
For those who have lived in Minnesota for even a short period of time, it’s no secret that our state is subject to temperature and weather extremes. Twin Cities residents owe it to themselves to do wh
For those living in the Minneapolis / Saint Paul area, ice dams are an unfortunate fact of life. An ice dam is essentially a hump of ice that forms at the edge of a roof during the wintertime when con
Many homeowners in Minneapolis and St. Paul understand that the key to home performance in any home is a combination of high-performance insulation and air sealing. The confusion begins when attemptin
A lot of homeowners in the Minneapolis / St. Cloud Area have heard of the term air sealing at one point or another. Perhaps you’ve been looking to make valuable home performance upgrades and were pres
Winter is here in Minneapolis/Saint Cloud, and for many homeowners, this time of year can bring quite a bit of moisture along with it. While moisture in the home isn’t something that often gets talked
Not many people know what the stack effect is, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most common problems homeowners in the Saint Cloud and Minneapolis area can face. Specifically, the stack
For many homeowners living in the Minneapolis / Saint Cloud region, winter brings with it the threat of high energy bills. Many people find that just attempting to keep their homes warm in the winter
Insulation is key to an energy efficient home. By adding a layer of protection against outdoor air, spray foam is one of the highest-performing insulation options available. For homeowners in the Sain
If there’s one thing that just about every homeowner in Minneapolis and Saint Cloud can agree upon, it’s that it’d be nice to save money on energy bills. A lot of people don’t realize how high energy
It may seem difficult to identify the reason for cold floors during the winter, but oftentimes it is something fairly simple and easy to correct. For instance, if your attic is not properly insulated
Yes, old man winter is nearly three months away, but if you do any shopping this week you’ll notice fall décor on sale already and Christmas items everywhere in the aisles. Winter is just around the c
Many post and frame buildings have been insulated with Fiberglass insulation. This process was better than nothing however now many of these poorly insulated buildings are in need of a tune-up. Becaus
RetroGreen Energy specializes in the science of how to fix all of the insulation, ice dams, heat loss and gain problems with existing buildings. Many insulation contractors do not have a full understa
Winter’s coming. It’s already heating season. So how do you save money on heating costs? You’ve got to own your heat. Simple as that. You’ve paid for all that warm air already, so it doesn’t make much
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