“Bob, you’ve got the sale, IF you can promise me that my office temperature will be 73 degrees.”

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In early summer, 2016, I received a referral from an HVAC company to improve the insulation in the large, custom home of one of their highly-valued clients. It was a ranch on basement. After arriving and evaluating the attic, I began writing the quote, as I had been instructed to do.

About that time, Mr. Homeowner arrived home. We sat at the kitchen table and discussed his home and my discoveries. He was excited with my proposed improvements, and said, “Bob, you’ve got the sale, IF you can promise me that my office will be 73 degrees”. (Summertime season).

His office was behind a locked door, upstairs, above the kitchen and adjacent to the area above the garage, and included a half-bath. All walls were kneewalls (walls that are exposed to the attic). Earlier, during my evaluation, I had found this room and proposed using spray foam on the kneewalls as part of my proposal, as well as adding more cellulose insulation to the ceiling.

I replied to Mr. Homeowner, “My insulation won’t create cold temperatures for you. That responsibility is for your HVAC system. Let’s go upstairs, and see how cold the air is, coming from your vents.”

(By the way, I call this ‘The Science of Airflow‘. If I super-insulate his office, but the airflow temperature isn’t 73 degrees or cooler, how can I make such a promise?)

After settling in front of one of his office vents, I inserted my probe thermometer, and took a reading: 86 degrees!

He flipped the AC on, and I began taking readings every 30 seconds…

NOTE: the HVAC equipment that served this office was located in the attic, about 60′ away.

After 5 minutes, the needle had stopped moving, and was indicating an airflow temperature of 75 degrees! I lingered another 2 minutes, but the airflow temperature wasn’t budging. The temperature inside his office? 85 degrees. Sure, the office temp would continue to drop, and sure, it will improve with my spray foam insulation, but it will NEVER reach 73 summertime degrees until the HVAC system can provide colder airflow temperatures.

And… I didn’t get the sale… YET.

With Bird Family Insulation, we do our best not to accept a project that we can’t deliver on. WHY?

Because we aren’t salesmen. We are Comfort Pros. We SELL COMFORT and that is the best value for your money!

Want to know more? Contact Bob Bird, at 404-538-9168 or Bob@Birdinsulation.com

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