Nate Rozelle is the Sales Manager for NHI Insulation and Concrete Lifting, a Twin Cities company specializing in traditional and spray foam insulation, and polymer injection concrete lifting.
Born in Delano, Rozelle’s hometown didn’t match the pace of Minneapolis, but it didn’t need to.
“Delano was quiet, but there were a lot of things to do,” observes Rozelle, who from a young age liked to work.
At just twelve years old, Rozelle began mowing lawns, earning enough money to go out with his friends on the weekend and buy a new bike.
“I liked the people aspect of the lawn business, but I also liked putting in an honest effort and doing a good job,” he says.
After high school, Rozelle explored a career in HVAC, enrolling at a tech school to learn the nuances of the trade, but a year in, the Delano native decided HVAC wasn’t for him.
“I wasn’t sure that HVAC was what I ultimately wanted to do,” concedes Rozelle, who when he wasn’t in the classroom was making good money helping with remodeling projects.
“One day they put an insulation blower in my hand, and from there everything changed.”
For the next two-plus decades, Rozelle mastered the art of insulation, going so far as to own and operate his own company.
In fact, it wasn’t until Rozelle met Niles Hickman, owner of NHI, that Rozelle even considered selling his insulation company.
After several conversations, Rozelle opted to sell his company and join the ranks of NHI as Sales Manager.
“We joined forces because Niles did spray foam and I did traditional insulation, and our respective expertises allowed us to offer turnkey insulation solutions to our prospective clients,” Rozelle explains as the driving force behind his bold decision.
For context, insulation is not glamorous.
Unlike roofing or siding, homeowners don’t typically see the insulation that resides within their homes, but it’s an undeniably essential material to modern construction.
“Insulation creates a buffer between the outer elements and the inside comfortability of your home,” Rozelle explains.
“Plus, insulation never sleeps. It can reduce utility bills, plus protect your home from condensation and ice damage. Insulation also makes your home comfortable year round through all the seasonal changes.”
Of note, there are several different types of insulation, but the most common are traditional mediums – cellulose & fiberglass.
Then there is spray foam insulation, which currently holds the best insulative properties available.
Typically, traditional insulation costs less than spray foam, but among industry experts it is considered less effective than its more expensive counterpart.
That’s because an insulation’s performance is based on its ability to block heat flow.
Heat flow is the measure of how readily heat is able to go from warm to cold.
It is measured by three forms of heat transfer – convection, conduction and radiation.
Traditional insulation paired with a vapor barrier (typically a polymer plastic sheet) only blocks convection, and the efficiency of this is measured by R-value.
Spray foam insulation, specifically closed cell spray foam used nearly exclusively in Minnesota, is efficient at blocking all three – with no need for a poly vapor barrier.
“The higher the R-value, the better. For context, residential walls need an R-21 rating to meet code, while R-49 is required for an attic,” Rozelle says.
In that sense, homeowners often get what they pay for when it comes to insulation.
Traditional insulation is R2.5-3.5 per inch, whereas Closed Cell Spray Foam is R6.9-7.1/inch.
While cellulose is more budget friendly, it should again be mentioned that it doesn’t offer the same performance as spray foam insulation.
“Spray foam is generally more expensive, but it’s the best way to insulate your home – especially for a home that was built prior to the 1960s because those homes don’t have vapor barriers. Therefore, with spray foam, you can achieve a vapor barrier where previously omitted,” explains Rozelle.
At present, spray foam insulation is about double the investment compared to traditional insulation, and while every home is different, many spray foam insulation projects will require a $5,000-15,000 investment.
“There are a lot of factors that account for total project investment. An example is whether we can access the attic and effectively move around from inside the home, or if we will have to remove shingles and enter through the roof,” says Rozelle.
“Additionally, sometimes we find insulation damage from rodents or water, which requires removal prior to installation of new materials.”
Adds Rozelle:
“It’s worth noting as well that if insulation is damaged, then it may be better for the homeowner to install the more expensive spray foam because then they are avoiding having to potentially worry about affected traditional insulation in the future.”
For reference, newly installed traditional insulation will last fifteen years on average before requiring a refresh.
However, spray foam insulation is a polymer which is structural and stable for hundreds of years!
While there are several factors that go into deciding which product to install in your home, equally crucial is the careful consideration of which insulation contractor to partner with.
With NHI, they’re not the biggest insulation company in the Twin Cities, but between Rozelle and his professional installers, their expertise is second to none, making NHI the preferred choice for this website’s sponsor, Grussing Roofing, and their customers.
Right now, mention GRUSSING ROOFING or FALL PROMO during your consultation with NHI to receive $100 off your final invoice.
Moreover, as a smaller company, the team at NHI is better equipped to be meticulous and detail-oriented, especially when compared to other insulation companies whose sole motivation is generating revenue.
“We care about our customers,” Rozelle emphasizes.
“We don’t look at our clients as numbers or part of our annual sales goal. We simply try to go above and beyond to help them, and we stand behind the work that we do. In essence, leaving every project as if it were our own home.”
Looking ahead, NHI has no immediate plans to launch their business into the next growth stratosphere. The entity fully embraces and supports bringing second-to-none value to its customers without sacrificing their core values in the name of revenue.
“Our focus is on making our community’s homes more efficient by helping them solve issues related to things like ice dams, condensation, sound, and overall comfortability,” says Rozelle.
“Many insulation companies don’t know how to address those issues. That’s why I always encourage people to work with an insulation company that can appropriately address the issues that are important to you, otherwise you’re just throwing away money and not actually solving the pertinent problems.” QS
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