My daughter, Jenna, is a successful realtor in Coastal Alabama. She grew up in the insulation industry. She would work with me, sometimes, when she was a young girl. Her knowledge of buildings and how they are constructed helps her when selling homes. Now, she has put together a company to remove insulation.
Jenna stumbled upon the Cool Machine brand! 😆 She grew up with me selling machines, delivering machines and training people on how to use the machines. So, starting her own extraction business came naturally.
She is using the VacTrailer that we put together this past summer. The CoolVac37 has the power to extract batts and provides great suction to go distances that the smaller machines cannot. Everything goes straight into the dump trailer. This system keeps her efficient. Jobs are done quickly and disposal is easy.
Some spray foam contractors are using her to do insulation removals because they would rather follow her up with installations. Through her real estate contacts, she is able to get jobs to remove damaged insulation from attics and crawl spaces.
Recently, we were with her on a job for Fort Morgan Fire Department. They had nearly 3,000 sq feet of soiled fiberglass batts above suspended ceiling. It only took a few hours to remove the insulation and to replace ceiling tiles that were old and destroyed.
Attic Queen in Oldsmar, Florida is well-known for starting an extraction company and has done well with it. Jenna has had opportunity to work alongside her and they support each other in this industry. We really appreciate Jessica’s support. If you ever see them together, wear sunglasses…. Attic Queen is sporting Neon Green and Jenna is decked out in Hot Pink!
Don’t tell your wife that you found this blog post! We are going to discuss purchasing MULTIPLES of the SAME tool! Well, that is the key to efficiency and keeping your machines running well!
Consider Setting Up a Dedicated Spot for Your Tools
Whether you use an organizer system (i.e., Milwaukee Packout) or a small cabinet tool box, having the tools that pertain to the equipment inside your trailer or truck is essential to being efficient! Keep this tool box in a place that will not be covered by stacks of product. If you inadvertently drop an object into your machine’s airlock, it can take a little bit of time to fix it. If you have to dig all your insulation out of the way to get to your tools, you just added more time.
Consider Being Strategic with the Tools You Carry
You don’t need to carry every tool with you. You just need the tools that will help you fix your particular machine. The Cool Machine brand does not require many tools. In fact, most of the fasteners are based on the 9/16” measurement so that you don’t have to carry every SAE or Metric size with you.
Consider Dedicating a Tool Box for Every Truck and Trailer
A redundancy of tools saves you time. Set up a tool box in every truck. Time will be lost if you have to run back to the shop or to another truck miles away on another job.
These are just three of the more effective ways to save time and keep your machines running smooth.
Jeff Grimm has one of the most unique business names among our customers: Reaper Rodent Removal. Jeff’s company is located on the Gulf side of Florida in beautiful North Port.
In 2022, Hurricane Ian smashed into the city of North Port. Jeff found himself in the middle of a community devastated by houses with debris that needed to be removed. He already owned a CM1500 which he used to top off attics that were in need of more insulation. When the hurricane swept through, he needed a vacuum… so, he got one of the best, most powerful vacuums in the industry… a CoolVac37.
With the CoolVac37 and 8” hose, he routinely removes fiberglass batts from attics damaged by the hurricane and pests who nest in the attic.
Diversifying his business into an industry that allows him to remove the damaged insulation fits well within his business model as a pest control company.
Bugsy’s Pest Control in Lakeworth, Florida just purchased a CM1500HP and a CoolVac27. Why would they need an insulation blower and vacuum? Zach, the owner of the company, is a biologist/entomologist that realizes people need to get rid of pests, keep them out of their homes AND get rid of their waste.
We enjoyed a later morning meeting with Zach. He explained how he deals with rats, various cockroach species and a number of other pests. He knows the importance of getting rid of the toxic mess they leave behind. So, we discussed various methods of insulating and how he can add a very important dimension to his company.
We showed him around his equipment and made recommendations on how to use it.
The CM1500HP and CoolVac27 add a decent amount of power to deal with insulation removals and quick reblows. All of his equipment fits into a 16 foot v-nose trailer with room for material.
Vacuum bags are meant to be stored in room temperatures. If you store your bags in freezing weather, they will have a diminished life-span. Vacuum bags are made of woven Polypropylene. This is plastic. They are not made of natural fibers. When the temperatures drop below 32 degrees farenheit (0 degrees celsius), the plastic becomes brittle. So, store your bags inside at room temperature.
Also, store your bags in your truck when driving to and from the job site. Keep the bags in the warm vehicle until they are needed.
Knee walls that sit at the end of vaulted ceilings can be difficult to insulate. The hardest part is reaching them. Here are two ways you can speed up the process of installing fiberglass into a kneewall.
Use Tall Drywaller Stilts
Depending on your height, the height of the knee walls and the stilts you are using, this is the fastest way to install fiberglass into the knee walls. Before stilting up, use a long stick to push batts of fiberglass into the knee wall cavity. We prefer to cut the top angle before strapping on the stilts.
Use a Ladder Effectively
Running up and down a ladder is time-consuming and will raise the probability of an accident. Again, use a long stick to push batts of fiberglass into the knee wall. Also, cut the top angle before using the ladder. Position your ladder at the cavity between two others. You should be able to insulate three knee wall cavities without descending the ladder.
Cool Machines makes equipment that is simple to maintain and fix. They make it a priority to have equipment that reduces and eliminates down-time. Most issues can be taken care of while in the field!
Many times, while meeting customers, we will walk through maintenance and troubleshooting. From changing Air Lock Seals to replacing blowers, the Cool Machine brand is simple. You do not have to return your machine to the manufacturer to be fixed.
Cool Machines does offer in-shop fixes and updates. We can offer help at your location. The need for that is few and far between.
If you need help with your machine, call us today! We can certainly get you up and running!
Cool Machines constantly innovates to bring efficiency and safety to the insulation equipment they manufacture. The Cool Diverter is one of the most impressive ideas that is well received by our customers. It is a simple device that saves wear and tear on your equipment and gets your crew out of the attics faster. Here’s how!
The Cool Diverter Saves Time When Switching Bags
The CoolVac16 and CoolVac23 will fill a standard 72 cubic foot (6ft x 4ft) bag in about 12 minutes. The CoolVac37 and its Diesel counterpart will fill a standard bag in 6 minutes, max. If you are not using the diverter, you will be shutting down your machine to check the fill level of your bags and making the switch. Shutting down your equipment takes time. Removing the vacuum bag takes time. You can some time switching bags. It’s not a very fast process. If you are extracting a 2,000 sq ft house, you can expect to shut down your vacuum, remove and replace these bags almost a dozen times.
The Cool Diverter lets you place two vacuum bags in place. When one bag fills, you switch over to the other bag, instantaneously. Then, while the other bag fills, you have plenty of time to remove the other bag and put a new bag in place.
The Cool Diverter Protects Your Equipment
Shutting down a vacuum and then restarting it multiple times on a job will create wear and tear. Starters will wear out faster. Clutches will burn out more often. If your battery is weak to begin with, you may have trouble restarting your vacuum. You do not want these things to happen while working.
The Cool Diverter Also Works with Large Dumpster Bags
While the Cool Diverter makes your job more efficient with the 72 cubic foot bags, it is also helpful with dumpster size bags. These bags have multiple openings. We like to connect one hose to the front opening and one to the back opening. When used properly, these bags need to be filled from a couple of different openings. The front opening will pack up, leaving the back of the bag less full. Fiberglass and Rockwool tend to collect and pack without spreading throughout the bag.
The Cool Diverter’s Main Value is that it Protects Your Employees
While I am saving this for the last point, it is the most important one. In an attic that exceeds 100 degrees in the summer, it is very important to not waste time. Without a Cool Diverter, you will be shutting down every 6 minutes and waiting for a bag switch. Your extractors are sitting in the heat for longer than they need. We hear from our customers how valuable this accessory has been.
If you are interested in adding this accessory to your vacuum, we can help. Cool Machines offers two sizes, depending on the size of hose you are using, either 6 or 8 inches. If you don’t own a Cool Machine, you can still use it with your setup.
Be prepared when you are removing insulation! Other than owning an insulation vacuum and hoses, what are other items you should have with you to be as efficient as possible?
Extra Hose Clamps: Hose clamps fail when used over and over again. Make sure you have a couple of each size, on hand, to make sure you can make connections. While you can source 3”, 4” and 6” clamps at a local hardware store, finding a 8” clamp is difficult.
Duct Tape: Always have a supply of duct tape. We recommend that you have a cheap, easy to tear tape and a thick, long-lasting duct tape. Use the easy to tear for connection points you will remove and join frequently. Use the thick tape for connections that are not going to be removed.
Extra Connectors: Most of the vacuum hoses have a wire that spirals through the hose to prevent the hose from collapsing with the suction. If that hose gets crushed, then it is very difficult to reform. Be prepared to cut the crushed section out and use an extra connector.
Three or Four Pronged Cultivator: Old mineral wool and cellulose can be caked on the drywall under it. Having a cultivator tool will break up the compressed insulation. You can also reach deeply into the soffit areas with this tool.
Sand Bags: With the larger machines that are capable of sucking fiberglass batts, your hose will buck. This could damage the person’s house if it bucks wildly. Get some cheap, small sandbags like those used for kids soccer goals. This will prevent damage.
Always Carry Extra Vacuum Bags: We do have an occasional call from a contractor late Friday night, needing vacuum bags on Saturday. Most often, it is impossible to ship that quickly. If your vacuum bags break, then having extras on hand is critical. NOTE WELL: Do not leave your bags in extreme heat or exposed to the sun. They can be destroyed by the excessive heat and UV rays within a few days.
In 1976, the cellulose wall spray method was developed. In Wyoming and Colorado by two different people. Did they know each other? Not sure. Ivan Sandau was among the first. He lived and worked in Estes Park, Colorado, and introduced the wall spray method to contractors. Winter hit and Ivan continued to spray homes. The cellulose was at nearly 100% moisture content. During the Spring thaw, the newly carpeted house had water seeping out of the perimeter walls, soaking the new carpet. The same thing happened with the Shumway brothers in Wyoming. They soaked the cellulose. Did Sandau and Shumway brothers know each other? Ivan does not remember.
The method persisted with long wait times (weeks) for the cellulose to dry. The high water content made the cellulose look like a cement rock in the cavities and held in place, with excellent results… but the amount of water continued to be a menace and by the 1980s-90s, the method lost popularity.
With decades of development and improvements in the wall spray industry, the moisture content has been drastically reduced. One can wall spray cellulose in the with 28% and much lower moisture content. The moisture level needs to be 25% or lower before it can be covered by drywall. Cellulose wall spray is growing strong and we train companies all over the United States. How then, do we use less water and still maintain an excellent density for wall spray materials?
Nozzle Design Has been Improved. Originally, nozzles had 4 or 6 spray tips. That resulted in way too much water. This was changed early on. Ivan changed to a two jet nozzle with a 25% spread. Today, tips usually begin with 25*** indicating this spread. Ivan, along with Dave Krendl continued to make improvements and developed a tear drop shaped nozzle that prewets the wall. Having the water prewet the wall right before the cellulose contacts it, helps it to stick. The nozzle also spreads the cellulose material in such a way to have the bulk of material come into contact with the water stream.
Equipment Setup Has Been Improved. Water pressure is now matched to the size of tips. The larger tips use lower water pressure (≈250psi). The smaller diameter spray patterns use higher pressure water (≈400psi). We find that it is important to have a set of each tips. As more and more cardboard is introduced into the cellulose production, you will need more water with lower pressure.
Recycling Has Been Improved. Manually returning the recycled material to a hopper takes a lot of work and requires a great amount of attention to adding and mixing the dry and recycled materials. Also, it takes a team that communicates well. Now, machines have dual hopper systems with two airlocks to allow the machine to meter the recycled with dry. This makes for a more consistent moisture content. Spraying with these machines, you can actually spray around 17%-19%. That is why the industry is now moving to the phrase “Dry Spray Cellulose.”
Technique Has Been Improved. The nozzles, pressures, tips and recycling are just a part of the complex nature of wall spray. When spraying, make sure you do not saturate the wall ahead of time. It is unnecessary. Especially, using the Cool Machine spray nozzle, this is happening when you spray. The nozzle is designed for you to hold at a 90 degree angle to the wall.
While this sounds complex, please note that when we are training new crews, within the first hour of training, most insulators are able to produce excellent results. If you would like training on-site or would like to discuss over facetime or whatsapp, we can help!