What Makes Insulation More Effective?
Insulation provides resistance to heat flow and reduces heating and cooling costs. It also keeps rooms a comfortable temperature and helps prevent moisture problems.
Bulk insulation like cellulose and fiberglass trap millions of tiny air pockets that slow the flow of thermal energy. It works much the same way your goose down jacket does.
Reduces Energy Bills
Insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more energy-efficient all year round. It prevents warm air from escaping your home in winter, and it keeps cool air from seeping into your house in summer, making your air conditioning less expensive. That’s why it is so important that homes are properly insulated and maintained.
Insulation works by slowing thermal transfer down via three mechanisms: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction is when heat passes through materials, like a spoon that’s been left in a hot cup of coffee. Convection is when air moves through a space, and it’s the reason that warmer air rises and cooler, denser air sinks in your attic and foundation areas. And radiation is when heat passes through walls, ceilings, and floors, causing them to absorb it.
Most of our household energy is used on heating, cooling, and running appliances, so reducing the amount of energy we consume will drastically reduce our power bills. In fact, if we were to cut the amount of heat that escapes our home via insulation by half, it would save us about 152$ a year.
The specifics of the type and thickness of insulation you use can affect how much it reduces energy consumption, but all insulation types reduce energy bills in a similar way: by slowing the flow of hot and cold air into and out of your home. Bulk insulation, such as fiberglass, traps millions of tiny air pockets that help slow down the transfer of heat. This is why it’s so important to not compress bulk insulation when installing it; compression reduces the number of air pockets and significantly lowers its R-value.
A good place to start is with your attic and foundation, which are where most of the heat leaks from a home. But don’t stop there! It’s also a good idea to insulate your walls and roof, as well as your doors, windows, and floors. You may be surprised by how much of a difference it makes to your energy bills when all of these elements are properly insulated.
Reduces Moisture
Whether from precipitation, ground water seepage or high humidity, moisture is one of the biggest enemies of thermal insulation. Insulation helps reduce moisture and condensation that can damage a building envelope, rot walls and ceilings and cause mold growth. Insulation also helps protect against the harmful effects of moisture in buildings by regulating temperatures, preventing excessive humidity and blocking air leaks.
When properly installed, spray foam insulation can add up to R-values in the range of 7 to 25 per inch. A higher R-value indicates better insulation performance and can save homeowners on energy costs by slowing the escape of heat during the summer and keeping warm air inside in the winter.
The way a person’s hair feels when wet is a good example of how insulating materials can be affected by moisture. When wet, hair mats together and loses insulating value. The same happens to insulation when it becomes wet, reducing its R-value and allowing heat to pass through it more easily. Insulation with a vapor diffusion retarder, which is a special material that stops water vapor from moving through the insulation, prevents moisture absorption.
In addition to preventing a buildup of moisture in the building envelope, proper insulation prevents the growth of mold and mildew. These organisms thrive in damp, humid environments and can lead to health problems for people living in a building. Mold and mildew can cause respiratory illnesses, including allergies, asthma and bronchitis. In some cases, exposure to these irritants can suppress the immune system, making it more difficult for an individual to fight off infections. Insulation and air sealing help prevent indoor irritants from entering the building and causing illness.
Additionally, proper insulation with a professional like Bonners Ferry Insulation can prevent insect infestations like wood-eating ants and termites from getting into the home. These insects can cause significant damage to homes and businesses, but proper insulation can help deter them by preventing entry into the building in the first place. This means that paying for insulation upfront could help reduce the cost of repairing insect damage and other costly structural repairs down the road.
Reduces Noise
Insulation is known to keep cold air out and warm air in, making a home or building more comfortable and energy efficient. However, it also has a less well-known benefit: sound reduction.
Unwanted noise in homes and buildings can be distracting, disrupting your peace of mind and productivity. Fortunately, insulation helps to reduce unwanted noises by forming a barrier between sources of noise and adjacent spaces and by absorbing vibrations. While energy savings and comfort are the primary benefits of insulation, many homeowners also seek out the benefits it offers for reducing unwanted noise.
The type of insulation you choose will determine its ability to reduce sound. For example, fiberglass insulation—which is commonly used in residential and commercial homes—is an effective acoustic insulation. It has an STC rating of 25-30 and can reduce both airborne and impact noises, according to the Insulation Institute. However, it is not as effective as blown-in cellulose insulation or foam insulation.
In addition to a good R-value, the thickness of insulation is also important when it comes to reducing noise. A thicker insulation will offer better performance, but it’s also more expensive. For this reason, it’s best to consult a professional when choosing the right insulation for your home or building.
The types of insulation that reduce sound transmission include fibrous, mineral wool, cellulose and foam. These types of insulation are heavier than fiberglass and act as a barrier between a source of noise and adjacent spaces. In addition, these materials have a high NRC (noise reduction coefficient) and can reduce both airborne and impact noises.
Although fiberglass insulation and other types of insulation are excellent heat and cold insulators, they’re only moderate sound insulators. They require meticulous installation to properly fit around pipes, wires and electrical boxes and to fill holes, cracks and crevices. They also lack mass and do not absorb sound waves like cellulose or foam.
Spray foam is an effective sound-reducing insulation that can be used in the attic to seal hard-to-reach spaces. It expands and covers surfaces, filling gaps that would otherwise carry noise into or out of a building. However, it does not significantly reduce outside noises, so you may need additional soundproofing if you live near busy roads or railways.
Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Proper insulation helps reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making it an important part of green building. By decreasing energy consumption, it also decreases the demand for fossil fuel-based energy sources. This in turn reduces fossil fuel extraction, transportation and combustion, which in turn minimizes associated pollution. Moreover, insulation extends the lifespan of buildings, which also lowers their embodied carbon footprint.
Most buildings are poorly insulated, leading to increased energy consumption and related GHG emissions. Fortunately, better insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways to help reduce home energy use and related GHGs. By slowing the flow of heat in and out of homes, insulation helps to reduce the need for excessive heating in winter or air conditioning in summer. This means less energy is consumed, resulting in lower utility bills and reduced energy use and associated GHGs.
In addition to lowering home energy use, insulation also increases building longevity and can reduce the need for frequent renovations and reconstruction. This helps to conserve these valuable natural resources and contributes to sustainable development goals. Moreover, insulation helps to reduce the need for additional infrastructure such as new power plants, which in turn leads to reduced energy consumption and related GHGs.
Regardless of the type of insulation used, all types of insulating materials help to reduce the transfer of thermal energy by restricting conduction and convection. They also slow the flow of moisture through walls and roofs, reducing a major source of home energy loss. However, the performance of each insulating material depends on its thickness, density and vapor barriers.
The most effective insulating materials have low thermal conductivity and vapor transmission. They also have low emissivity, which limits the amount of radiant heat that they allow to pass through walls and roofs. Furthermore, they contain millions of tiny air pockets that provide a high level of insulating value. This is why cellulose insulation is so effective, as it provides a higher level of R-value than fiberglass and other common home insulation materials.
The best way to determine what type of insulation is right for your home is to contact Bonners Ferry insulation. They can help you select the best insulation for your unique needs and provide a free home energy evaluation. They will also recommend other home improvement solutions that will increase your comfort, save you money and reduce GHG emissions.
Insulation provides resistance to heat flow and reduces heating and cooling costs. It also keeps rooms a comfortable temperature and helps prevent moisture problems. Bulk insulation like cellulose and fiberglass trap millions of tiny air pockets that slow the flow of thermal energy. It works much the same way your goose down jacket does. Reduces…