Residential Insulation

Residential Insulation - What insulation is best for my home?

Every year we spend hundreds of dollars in heating costs in winter and air-conditioning charges in summer. If you break down the energy usage charges over the year and you will find that a major part of it goes towards these two heads - heating and air-conditioning. Is it any wonder that residential insulation has gained so much importance in our nation, today? In fact state and federal governments are giving major rebates and tax credits to encourage people to insulate their homes and cut down on their electricity and gas use.

Not just US, most countries in Europe, Canada and till recently the Australian Government are offering rebates for insulating homes and reducing energy usage.

There are several options for insulation available to homeowners. For new home constructions consider rigid foam insulation which has become fairly popular with contractors in construction circles. The foam in the panel can be Polyurethane or Polyisocyanurate or expanded Polystyrene. Their popularity is due to the ease of use, higher insulation efficiencies and the greater structural strength they provide.

These insulation panels are manufactured in several thickness and sizes. For residential insulation a thickness 1 to 2 inches is quite sufficient. A rigid foam board insulation panel that is sandwiched by half-inch OSB pieces provides 3 times the strength of a standard wooden stud frame. With an r-value of R-4 to R-6.5 for inch of thickness this insulation will pay for itself in a few years because of increased savings in energy bills.

If you are not happy paying the higher costs for rigid foam insulation then you can go for the traditional fiberglass panels, batts or blankets. To install these needs special care and attention to get maximum benefits. Leaving gaps in the insulation can cause air infiltration and condensation both of which can cause considerable drop in effectiveness of fiberglass insulation as it is not moisture-resistant like polyurethane foam. This is cheap but it is not most effective insulation option with R-3.1 to R-4.3.

Cellulose is green option that has gained popularity. It's variants are popular in cold climes of northern Europe where cotton, recycled clothing, wool, flax and other natural and poly fibers are mixed and coated with fire-retardants like clay. Cellulose treated with borate fire retardants are used in Sydney, NSW and other cities in Australia, and most of US as residential insulation. Corncobs, nutshells, straw have also been traditionally used for purposes of insulation. The R-values range R-3 to R-3.5. With R-value of 3.7, Cotton Batts is another environmentally safe option. But this is hard to cut and requires expertise to completely seal of all the gaps. If moisture gets into the insulation, it is difficult to dry and looses it insulation effectiveness.

For wall cavities, attics, under the flooring gaps and other hard to see and reach areas loose-fill cellulose, fiberglass or spray polyurethane foam can be used. The most effective is slow rise pour foam with higher R-4.3 to R-8 values. The foam expands and fills all the cavities, gaps and holes and effectively seals of the home from air transfer.

Loose-fill cellulose and fiberglass are other options. This insulation is blow-in into the wall cavities, spaces above the roof, below the flooring, attics. Densely packed cellulose blocks airflow but does not seal it off the way closed-cell foam spray does. To help the cellulose to stick the wall surfaces sometimes it is sprayed with some water. This is called wet-spray. Wait till the insulation completely dries before sealing it off. Wet cellulose or cellulose that settles is ineffective as residential insulation.