See also:
Insulation for Energy Efficiency
Insulation Rules
Insulation Materials

best Calculators and insulation software

Insulation calculators and insulation software are mostly simple estimating tools. They should be used critically, and you shouldn't expect too much from them. Most of these tools have obvious limitations.

ORNL Zip Code Insulation Program

The ORNL Zip Code Insulation Program allows you to know the insulation needs in different rooms and parts of the house, both in new and existing buildings. To get such insulation recommendations, the program needs some data to define your house and climate, namely your Zip Code... This software if valid for the United States, but you may also use it in other countries as long as you match your particular climate with an equivalent US climate (defined by the Zip code). That's probably the best free insulation software in the Net.

To link to that program: ORNL Zip Code Insulation Program

Insulation Calculators

Lowe's, Home Depot and some manufacturers are offering online insulation calculators.

Home Depot or Lowe's online calculators give an estimate of the number of bags of the required blown-in insulation. They demand very basic data: the size of your home and the size of the rooms you want to insulate, or your heating system. They are very simple and preliminary estimating tools, with very obvious limitations.

See:
Home Depot Calculator (fiber and blow-in insulation)
Lowe's Calculator (blow-in insulation)

Chuck-wright.com insulation calculator

Chuck-right.com offers a good online spreadsheet to help you know your insulation needs. This tool can be used in any country, but requires proper information on your climate zone.

See: Chuck-wright

3E Plus insulation program

The 3E Plus Insulation Thickness Computer Program is a management tool developed by the North American Insulation Manufacturers. This online software calculates the thermal performance of both insulated and uninsulated piping, ducts and equipment. It also calculates savings and greenhouse gas emissions and reductions. This software - specially designed to insulation contractors - can be used free of charge by other interested users, but they have a limited and rather technical scope for homeowners.

To download it: 3E Plus Insulation Program

best Insulation installation videos

Below, we list some of the best insulation installation videos in the Net. The selection covers different types of insulation materials: new materials like ICF forms and SIP panels, but also batt and blanket insulation, fibers and foams... Some of the videos are part of strategies of brand promotion of their owners. Just try to ignore their promotional side...

EnergySavingsTrust organization (UK) videos
Cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, etc.
See: Energy Savings Trust Insulation Videos

ICF forms videos (walls, new homes)
See: Rastra (at the end of their Library page)

SIP panels video (walls and roofs, new homes):
SIP installation video from the SIP professional association: SIPs.org
Building with SIP panels, from MichiganCodes.com: Michigan Codes Sips

Rigid foam insulation
Rigid foam insulation, from MichiganCodes.com: Michigan Codes Rigid Foam Insulation

Videos on several types of installation insulation
Owens Corning and Knauf.uk have many insulation installation videos. Though promoting their brands, they are between the best online insulation videos. Just choose the type of insulation. See:
Owens Corning Insulation Videos
Knaf.uk

best Green insulation options

Using new and particularly efficient insulation materials will benefit the environment by reducing our carbon footprint. The amount of recycled materials also helps to prevent the depletion of natural resources. Choosing formaldehyde-free materials is also crucially important.

Fiberglass green insulation products

When choosing fiberglass insulation, select formaldehyde-free fiberglass with very high recycled content (some manufacturers are offering fiberglass insulation with up to 70% of recycled glass, but in most cases that component is much smaller).

For information on these issues, see:
BuildItGreen information

Cellulose and Slag/Mineral Wool insulation

Consider cellulose insulation made from recycled newsprint, but do not install it in wet environments (see: Cellulose insulation problems).

Slag wool insulation can contain up to 90% of recycled content, but on average, that value is approximately 70%. Anyway, that's a very high value, making slag/mineral wool an eco-friendly option.

For a list of slag and mineral wool insulation manufacturers, see:
Naima organization

For cellulose issues, or to find out manufacturers or contractors, see:
CIMA

Soybean foams

Foam insulation poses some questions about its environmental impact. It's true that is is a a petroleum based product, with little recycled content and very high levels of embodied energy - which isn't good for the environment. But polyicynene, at the core of polyurethane and other foams, is a non-ozone-depleting chemical, environmentally benign.

On the other hand, foams are extremely energy-efficient, contributing to reduce our carbon footprint.

You may also consider types of polyurethane using soybean oil, sugar cane and corn (instead of petroleum based products). They have obvious environmental benefits and are mostly sprayed materials (or rigid boards, in the case of soy-based polyurethane).

See, for information on these issues: Soy based products

Other green foams

See, for instance: Icynene Insulation

Batts

Always choose formaldehyde-free insulation batts; recycled cotton insulation batts are between the most greener insulation options. See: GreenBuilding.org

ICF forms and SIP panels

Also consider ICF forms and SIP panels... They provide extremely energy efficient walls and homes, and much lower carbon footprints... They are between the best insulation products. See: Best Insulation Options

Best insulation case studies

The US Green Building Council Case Studies section offers many insulation case studies in a rather schematic description.

Case studies with traditional insulation materials

Although with a strong promotional focus, there are other more interesting Case Studies: that may be the case of Knauf insulation Case Studies covering traditional insulation materials.

ICF insulation Case Studies (residential wall and roof insulation):

The ICF (Insulated Construction Forms) professional association offers some good ICF forms Case Studies, for new homes. See: Forms.org ICF Case Studies

SIP insulation Case Studies (new wall construction and insulation)

The SIP (Structural Insulation Panels) professional association also offers some good SIP panels Case Studies, for new homes. See: SIP Panels

High efficient foams

For Case Studies involving high-efficient (and eco-friendly) foams see: Icynene Case Studies.

Best Technical guides, catalogues and documents

NAIMA organization has a wealth of information - guides, documents... - to help homeowners on fiberglass, rockwool/slag wool and cellulose insulation products and options. See: Naima Insulation Literature

TOOLBASE is a major source of technical information on insulation. See: Toolbase insulation information

The BUILDWISE organization provides also a large and valuable set of literature on insulation. See the insulation section of this organization in: Buildwise Energy and Green Practices

For a good technical introduction to insulation involving hot climates, see the Buildwise case study involving Australian climates or the Victoria Government Pdf on insulation.

best incentives, grants, rebates

Canada
In Canada, see: Office of Energy Efficiency Grants and Incentives

USA
In USA, see: Energy Star and tax credits information.
For more detailed data on federal incentives in USA, see: DSIRE USA
For local tax incentives involving insulation in USA, see: DSIRE

Note: DSIRE is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

Australia
For information on insulation incentives in Australia use these two links: Icanz.org and Icanz.org Consumers

UK
For information on insulation incentives in the UK, see: Energy Saving Trust

finding the best professional insulation associations and contractors

Searching dealers and installers through manufacturers

The main insulation manufacturers can help you find dealers and installers near your home. Just call them.

Alternatives include searching through organizations like Resnet (USA) or through professional insulation associations. See below.

Insulation contractors associations

Insulation Contractors Association of America: this Association has a Contractor Locator.

Blow-in-Blanket Contractors Association: this association lists silver, gold and platinum members, as well as many other authorized members. See: Contractor Locator (North America)

Resnet

To find a professional insulation contractor in USA, see: Resnet insulation contractors (the search demands your Zip code; do not forget to choose the exact type of insulation contractor you are looking for in the combo box: insulation, batt insulation, blown insulation, foam insulation, etc)

ICF association and contractors

To find Insulated Construction Forms contractors, distributors and other ICF professionals, use the ICF professional organization database.

SIP association contractors

SIP manufacturers may help you to find contractors, distributors and other SIP professionals. Or you may use the SIP manufacturers association database: SIPA database.

Cellulose

Cellulose Manufacturers Insulation Association (CIMA) database is a good way to search for contractors and other professionals. See: CIMA HomeOwners and CIMA Builders and Contractors.

Fiberglass, rockwool

NAIMA member companies manufacture fiber glass, rock wool and slag wool insulation products. You may contact them to get help when searching for contractors, distributors and other insulation professionals in USA. See: NAIMA members

For other associations, see the NAIMA list of fiberglass and rockwool associations outside USA.

Mineral wool (Europe):

The European Mineral Wool Manufacturers Association (Eurima) provides a listing of their members, which can help you to find contractors and other insulation professionals. See: Eurima Members

Polyurethane associations

Here's a selection of links to the websites of associations dealing with insulation polyurethane products and applications (in Europe, Asia, North America, Mexico, etc.): Basf listing of polyurethane organizations.

They can help you to contact foam insulation dealers or contractors in your region.

Other Foam associations

Polyurethane foam association (USA),
Polyurethane association
Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA)The
Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA).
Spray Polyurethane Association

Best insulation tables and maps

North America
Map with the recommended insulation levels per climate zone: NAIMA

Australia
For a good article on insulation with a table/map with insulation levels for cool temperate and alpine climates, high humid and hot dry climates and warm/mid climates and warm humid, see Your Home Australian Gov.

best Weekend insulation DIY projects

Between the many online resources involving weekend insulation DIY projects, we have chosen the Home Depot DIY projects. They have a strong promotional bent and are based on the promotion of some big brands (Dow, Green fiber and Owens Corning), but in the overall they include good information and resources (including some videos).

Weekend Insulation Projects with Dow insulation products: foam sealants, air barriers, insulation boards

Includes weekend projects involving foam sealants, materials for wall cavities, air barrier materials and insulation boards... See: Home Depot Dow Insulation Projects 

Weekend Insulation Projects with Green fiber products: attic and wall insulation

For DIY weekend projects involving attic and wall insulation with fiber materials (and a blowing machine and sidewall nozzle) see: Home Depot Green Fiber Projects

Weekend Insulation Projects: batt, rigid foams, garage doors, attics

For weekend DIY projects involving fiberglass batt insulation, rigid foam insulation projects, garage doors insulation kits, attic insulation (with blankets), see: Home Depot Owens Corning Projects

 

Best Insulation options

The best or the most energy efficient insulation options depends largely on your needs and climate, varies with the part of the house and is closely dependent on how much you want to spend...

There is anyway some great new options you should consider, namely the Structural Insulation Panels and the Insulated Construction Forms for new homes. They are particularly efficient insulation options.

New foams, namely greener ones, are often the best options when extreme efficiency is the major goal. See: Best green options

Best insulation audits

If you are unsure about the situation of your home's current insulation, you may want to carry out an energy audit to know what's inside your walls, using a thermographic camera or a blower door test...

For DIY insulation audits, see: Simple energy audits.

USA
For professional insulation audits (infrared audits, blower door tests...) to your walls or to the whole home, you may consider the partners suggested by the Energy Star: Energy star audit partners or a certified professional listed by Resnet (Resnet auditors).

In some states there are local organizations that provide lists of energy auditors (the Maine Efficiencypros.org or the Arizona Home Performance organization for instance).

UK
See the Energy Saving Trust Home Energy check page

Canada
See the Natural Resources Canada

Australia
See The Australian Government Home Safety Plan

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Note: Thank you for taking the time to read the stuff in this page. But please note that all the resources listed here belong to their respective owners, with whom we don't maintain any affiliation. If you know a good resource on insulation that should be listed here, please let us know by email (see Home Page footer).Some resources are also promotional materials, but that's largely inevitable. Their inclusion doesn't mean we are endorsing or supporting their owners and their materials...