iNSULATION solutions
Bet on high levels of insulation for your home's exterior walls, attic and foundations unless living in hot-tropical climates. The insulation levels recommended by building codes are often too low. Good insulation solutions - to get higher comfort and lower energy bills - demand high levels of insulation.
House insulation Rules
When building a new building, do it well the first time. Do not try to save in insulation. A small extra initial investment in insulation can save you thousands of dollars in energy bills and give you a much more comfortable home. That's a crucial rule.
See: Insulation rules
Insulation Audit
When installing insulation in existing homes, it's a good idea to carry out some basic checks to the existing insulation levels.
See: Auditing home energy efficiency
Insulation Solutions
It's important to insulate the whole building envelope ( exterior walls, ceiling, foundation walls and floor. You should insulate, with priority the... 1) Attic (and ceiling and roofs); 2) Walls; 3) Floors; 4) Basements; 5) Ducts and Plumbing; 6) Cracks and joints (caulking areas).
Attic, walls, Floor, Basement, Duct... Insulation
Install as much insulation as possible, namely in your attic and exterior walls. Do not forget the foundations or the floors (under crawl spaces) and slabs, and also the ducts, plumbing and pipes. Official requirements often fell short of the optimum. Better insulation solutions demand higher levels.
See:
Home attic Insulation
Roof and Ceiling Insulation
Exterior Wall Insulation
Crawl Space Floor Insulation
Concrete Under Slab Insulation
Moisture and insulation
Duct sealing and insulation
Hot water pipe insulation
Insulation materials
Home insulation solutions involve two main types of materials: 1) traditional fiberglass, cellulose and mineral wool; and 2) plastic foams.
See:
Insulation materials
R-values
The efficiency of the insulation materials is measured by their insulation value (R-value: their thermal resistance, or resistance to heat flow).
Modern plastic foams offer higher R-values, and are the best insulators inch for inch - which doesn't mean that they are also the best option.
The best insulation solution varies with the parts of the house and depends on elements like prices and ease of installation.
See:
Insulation materials
Insulation Values
Insulation and climates zones
Insulation is crucial in most climates, specially in colder ones. Insulation is never useless, except in some hot-tropical climates, where only reflective insulation solutions are efficient.
See: Insulation & Climate and Insulation and cooling
Dealing with insulation contractors and builders
Builders are often tempted to reduce house insulation, or to overlook some potential flaws...
Insulation and windows
Highly efficient windows (and doors and skylights) are also a key element in the home's insulation and sealing.
See: Advanced Windows
Vapor Barriers
Vapor barriers - materials used for sealing the home's living space - can prevent indoor moisture from migrating into the walls, damaging the insulation materials.
Insulation materials & Environment
Avoid - in the case of foams - insulation materials with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Most foams do not use them anymore (most are now made with pentane gas or other non CFC's or HCFC's chemicals). Consider also greener insulation materials, namely those made from recycled materials.
See: Green Insulation Materials
The insulation best
For a great compilation of insulation solutions and resources - insulation videos, DIY weekend insulation projects, insulation calculatiors, maps, and more much more - see: Insulation best...