Insulation – Blocking Extreme Conditions

One definition for insulation is that it is a process of blocking extreme conditions that interfere with the comfort and safety of people’s lives. The most common are thermal extremes (heat or cold) from places where there are people (residences, buildings, offices).

There are materials that bar one condition (either heat or cold) from spreading. One of the many ways to do this is mostly with the help of materials we depend on to do the job. Insulators usually use the tiny packets of air inside of them. Air is one very good insulating material.

Samples of other types of insulation are those that prevent unnecessary noise (soundproofing), and those that prevent dangerous contact with power sources (electrical insulation).  Luckily, man had already discovered ways ands means and material to avoid these conditions in real life.

Other forms of insulation in use today are those that deal with extremes in heat and cold. Soundproofing (acoustic insulation) has been successfully dealt with as well. the same is true with electricity where all of the materials used are properly insulated.

Types

In insulating your homes, there are several types of insulation to choose from. In choosing what best fits your needs, you have to determine first where you want it, and all the other requisites needed. (In heat insulation, you also have to include the R-values of materials used, for instance.)

For heat, the insulation materials are many. They include foam board, or liquid foam insulation core, straw core insulation, blanket or batt and roll insulation, concrete block insulation, rigid foam, insulated concrete forms (ICFs) and loose-fill and blown-In insulation.

Blanket insulation

The most common and widely available insulation type is the blanket insulation. They are available in batts and rolls. The materials used are flexible fibers, mostly fiberglass. (Others are from mineral rock, wool, plastic fibers, and other natural fibers like cotton and sheep’s wool.)

Batts are available in correct widths for standard spacing of walls studs, trusses or rafters. Continuous rolls can be hand-cut and trimmed to fit. They have the thermal resistance you can choose from to fit your needs.

Concrete Block

These are mostly used to build home foundations and walls and there are ways to insulate them. They can be filled with insulation. Usually, the insulation is done over their surfaces to avoid heat conduction on solid materials.

Some makers incorporate polystyrene beads into concrete blocks, and some make rigid foam inserts that can increase their thermal resistance.

Rigid panels

These foam boards (rigid insulation panels) can be used to insulate almost any part of your home, from the roof down to the foundation. They are very effective in exterior wall sheathing, interior sheathing for basement walls, and special applications such as attic hatches.

They can provide good thermal resistance and can reduce heat through structural elements. Like wood and steel studs. They are made from polystyrene and polyurethane, etc.

Also included are the loose fill used in retrofits and in locations where others can’t be installed. These are the sample of insulation material in use today.