Insulation - The Two Common Types

In layman’s terms, we think of insulation as the prevention of heat, cold or sound, from being transmitted from one place to another. With usage, it also refers to the materials that confine these natural phenomena (cold, heat or sound) in their places. (In electricity, we use rubber and other non-conductive materials to handle it safely.)

Insulation, as we know it, works in many ways. However, it is mostly composed of materials with millions of very small pockets of air. As it is, air is a good insulator that gives materials with trapped air in them their high thermal resistance. With the right densities, it even stops sound.

Thermal insulation

This is the type of insulation used in walls and ceilings, as well as the outside walls of houses where heat is usually lost (in cold seasons) or gained (in hot seasons). Basically, thermal insulation is to keep one side (the inside of a house) of the insulating material warmer than the other (the extreme cold outside).

In places where it is extremely hot or cold for long periods, your insulation design in keeping your house warm or cool (comfortable temperatures for people) should follow the climate changes. This usually is the case in temperate countries (with hot and cold seasons) and in other places where it is perpetually cold.

The thermal insulation is usually measured in “R values’ for its effectiveness. When the R value is higher, the thermal insulation it gives is better. RM is the total value of the thermal resistance of the materials used. RT is the total value of the heat resistance provided by the whole construction including the materials.

Sound insulation

Insulation is also applicable in controlling sound. At some points, the types of insulation used in thermal control also can control both sound and heat. These insulating properties (called acoustic insulation) are usually found in walls, ceilings, and floors.

However, specialized soundproofing (the other term for acoustic insulation) is usually applied to special places (theaters, recording studios) that need this type of insulation.

In places where extreme external noise is generated (highways, airports, train lines, factories), there are other specialized methods in keeping off the outside sound. Acoustic insulation measures are usually done on windows and other places in buildings that receive these unnecessary sounds.

Double work

Some people think that heat insulation can also stand in to do the job of sound insulation. In some ways, they can. However, the design tends to lean on one area or the other. Thermal insulation is best for temperature control.

On the other hand, acoustic insulation can control the pitch and volume of the sound from somewhere into entering, but it cannot guarantee that heat (or cold) is kept off. Depending on the construction of your house or of the materials used, or maybe your area, thermal insulation can sometimes take care and keep out the unnecessary acoustics (sounds). 

The best way to deal with these is to use thermal insulation for heat and cold matters, while acoustic matters should also be dealt with accordingly.