Insulation Materials – Wide Choice

Basically, insulating materials are a compilation of materials, natural and man-made, that are now being used in insulating house and buildings in places where there are extreme swings of weather (extreme cold and extreme heat). All of these materials have been discovered (natural) and manufactured by man through existing technologies today.

All of these materials used to insulate places have their own individual characteristics that make each of them unique. Home builders and their installers use them according to the needs of the project, including the budget.

Also, not all materials for insulation can be used on all the house parts. Some are also chosen due to budgetary constraints. Aside from the listed familiar materials, there are still other uncommon materials (vermiculite, phenol foam, perlite and cementations) used in special insulation cases.

Fiberglass

Today, fiberglass tops the list of favorite materials used for insulation by home owners and home builder in the insulation business. This is made from fine glass fibers used in blankets (either batts or rolls), and as loose-fill.

In loose-fill, the molten glass is spun and blown into fibers using insulation-blowing machines. This is used in attic spaces and closed-cavity applications. They also come in as rigid boards and duct insulation.

Mineral Wool

There are two types of mineral wool, the rock wool made from natural minerals and slag wool made from the slag materials in blast furnaces. They are 75% recycled and do not need any chemicals to make them fire-resistant.

Both of these materials are usually manufactured into batts and rolls and as loose-fill insulation as well.

Cellulose

Recycled paper products (usually newsprint) end up as a very good insulation materials as cellulose. During their manufacture, the makers add borate (and sometime blend it with ammonium sulfate). Both of these processes make the finished product fire and insect resistant. 

This is usually the favorite choice used in new homes and in attic installations like the loose-fill. In addition, they are used as dense-packed filling in building cavities (these are usually the walls and the ceilings).

Plastic Fiber / cotton

The plastic fiber is made from recycled plastic (PET) bottles. The material is a fire-retardant; however, it melts when exposed to flames.

Cotton is made of 85% recycled cotton and 15% plastic fibers. It is treated with borate to repel insects. (Some makers use the trim wastes of recycled blue jeans.)

This is non-toxic and is also available in batts. A good environmental point is that it uses very minimal energy in its manufacture.

Sheep’s Wool / others

When used as insulation, this is treated with borate to work against insects, fire and molds. It can hold large quantities of water which is actually an advantage in walls. However, repeated wetting and drying can leach out the borate treatment.

Aside from the list, there are also other materials that are not common or familiar. This includes cementations and phenol foams, vermiculite and perlite.

There really are more insulation materials in development, made to fit the many types of insulation projects.  These are still in the pipeline in the makers’ R&D (research and development).