Wall Insulation - Some Practical Ideas

The walls of your house are one of the three most important parts (the others are the attic and the floor) that need insulation. During winter time, the wall insulation of your house will serve as hold to the heat and prevent warmth from escaping.

When insulated, your walls won’t feel ice-cold. Likewise, it will prevent condensation and the subsequent molds from forming. The main point is certainly the comfort of a home with the proper insulation of the walls.

Conditions

Homes that were built before 1972 usually do not have insulation in their walls. Some owners are not even aware their walls are empty and with no insulation.

During summer, the insulation of the walls will reduce the amount of heat coming in from the walls which helps maintain the coolness of your house. Most often referred to as the “hot walls”, the walls facing south and west are hit by the sun and heat them up.

When radiated by the sun, the heat radiates the house in turn, even after sundown. When these walls are insulated, the entrance of the heat into the insides of the house is dramatically reduced.

Insulating walls

Professionals and experts usually suggest that insulation of the walls should be done when the house is about to be re-painted, doing the stucco again, or when it is about to be coated with texture. The main reason is the many holes needed to be drilled on the walls.

The insulation for the wall cannot be injected from the attic area or from any part underneath the house. There is need to drill holes on the face of the walls, either from the exterior or interior areas.   

The process

Holes (2-inches each) are drilled in each bay, and made every 16 inches across. The walls are then injected with insulation until full and then plugged with Styrofoam. The stucco patching is applied and each patch is floated to match the standard stucco texture.

The patches dry up in a day and is then primed and painted right after. Some house owners want to repaint the entire home, others want only to color match the paint and paint each patch.

The drilling is from either the interior or the exterior of the house. When deciding to do the work from the inside, it is best that the house is empty and prepared for exposure to dust. (Most would choose to do the insulation work from the exterior because of the dust.)

Uses

Insulating the exterior walls of the house is generally for thermal purposes which is to keep the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The main idea is keeping a thermal barrier between the inside of your house and the outside environment.

Insulating the walls between bedrooms or other rooms of the house, it is usually to sound proof or reduce the noise between rooms. It would be redundant to insulate rooms for thermal purposes when the whole house is already insulated. Wall insulation, however, can be done in most rooms of the house.

Earthwool - Exciting New Insulation Material

It is always exciting if a new product enters into a field with a formidable reputation preceding it. From Knauf Insulation, the new entry is earthwool, a new mineral brand of wool insulation. As per reports, it carries with it some improvements over the older mineral wool insulation materials due to its feel, easy handling and the minimal environmental impact.

Also, reports have it that the new product is designed mainly for thermal and acoustical applications. This carries air conditioning ducts, power and process environment, boiler stack installations, metal and masonry walls. Not to be left out are the wall and roof panel systems, curtain web assemblies and cavity wells. 

Features

Concluding several projects, the new material shows excellent thermal efficiency that can lower operating costs. It is lightweight, easy to handle and fabricate. Labor costs are also reduced due to its easy installation.

The emission is low in consideration to indoor air. Regarding acoustics, its excellent properties effectively reduce noise. The facings can also provide a good-looking finished appearance. More important, however, is its capacity as a vapor retardant.

Recycled materials

The new mineral wool is made from recycled glass bottles and is compression-packed to reduce transport emissions. It is also formaldehyde-free because the base is on rapidly-renewable materials instead of other chemicals that are petrol-based.

The resulting material is 70% less energy intensive. It also has no artificial colors or bleach and is comparable to the older glasswool insulation. The design is primarily geared for thermal and acoustical insulation.

It is best for heating the air conditioning ducts, metal walls, masonry walls, power and process equipments, and stack installations. The installations include boilers, as well as walls, roof and wall panel systems, and cavity walls.

Conservation

It is known to be carbon negative, which means that the insulation product recover the energy that it took to produce them in just a few days.

The material also contains sand, one of the world’s most abundant resources with a minimum of 50% recycle content. It reduced its Global Warming Potential (GWP) by around 4% of its carbon footprint.

It has no phenol, formaldehyde, acrylics or artificial colors. As certified by the UL environment for indoor air quality, the product is a low-emitter.

Advantages

The main advantages of the new product is that it is thermally efficient while at the same time is cost-effective. It is not combustible and can reduce unwanted noise from outside sources. It also can limit sound transmission from room to room.

It has a wide range of sizes and R-values and are available for use in wall and ceiling batts. The main advantage of earthwool is its being thermally efficient while being cost-effective in the overall expenses for energy.

Aside from being non-combustible, it can also reduce unwanted noise from outside the house (or building) and can limit the transmission of sound from one place to another.

If there is a need for vapor retarders, the penetration and facing damage shall be repaired with tapes or mastic. Earthwool as the new mineral wool looks like it is here to stay.

House Insulation - Best Options

House insulation has always been a necessity in colder places of the world all because of the extreme nature of the climate in both hot and cold weather. This is also triggered by the fact that maintaining comfortable temperatures inside the house can be expensive, not to mention that it is an ongoing yearly energy expense.

The expenses on insulating your residence can be considered an investment knowing that it is quite hefty. The consolation is that it is a one-time expense compared to the yearly payment to keep your house in comfort.

Areas  

For some consolation, there are only a handful of places that need to be insulated in your house. Obvious examples would be the attics and the walls.

With proper insulation, the ROI on your investment would be definitely raised. The reason is that the insulation on the critical parts of your house raises its total value. 

More places

The other areas that need insulation would be your ceilings with unheated spaces, the basement walls, the floors above the vented crawl spaces, the cathedral ceilings, and the floors over unheated garages and porches.

It is also wise to include insulating such areas like the knee walls and the in-between interior walls (like the bathroom). The goal is to envelop the entire house in insulating materials.

Sampler

One example of proper insulation would be the use of fiberglass. This material can keep your house cool during the summer months and keep it warm in winter.

The technology is simply that the insulation resists the flow of heat from one place to the other. As an energy form, heat moves out of the house in winter (looking for the cool places) and flows inside during summer (which is unwanted at the time).

Added advantage

There is an additional advantage in the use of fiberglass as insulating material. It keeps out the heat while at the same time it works as a sound absorber. Installed in walls and ceilings, the material can reduce (noticeably) the transmission of unnecessary sound.

This is an advantage these days as the surrounding environment in most places is getting unnecessarily noisier. Some house owners have separate sound proofing installations on their houses.

Types

The required insulation is defined in terms of the R value. This is the resistance value of a material to heat passing through it. The higher the R-value, the greater is the material’s insulating qualities.

However, choosing the insulation material strictly on its high R-value is not entirely correct. R-values of insulation for specific houses also depend on the local climate and existing building codes. You need to familiarize on their properties.

There are also other options with regards to these insulation materials for your house as there are varieties.  You can pick out fiberglass, mineral wool, cellulose, foam or cotton.

Options on materials

There are many varieties of insulation materials that you can use – fiberglass, mineral wool, cellulose, foam and cotton. (A manufacturer has just added a new mineral wool, earthwool in its line-up.)

Choosing the materials for your house insulation needs to include such factors as thermal grades (R-value), lifetime performance, fire safety, moisture among others.

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.

Insulation Roof - Installs Easy

Experts had already declared that around 25% of the heat that are lost from an un-insulated home goes through the roof. The good news is that you now can install quite easily your insulation roof. The saving s on your energy bill will definitely be more it that problem is solved.

A cold loft is usually the area it is needed to insulate immediately in order to preclude the escape of heat. In relation to costs, there is a wide range of options available for roof insulation which can sometimes be inexpensive.

Some people do it DIY (do-it-yourself) although there are projects that would really need some experienced expertise. This happens because some3 of the specialty projects need some specialty equipments/machines.

Installation

The cheapest among the loft insulation installation is the cold loft option. This is considered classic. This involves insulation between and over the wooden joists that re immediately above the ceiling of your top floor. Sometimes, it can be done DIY.

If your loft is for storage, you need to clear it with the authorities like any grant-assisted work. Grants, either 100& or partial, will not really cover the costs of clearing a loft. (You can still use it to check on your stored items if you still need them. 

Costs

Many options available for rood insulation are many and they are not that expensive. Energy-efficient grants are available at present for cold loft roof insulation.

Warm roof solutions, generally, are expensive. However, they can provide a higher level of heat retention. You can also get around more easily using the loft in storing temperature sensitive items.                         

Types

A warm deck or roof usually refers to the situation where the deck of the roof, usually made of wood, is below the insulation. Cold deck or roof is when the insulation is below the rood deck (and to the joists).

There is a gap needed to be left for ventilation. Since this is a cold area, there could be some form of condensation which can lead to rot.

The inverted rood is the condition where the insulation goes above the weather membrane where it protects it from the heat and cold. (Both of these conditions can shorten its life and that of the roof deck.) It can also protect it from wear and tear. (The roof’s topmost layer is generally gravel or something similar.)

Notes

There are some things that you need to be reminded of. For roof insulations, you need to cover the pipes with pipe insulation. The loft is colder because the insulation keeps the warmth in the floors below.

Basically, insulation needs to go up the side and over any tanks (Special tank insulation can be used).  There is no need to insulate under any tanks as without some heat coming from below. If your tank is raised, you can insulate the underside of the tank. Always leave electric cables as they are so they can remain cool.

Insulation needs to go up the side and over any tanks or a special tank insulation can be used. You need not insulate under any tanks as without some heat coming in from below. If your tank is raised, you can insulate the underside of the tank. Leave electric cables as they are so they can remain cool.

Overall, insulation roof, compared with the situation in others, is relatively easy to install.

Roof Insulation - Top Concern

The roof is the topmost part of the house and gets the radiation heat from the sun full-on, more than any other house part. Over and above its main task of stopping the sun’s heat, it also preserves the energy while giving more comfort with less overall cost on utilities. Doing this it would then need roof insulation.

With the insulation, there is better thermal protection in cold situation during winter time. The insulation works by preserving the convection of the heat inside the house. At the opposite, it reduces the chances of thermal moisture that can result in molds and mildew.

Insulation materials

For the roof, the insulation materials come in two types. One is the reflective insulation material and the other is the bulk insulation material. This one comes in forms like blanket, blown-in cellulose, rigid boards and sprayed foam.

In hot and cold conditions, the insulation roof using reflective materials is good for controlling better the unwanted temperature gain (or loss) including moisture penetration. Most homes and commercial buildings unite both materials (reflective foil and bulk insulation) to create complete insulation systems.

Reflective materials

The insulation using reflective materials is composed of two different layers of aluminum foils sandwiched with the inner layer of foam, plastic bubble or fiberglass. This prevents the energy from penetrating the inside of the structure.

Otherwise, it reflects around 97% of radiant energy away from the roof surface. This works best in summer with the use of aluminum reflecting the heat away from the protected structure.

Bulk materials

The composition is in blankets or batts insulation materials made of foam. The foam, in turn, is made of fiberglass, mineral wool, cotton or sheep’s wool. This works against the rising warm air, trapping heat from penetrating inside or outside.

The rigid foam does not compress or absorb moisture. It also has higher insulation and a longer life. The sprayed polyurethane foam is good for insulating metal walls and roofs.  It seals the air and moisture leaks and controls condensation.

Wood-frame

For most homes in any conditions, it is ideal to use the combined capabilities of the reflective and bulk insulation. Also in attics that are unheated, the bulk insulation materials can be used on the floor while the reflective material is effective in being used under the roof to reflect the inside heat.

For heated attics, you can use the same insulation applied over the roof surface. It can give relief to the conditions generated by radiant heat. Most of home roofs have enough space between the rafters to allow two inches of airspace for air circulation under the roof. 

This space allows the moisture and vapor to penetrate directly into the house. The reflective barrier can also work and act to suppress moisture and vapor as well. The condensation of moisture creates problems like molds and mildew as well as rot and dripping.

The ventilation provided by the space under the roof surface helps the moisture to escape and stop ice build up (in winter) and the damage it can cause. Roof insulation is a top concern for everyone concerned. 

Soundproofing Walls - Some Treatments

Soundproofing is to reduce the sound pressure coming from a specified sound source to the receptors. There are many ways to reduce sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, noise barriers, damping structures and others. Soundproofing walls might make you go beyond the Building Code.

Ideally, in soundproofing the walls it can be good to apply the soundproofing materials on the noise-producing side of the wall. If your neighbor is the culprit for the noise, you need to treat your side.

Acoustic treatments

Two soundproofing problems have to be considered when you are planning to design acoustic treatments. These are how to improve the sound within a room and how to reduce sound leakage to and from adjacent rooms or outdoors.

Some solutions include acoustic quieting, noise mitigation, and noise control can be used in limiting unwanted noise.

Other problems like unwanted indirect sound waves (reflections that cause echoes and resonances that cause reverberations) can be reduced by soundproofing. The main action is to suppress the transmission of unwanted direct sound waves from the source to the involuntary listener by way of using distance or some intervening objects in the path of the sound.    

DIY wall soundproofing

There are some techniques that can be a DIY project regarding soundproofing your new or existing walls. The first one is to add mass behind these walls where the noise is coming from. If the neighbors are the one making the noise, you need to treat your side of the wall, not theirs.

In dampening the noise, you can use MLV or mass-loaded vinyl. This is used in big industrial complexes to reduce earsplitting noise. MLV is a flexible material that also comes in rolls so you can trim them easily. It is sandwiched between drywall layers to reduce transmission of noise and deaden the sounds.

Leaky walls /irritating sound waves

Like water, sound waves also leaks through small cracks and openings. You can plug these holes and gaps around switches, door casings, and receptacle boxes with acoustic caulk. The sound coming from these little holes can be irritating especially those that produce high pitches.

The sounds can be absorbed with acoustic panels that do two things: it clarifies the sound in a room and reduce transmission of sounds through most wall types. You can also enhance the wall soundproofing by sealing door frames and door perimeter seal and door sweeps.

One other method of reducing transmission of sounds through most wall types is by using fabric-wrapped acoustic panels. They are fully customizable and can blend with your home décor. 

STC

Sound transmission class ratings (of STC) measures how much a particular soundproofing construction material can reduce sound. Higher STC ratings indicate materials that are better at noise reductions.

For instance, a wall with an STC rating of 30 will allow most sentences to be heard clearly inside the room. A wall with an STC rating of 50 will block most of the loud speech and can transfer only faint sounds of loud musical instruments. If you are doing the DIY project of soundproofing walls, knowing STC can guide you through.