All About the Different Types of Insulation

If you're going to be installing insulation in your home, knowing about the different types of insulation is vital to making sure you make the right choice. With so many of us developing an interest in a more efficient, energy saving home, insulation is a surprisingly hot topic. To get the best, most efficient installation you can, you'll need to choose the right product. Let's take a look to see what's available.

There are four basic types of insulation out there: bats/blankets, spray foam, loose fill and rigid board. The most appropriate kind to use is going to depend on where you're installing insulation. Different kinds of construction, and the extent of rehabilitation will affect what you need, as will code requirements. While pink blanket insulation is the most familiar, you should remember that there are a lot of other options.

Loose Fill
This type of insulation is made up of a loose pellet or fiber mix, and is blown into the building using special types of equipment. It can be synthetic, or made of a natural material like recycled cotton and wool from the fiber industries. Benefits of this kind of insulation include easier filling of small spaces and better sound insulation. However, it's also costlier and can get everywhere. The most common type is cellulose fiber, chemically treated to prevent rot and fire dangers. Make sure the material meets regulations in your areas.

There are also fiberglass and rock wool loose fill insulation, which are blown into the open stud cavities. Generally, loose fill types of insulation have R values of about R-3 to R-4 per inch of
depth, while cellulose has about thirty percent more insulating value than a rock wool variety.

Blankets and Batts
These are the least expensive types of insulation, and probably the most common if you're installing insulation at home. Made either from processed fiberglass or rock wool, they're used to insulate the areas above ceilings, below floors, and inside walls. Carefully installing this insulation is important if you want it to work effectively. This is a type that's best for standard stud, joist, and rafter spacings, since it's cut in widths that securely fit between the members. Some have radiant barrier backing, while other brands are merely backed with paper. Batts are usually four to eight feet long, while blankets come in long rolls that are cut to fit. R values for this kind of insulation are about R-3 per inch in thickness.

Rigid Board
Usually made from polyurethane, fiberglass or polystyrene, this substance comes in many thicknesses and has an extremely high insulating value of about R-4 to R-8 per inch of thickness. This type of insulation is commonly used for reproofing work on flat roofs, as perimeter insulation at the edges of concrete slabs, and in basement walls. It may also be used to provide insulation in cathedral ceilings.

When used in interior installations, it has to be covered with a building code approved material, such as half inch gypsum board, to achieve the desired amount of fire safety. When installing insulation of this type outside, you'll need to cover it in a weather proof facing that meets your local codes.

Spray Foam
This type of insulation comes as a two part liquid - the polymer and the foaming agent. Usually, the polymer in this case is a modified urethane, or a polyurethane. This liquid is sprayed into the cavities in walls, ceilings and floors, and expands during application, becoming a solid plastic filled with lots of tiny air filled cells. This makes it easy to fill unusual spaces. Installing installation of this type must be done by a professional with dedicated equipment for mixing, measuring, and spraying.

This insulation is commonly in use in retrofits, since it works well for oddly shaped areas and can be installed around obstructions. This type of insulation costs more than a traditional batt insulation, but can be cost effective anyway. This is because it forms an air barrier and an insulation, eliminating the need for caulking, taping joints, applying house wrap or vapor barrier, and other detailing.

One of these major types of insulation is certain to be appropriate for your home or your business. Depending on whether you're doing new construction or retrofitting an old building, and depending on the amount of money you have available, one will turn out to be the one that best meets your needs. Of course, when money and circumstances allow it, installing the most