Insulation Basics

Heating and cooling your home can cost a fortune. According to the United States Department of Energy, heating and cooling costs for the average American home accounts for 50-70 percent of your homes energy costs. So why waste all of that energy and money with an improperly insulated home? Insulate your home the right way with these insulation basics from Construct101.

R-Value

Conserving energy with insulation depends on the R-value of the product you plan on installing. R-value is the unit of measurement used to describe heat loss through thermal resistance. The higher the R-value of a product, the better it will insulate. Although this is a basic truth, your homes best insulation bet may not be the highest R-valued insulation product, but instead a combination of several products. Always read the labels of insulation products to determine where it is best suited for use.

So Which Insulation is best?

There is no definite answer here. Insulation products vary in materials, densities and thicknesses and can be used in conjunction with other insulative materials, making the choice difficult at best. Here is a list of insulative materials to help you decide what insulation is best suited for your particular home improvement project.

Rigid Foam

This is probably one of the best insulative materials used by the DIY insulator. It can be applied to both interior and exterior applications making it a very versatile product for a variety of home improvement projects. Rigid foam applied to the exterior of an older home allows you to increase R-value without demolishing the interior of the home.

Loose Fill

This particular type of insulation is best used in attics, crawl spaces and wall cavities. While installation is best left up to the professional insulator, loose fill can be applied over existing insulation, increasing the R-value of your home and decreasing energy costs. Combined with a radiant loose fill, your R-value will increase exponentially throughout the coldest and warmest months of the year.

Batt or Roll Out

One of the most common forms of insulation, batt or roll out insulation is easy to install and inexpensive. This type of insulation works best in new construction and remodeling projects. Batt or roll out insulation works best between joists and studs, easily attaching with staples. It is easily done by the DIY insulator.

Spray Foam

Easily one of the best insulative products on the market today, spray foam completely eliminates air leaks which cause the majority of problems with insulation. This product should only be applied by a professional in large quantities and in new construction or remodeling. Its smaller cousin, the spray foam in a can is easily wielded by the average homeowner and can be an essential tool in combating air leaks around windows and doors.