Best Residential Insulation Practices

By susan lahey november december 2006.

Best residential insulation practices. What is the best insulation. Notice that you don t see insulation filling all the spaces between the ceiling joists. It consists of flexible fibers most commonly fiberglass. Get the input of architects trade partners suppliers and other decision makers while the project is still in the design phase.

R values can be higher for foam insulation and other advanced insulation systems. Do it yourself insulation of unfinished walls floors and ceilings. The higher the r value the better that material is for insulation. Here are some best practices for reducing thermal bridging.

Thermal bridging can best be minimized in the design phase by a designer who includes cost effective thermal bridge free details. Select a wall system that minimizes thermal bridging such as a double plate wall or one with exterior rigid insulation. See that photo above. Batts are about the worst you can do here.

14 best practices for high performance homes from our experts. Air krete cementitious foam is a nontoxic insulation that s sprayed into wall cavities. The best insulation types for your home new insulation options are less toxic and more energy efficient. Blanket batts and rolls are typically constructed with fiberglass although versions made of cotton mineral wool.

For the best performance an insulation material needs to fill the whole space with no gaps voids compression or incompletely filled areas. You also can find batts and rolls made from mineral rock and slag wool plastic fibers and natural fibers such as cotton and sheep s wool. Blanket insulation the most common and widely available type of insulation comes in the form of batts or rolls. Insulation tips for hot humid climates.

One way to assess what is the best insulation is by a measurement called an r value. Reduce exterior wall leaks by taping the joints of exterior sheathing and caulking and sealing exterior walls. In this case it s because they weren t cut. Cavity fibrous or cellulose insulation can be installed at levels up to r 15 in a 2 inch x 4 inch wall and up to r 21 in a 2 inch x 6 inch wall.

Icynene foam insulation is blown in using water and contains no cfcs or formaldehyde once cured.