There are many different types of insulation available to insulate your home. To pick the best sort of insulation, consider the following:
- Where you want or need to put/add insulation
- The recommended R-values for the spaces you wish to insulate.
Acr opened the doors to a whole new world of insulation possibilities. Within that world, R-value is one of the most important metrics. The thermal resistance rate, also known as the R-value, is a measurement of heat transfer through insulation batts. The higher the R-value, the more resistant to heat it is, which means it may perform better as thermal insulation. Having a high R-value may keep you both warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Over time, it may save you a lot of money on your energy bills as well because indoor temperatures may be kept for considerably longer periods of time.
If you’re constructing a new house, the minimum R-values may be stated in your energy report and installing the minimal R-value may earn you a Certificate of Compliance (COC). Installing any type of R-value in an existing home with no thermal ceiling insulation would significantly boost the amount of heat retained within.
What is Batt Insulation?
When trying to answer the question on “what is batt insulation”, we first need to take a look at what is insulation in general. It is a material that slows down the flow of heat through it, thus keeping your home warm during winter and cool during summer. There are many different types of insulation available on the market today. Batt insulation is one of them.
What is Insulation?
Installing insulation in your home provides a couple of benefits. It helps lower your energy bills by keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer whilst also preventing noise from outside entering your home. There are a wide variety of different insulation products available which vary depending on their thermal resistance or R-value, as well as where they can be used, how they could be installed their cost etc.
R-value is an extremely important metric when it comes to choosing what kind of insulation material you need for your home. The higher the R-value, the better insulated your house may be against heat loss during winter and heat gain during summer. Generally speaking, types of insulation with a high R-value tend to be more expensive than those with a low R-value but this doesn’t mean that you could opt for a lower R-value insulation material if it comes with a lesser price tag. Always go for the insulation product which has the highest rating because even though it may seem expensive, it may ultimately save you money on your energy bills over the years.
What is Batt Insulation?
Batt insulation is generally made from cellulose or mineral fibre and is often installed between a home’s studs to provide thermal resistance. It can be used as exterior wall insulation as well as interior wall batts insulation depending on where exactly you place it in your home. The term “batt” refers to rolls of batt insulation material that come either unfaced or faced with paper on one side, allowing them to easily fit into cavities.
Batt insulation can be used both as interior and exterior wall insulation. It is available in rolls of various widths, thicknesses and densities. One of the main benefits of using batt insulation is its ability to easily fit into cavity spaces such as stud walls or floors. This kind of insulation can also be fire resistant, reducing the risk of fires breaking out within your home and increasing its R-value thanks to increased density, providing it with better thermal resistance.
What is Batt Insulation Made From?
The materials that are used for manufacturing batt insulation materials depending on their intended use and climate/environmental conditions they may need to endure over time. However, the most common type is cellulose which consists mostly of recycled paper. It also often contains recycled cotton, plastic bottles and other recycled materials. These are combined with water before being turned into a slurry which is then sprayed onto the frames of buildings or directly into insulation cavities.
Types of Insulation Batts
Cellulose insulation is very popular due to its high thermal resistance as well as its good acoustic properties. It’s also made from non-toxic materials making it safe to use around children and pets. This type of insulation is natural, affordable, can easily be installed by amateurs and provides effective soundproofing against outside noise intrusion. The only disadvantage of using cellulose insulation is that if you live in a cold climate area, you may need to install it on the interior side of your walls whereas if you live in an extremely warm climate area, you may need to install it on the exterior side.
Fibreglass insulation is another popular type of batt insulation. It consists mostly of silica and boron oxide as well as glass which provides it with excellent thermal resistance and helps lower its cost by keeping manufacturing costs low. This material is durable and long-lasting thanks to its chemical stability and during manufacturing, can be combined with a variety of different additives such as fire-proofing chemicals, fungicides and insect repellents. Fibreglass insulation is often used in homes that require high R-values such as those found in cold climates where they need to ensure solid thermal resistance against the outside weather/environmental conditions over time.
Pros and Cons of Foam Insulation
Polyurethane is a popular type of insulation used for wall and floor insulation. It consists mostly of closed-cell foam, making it an excellent material that keeps heat in during winter and cold air out during summer. Another benefit of using this kind of insulation is the fact that you can install it both inside and outside your home, depending on where exactly you need to install it in order to achieve solid levels of thermal resistance against outside environmental conditions over time. This means that you don’t have to worry about a reduction in energy efficiency when installing polyurethane insulation material alongside your exterior walls or foundation/slab.
One major drawback with polyurethane insulation is the toxicity that comes from chemicals such as formaldehyde which off-gas from the material over time. The number of chemicals released can ease depending on how well you have installed/treated your insulation as well as its thickness and climate where it is being used.
Water-based spray foam insulation is a modern type of insulation that can be installed both inside and outside your home, depending on whether you need to use it for heat or soundproofing purposes. This kind of material usually contains water, polyols, surfactants, flame retardants and other ingredients which make them incredibly effective at reducing energy loss within the walls/floors they are attached to thanks to their excellent thermal resistance. Another benefit is that this type of insulation doesn’t contain any harmful off-gassing chemicals such as formaldehyde which makes them safe to use around children and pets.
Pros and Cons of Low-Density Spray Foam Insulation
One major drawback with this type of insulation is that it can be a challenge to install as well as its high price tag. In order to reduce the cost during manufacturing, many companies choose not to use additional ingredients such as fire retardants which makes them incredibly flammable in the case of a fire/flame source reaching their vicinity over time.
This material is also harder to purchase for those who are renting a home or apartment where they don’t own the property outright unless they have their landlord’s permission. Another point worth considering is that according to some studies, low-density spray foam insulation uses cancer-causing chemicals such as formaldehyde which raises concerns over its use, depending on the level of exposure.
The good news is that there are now safer alternatives such as medium-density spray foam insulation which uses ingredients such as boron and graphite alongside other additives to lower off-gassing chemicals such as formaldehyde. The main drawback with this type of insulation is that it isn’t as effective at thermal resistance compared to low-density spray foam insulation but it does offer homeowners a safe alternative to traditional duct insulation which contains harmful chemicals over time.
Heat-Activated Open-Cell Foam
Most low density or medium density polyurethane foams can also be classified under heat-activated open-cell foams which are used for flooring purposes by mixing them with concrete before installation. These types of materials are incredibly effective at stopping sound from entering a room as well as heat loss over time, making them an excellent choice for those who have a home or apartment with floors that tend to get cold during the winter months.
Home insulation of air space within your walls is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to reduce energy loss as well as increase the temperature inside your home during the winter months which makes polyurethane foam insulation one of the best choices for doing just this. It’s important that you don’t confuse it with low-density spray foam insulation because this kind of insulation requires you to apply it across certain areas of your home whereas low-density polyurethane foam can be sprayed directly onto your exterior walls before painting/plastering work begins.
Ceiling vs Wall Insulation Batts
In huge ceiling areas, ceiling insulation batts are a thicker style of the batt in comparison to wall bats and are more firm since they need considerably greater and longer features to fit plush in big room ceilings. Wall insulation batts, on the other hand, may be somewhat compressed to fit within wall studs for safety reasons. Ceiling insulation batts are available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses to match smaller cavities in walls rather than overhead ceilings. Wall insulation batts include an additional water repellent within the strands of material, whereas ceiling insulation batts do not.
Some wall insulation products, on the other hand, may be utilized as underfloor insulation. This is because such regions have comparable dimensions and R-value needs. For example, Knauf Earthwool Sound Shield R2.0HD and R2.5HD can be used in both walls and as underfloor insulation.
Other Types of Home Insulation
A vapor barrier is an airtight, flexible polyethylene sheeting that is placed beneath the floor insulation materials to prevent them from absorbing moisture. Vapour barriers are not recommended for use below heavy-type wall insulation because they would increase the chance of mould or fungal growth (which could be dangerous) over time.
Acoustic insulation is used to reduce sound transmission, typically in larger areas like multistory housing complexes. If you are living in an apartment with no carpets at all, high-density polyurethane is a good choice as it does not need to be as thick as other types of insulation and won’t compact over time or lose its thermal resistance after installation.
Other types of insulation that are suitable for use in your home include loose-fill insulation, reflective foil insulation boards and slab fibreglass insulation.
How to Make a Home Energy-Efficient
Sealing air leakage is one of the most important parts of insulating your home because it can help you to cut down on energy loss even if the insulation itself isn’t as effective as some of the other options on the market. There are many different ways of sealing leaks including fitting weatherstripping around the bottom of your doors and using caulk to seal any gaps that may be found around windows, skirting boards, baseboards and even bathroom fixtures.
Foam insulation is one of the easiest types to install in comparison with some of the others and they typically use a 2:1:2 ratio, like calcium silicate, glass wool, mineral wool, phenolic resin or other types of insulation material. Just ensure that it is installed by professionals who are knowledgeable about the density requirements for each type of insulation used throughout your home.