Building Materials & Supplies

Polyurethane foam is widely used to insulate homes and buildings. Despite the many benefits of polyurethane foam, consumers should be aware of several problems associated with the material. Wear...

Insulation is a key component in the thermal protection of a home. While fiberglass is the most prevalent variety of insulation, you now have the option to exchange the standard barrier for a new,...

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral with an innate resistance to chemical damage and open flames. Asbestos once was prized for these qualities and was incorporated into a variety of building...

When I built my last house my sons were eight and ten respectively and just on the verge of teendom, I knew the combo of their loud music and my night shift schedule would make it hard on all...

More than half of a home's energy use comes from cooling and heating, making insulation an important consideration. But insulating with materials that keep your utility bill low without harming...

Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation is a solidifying spray-applied dense liquid plastic. Use it anywhere insulation is needed--attics, walls and ceilings. It's particularly useful for filling...

Insulation board, also known as fiberboard sheathing panel, helps to insulate your home and make it air tight. Before installation, you must measure the amount of footage required for your...

Insulation is imperative to keep homes at comfortable temperatures without wasting money on heating and air conditioning and wasting non-renewable energy sources. Like many other home improvement...

Loft insulation serves a dual purpose, helping to keep the house that it is installed in warm in the cold winter months while also keeping it cool in the hot summer months. It does this by...

Whether adding it to your home or building a new house, there will come a time you'll need to pick insulation. You have a choice between blown-in cellulose insulation, which can hug...

When it comes time to replace your roofing, give some thought to what you put on it. Don't just buy the cheapest because it could cost you more in the long run. Consider using shingles that...

Homes can be constructed from many types of materials, including wood framing, brick or masonry or a combination of framing with brick veneer. When brick veneer is used, the necessary insulation...

Perlite is a volcanic glass that becomes porous and expands as it is heated. The volume of heated perlite can become 20 times greater than it was prior to heating. Heated perlite is often white or...

Cotton insulation is a type of environmentally safe insulation used in commercial and residential construction projects. The material contains over 85 percent recycled natural fibers, including...

Insulation keeps homes warm in winter and cool in summer by lowering the transfer of heat between the inside of a structure and the outside. Cellulose insulation, made from recycled newspaper and...

Home insulation is a construction material used to improve the energy efficiency of a home. It helps to prevent heat exchange between the interior and exterior areas of a building, keeping the...

Since the early 20th century, many homes and buildings have been constructed using cavity walls. This means that the exterior walls of the home are separated from the interior walls by an empty...

Fully insulating a wall is the single best thing you can do to improve your home's heating and cooling efficiency. It's very easy to do if the wall is open for new construction or remodeling....

Fiberglass insulation is a building material made from tightly-woven glass fibers. It is sold in large rolls known as blankets or batts and is the most widely used type of insulation in the U.S....

A metal building is a steel or aluminum structure designed primarily for storage or as a workshop. These buildings are considered a cost-effective alternative to traditional framed construction,...

Two popular forms of insulation for the home are fiberglass and spray foam polyurethane. Like any other housing insulation, they either keep heat in during the winter or keep heat out in the...

Wire is commonly sized in gauges, which increase in number while the size of the wire decreases. A 10-gauge wire is considerably larger than 20-gauge wire. The standard wire gauges for steel wire...

Wall insulation is a simple and effective tool to increase the comfort and cost efficiency of any building, helping to regulate the internal temperature by restricting the transfer of heat in or...

To save money on the cost of insulating your home, blow in cellulose insulation. With some help from friends, save the cost of labor and just pay for the materials and insulation blower machine....

Insulation is a building material used to reduce the amount of heat loss through the exterior walls of the home. Fiberglass batts have long been the most widely type of insulation in the United...

Insulation is a building material installed in the exterior walls of a house. It reduces the amount of heat lost to the outside, and also keeps cold exterior air from entering the home. Fiberglass...

No matter what part of the country you live in it is critical to have the right home insulation in place. Installing the right amount and the right type of insulation keeps your home warm in the...

A steel frame house is one of the newest options available to you if you are looking at building or buying a new home. While these homes are relative newcomers to the market, they have quickly...

Recessed lights offer a wide range of options for the homeowner. They can provide a blanket of inconspicuous room-filling light when installed correctly while simultaneously reducing the need for...

Spray foam insulation is a popular insulation choice for homeowners. It is easy to use and can be installed just as quickly as traditional fiberglass insulation. However, spray foam insulation...

When you're having a house built, there are so many decisions to make you probably don't put much thought into insulation. A little thought now can make a big difference in the years ahead,...

Install insulation under the floors in your home above an unheated basement and you'll notice both reduced heating costs and a warmer and cozier living space. This is an easy job for the...

If you have an attic in your home, then the odds are good that you also have attic insulation. You probably aren't aware of the dangers associated with this insulation. These dangers are often...

The cost of constructing and operating a building continues to be a critical issue facing building owners and proponents of affordable housing. While costs can be reduced through obvious...

Steel buildings are made from sheets of metal fastened to a steel frame. They are fairly low-cost and can be constructed much more quickly than traditional buildings. Because the walls in a metal...

Cellulose insulation is generally made from recycled newspapers soaked in fire retardant. Cellulose insulation recycles paper, saves you money by helping keep energy costs down and works so you...

Finishing a basement is already an environmentally-friendly option for gaining living space in your home, because you don't have to build exterior walls and you can benefit from the natural...

Whether or not your basement walls are finished, your basement should be insulated to keep heat in and moisture out. Heat loss from an uninsulated basement can cost you hundreds on utility bills...

Cellulose is an energy-efficient material used for insulation and is gaining popularity among the building community. Its use is a cost-effective and time-efficient method with a low waste...

Regardless of the state of the economy, it always helps to save money when and where you can. The multiple gaps in your home construction are escape routes for heated or cooled air. There are ways...

GET FREE ESTIMATES FOR INSULATION GET FREE WEATHERIZATION RESULTS FOR YOUR EXISTING HOUSE CONDITIONS TO KNOW WHAT YOU NEED GET REBATES FROM YOUR ENERGY COMPANY INSULATE YOUR WHOLE HOUSE FOR LESS...

Corkboard is made of cork, Quercus (oak) suber (cork). Cork is a type of bark (suberose parenchyma) that can be harvested from a live cork oak tree in a sustainable way. Peeling the bark off the...

Foam board insulation, also called rigid insulation or beadboard, consists of large sheets of plastic foam. There are a variety of R-values, or measures of thermal resistance, used for different...

Insulation acts as a barrier between the interior of your home and the outside world. Installed within your walls, ceiling and when appropriate, flooring, insulation keeps the cold out in winter...

People have used simple ways to keep their homes hot or cool for thousands of years. Fiberglass insulation is a relatively recent invention in human history. Fiberglass is used in many other...

Insulation is added to an attic in a home for many reasons, including keeping heat from escaping during the winter as well as keeping cool air in during the summer. An attic in a home that does...

A basement bulkhead can be used when a walkout basement is not an option for a home. A bulkhead is normally a metal structure that lies flat against a house. It has one or two doors that cover a...

A fan can be added to an attic to help circulate warm air when when an air conditioner is being used during the summer months. An attic fan will bring cool air in from the outside to reduce much...

House sidings protect the structural integrity of the home, often offer additional insulation from the elements and provide an aesthetic finish with that great curb appeal. A variety of natural...

Usually a vent is added to an attic because sufficient ventilation or air movement needs to be maintained. A vent helps to keep a house relatively comfortable in the summertime and helps to...