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There are a number of different methods for insulating a home. For many years, the standard was fiberglass batting, which is pressed in to the spaces between floor, ceiling or wall joists and cut to fit around windows and outlets. Later, fiberglass insulation was sprayed or blown in to attics and crawlspaces. More recently, sprayed foam insulation has been gaining popularity as an alternative, due in part to its superior ability to fit in to spaces that would otherwise be difficult to insulate. Sprayed fiber insulation may refer to either blown fiberglass insulation or its newer sprayed-foam alternative.
Crawl space insulation will provide a more comfortable living space, but it can also present problems for the homeowner. High humidity levels, direct exposure to water, rodents and incorrect installation can all lead to a degradation in the insulation and the protection it provides. An investigation of potential problems can help homeowners with proper installation and ongoing maintenance.
Chilly temperatures in wintertime or steamy, hot rooms in summer mean an old house might need an insulation upgrade. Insulation works by keeping heat closer to its source. This reduces the load on the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and keeps the home at a more comfortable temperature year-round. The efficiency of any insulation product is its R-value; a higher R-value means more insulating power. With blown-in insulation, R-value is controlled by the installer.
Vapors and moisture travel through the exterior walls on a house, following the air flow as it travels from the hot area toward the cold where the moisture condenses. If this moisture becomes trapped between the walls in a house, wood rot or mold may occur. Rigid foam insulation is considered a vapor diffusion retarder, which slows the movement of water through the walls, giving it a chance to evaporate properly. Install the foil side pointing outward, before vapor-proofing the insulation.
If you feel cold drafts and chills despite sound insulation and a high heating bill, your home may be suffering from wind-washing. In wind-washing, wind whips in from the outside through vents or other holes in your home's seal. It whips through your porous insulation and draws out heat, considerably reducing the R-value or insulating capacity of your home. To combat wind-washing, find out where the wind is penetrating and take steps to bolster your home's insulation.
To keep yourself more comfortable and increase the energy efficiency in your home you can plug up cracks in the insulation around your windows using a few different solutions. Caulk, urethane foam and insulation pieces are all effective measures to help you with this problem due to their versatility and the long-lasting results they produce. These cost-effective solutions help you plug various sizes of insulation leaks.
Heat loss through window openings accounts for as much as 10 to 25 percent of a home’s heating costs, according to the U.S. Department Of Energy. Building a double-insulated glass window provides an added barrier that prevents heat from escaping through window surfaces. A second windowpane can be added during the cold months and removed once warm weather arrives.
Clay-based soil, lack of steel reinforcement or soil expansion caused by alternating freeze/thaw cycles, can all contribute to a bowed basement wall. As the lateral force of the soil outside the basement wall increases, the wall reacts by moving in the only available direction – inward. This results in bowing and cracking. Installing I-beams can stop the inward movement, but you must make provisions to support the floor joists when you install them. While this method is straightforward, consult a structural engineer before you begin to ensure you’ve protected the joists adequately.
Old homes with masonry chimneys jutting out of the roof are classic American iconography. Chimneys have become little more than empty spaces used to provide enough clearance between prefabricated fireplaces and combustible materials. While not as iconic, these wood-clad chimneys are much more flexible when it comes to siding materials. Unlike an open masonry fireplace, which should not be sided due to the potential for direct contact between extreme heat and combustible siding materials, wooden chimneys can be sided with heat-sensitive materials such as vinyl siding.
Dark, dank and spooky are not just words you use on Halloween. Too often, they perfectly describe the crawl space that is under many houses. Untended crawl spaces can allow moisture, mold and allergens to invade inside air. Rodents and wood-chewing insects can invade crawl spaces, too. To shore up and properly protect a crawl space, you'll want to insulate and seal it as best as possible. Exact materials may depend on your climate and crawl space location.
Stove pipe is insulated using a combination of air space and insulating material. Triple wall chimney pipe is typically used in applications where your stove pipe will run through the ceiling. Proper installation of the stove pipe and the insulating materials around it will ensure that there is enough insulation between your pipes and the surrounding materials to protect your walls and ceiling from damage.
Double-glazed vinyl windows contain two panes of tempered glass per window sash. The glass panes are separated by a thin space of air or, in the case of insulated windows, inert argon or krypton gas. The U.S. Department of Energy states that these gases are non-toxic, but to prevent breathing difficulties, work in a well-ventilated area. You can remove the glass while the sash is in place in the window, but for more convenient access, remove the sash from the frame.
Footings are rectangular concrete slabs that support the foundation of a building. The footings extend beneath the frost line, which allows them to protect the foundation against shifting when the ground freezes and thaws. Foam insulation boards can provide a barrier to keep the cold from the ground out of your home by way of the footings and foundation.
Expanded polystyrene is a material used for insulation, and it has been growing in popularity in basement usage in recent years. Expanded polystyrene, also called EPS, has an effectiveness rating of 3.6 to 4.4. All insulating materials come with an R value to indicate how effective the material is; the higher the number, the better. For comparison, fiberglass has a 3.0 to 3.7 R value, and polyurethanes have ratings as high as 5.5 or 6. No matter what rating insulation has, its effectiveness can be reduced if it isn't installed properly.
Many older houses were built without adequate insulation, so walls and other cavities were later filled with blown-in insulation. This material was either cellulose or rock wool, but today liquid foam is commonly used. This material is injected in liquid form into a cavity where it expands to fill the space. It's a good idea to check local building codes before working with liquid foam insulation. Many jurisdictions require the injection process be performed by a licensed or certified installer, but some manufacturers supply materials for do-it-yourselfers, including disposable injection kits.
If you have begun to notice a small bulge in your basement wall, the most likely culprit is water-damaged drywall. In order to repair this bulge and keep it from spreading, you'll have to get into the guts of your wall and replace the damaged drywall. If you are not comfortable with power tools or with cutting into your wall, you may want to call a professional as this can permanently damage your basement area if not done correctly.
The style and materials used to construct a building play a factor in how the building is insulated, as certain types of insulation work well in certain structures, while being unusable on other structures. Metal buildings are often used as warehouses, or by manufacturers to house their factories. These buildings often contain irregular surfaces, such as corrugated steel and exposed support beams, which makes using fiberglass or foam-board insulation impractical or impossible. Spray-foam insulation, however, can be ideal for metal buildings, as it can conform to the building's oddly shaped surfaces.
Low-quality windows might create an insulation and sound problem. You might constantly hear noise from outside, such as children playing or people talking. In addition, poorly insulated windows might lower the temperature in your house during the winter months. Replacing your existing windows offers a quick solution. But if you can't afford to spend thousands on brand new windows, consider quick do-it-yourself methods for soundproofing and insulating your windows.
Poured concrete walls are faster to construct than cement block walls and are also very strong, especially if you use steel reinforcing bars to brace the cement internally. The simplest way to pour your own basement cement walls with rebar involves using prefabricated molds known as insulated concrete forms. These forms add insulation and protection against moisture and remain in place once the concrete has dried. You will still need to have a professional install the footings for your basement before you can begin work on a poured cement wall.
Rigid foam board and reflective insulation are both effective barriers against heat. They block the movement of hot air into or out of a living space. They are different materials, but can be used in combination. Rigid foam is expanded polystyrene, EPS; extruded polystyrene, XPS; or polyisocyanurate, polyiso. The material is molded into panels and used to insulate basements, walls, attics and roofs. Reflective insulation is metallic, an aluminum barrier that can block heat directed on it. The two materials may be installed separately or some rigid foam board is produced with a metallic facing.
Texturing an attic ceiling allows you to add personality and aesthetic appeal to a newly finished space. This process involves the use of drywall joint compound and requires minimal technical skill and only a few tools. Texturing with joint compound, also known as drywall mud, goes by a variety of names, including pop corning. Though surfaces textured by this process appear frosted, other terms are used to avoid confusing ceiling texturing with frosted ceiling lights or fixtures.
Basement walls are often load bearing and require headers which help to prop up and support the weight of the structure above. Headers are large wooden beams which span wall openings and serve as a support element, as well as the attachment point between the wall and the floor joists of the level above. The process of attaching a basement wall header to the joists above requires a little help from an assistant or two and some basic carpentry skills.
Basements are often hot in the summer and cold during the winter due to a lack of insulation, though sometimes they're cold year-round. Installing insulation in the basement walls when they are built helps save money on heating and cooling costs, and makes a basement more comfortable. You don't need to spend a lot of money on insulation when accomplishing this. Glass bottles and the air that stays in them works effectively as insulation when placed in a basement wall correctly.
If you're finishing your basement, one of the important tasks is to run wiring in the walls. Wiring should be done after the wall studs have been placed, but before insulation and wall board or paneling has been placed on them. This will allow you easy access to the interior of the walls for the installation of gang boxes for switches, outlets and light fixtures, as well as running wiring. Proper planning and execution of the wiring is important in doing the job well.
The crawl space, or open area underneath a house or other structure, provides convenient access to the underside of a house with no basement. However, if a crawl space is plagued by flooding or persistent moisture, it may develop structural problems or raise health concerns. Whether the crawl space moisture is caused by poor landscape drainage, a seasonally high water table or other factors, a perimeter drain can be implemented in the crawl space to alleviate the moisture problem.
Tapered foam board insulation solves two problems with flat or low-slope roofs. First, it provides a basic slope so water will drain off. Because no flat roof can be totally flat, a flat roof needs at least 1/8 inch per foot of slope to drain water and prevent puddling on the roof, which will lead to leaks. Secondly, the tapered foam board provides insulation, which sometimes can be a problem on flat roofs because little or no attic space is available for other insulation.
A sagging, or bowed, basement wall can cause myriad problems in your home. At its worst, this problem can cause your entire house to collapse. Luckily, you can use a bracket system with metal beams to support and reinforce sagging walls. Specifications for these beams fall into two categories: basic specifications that apply to all such beams and size specifications that relate directly to the needs of an individual job.
Fiberglass insulation is commonly used in construction to create a barrier that makes it difficult for air to pass through, conserving heating and cooling costs. If you need to replace fberglass insulation or remove the material to make structural repairs, the thick fiberglass may occasionally become stuck to a surface. Acetone, which is the active ingredient in nail polish remover, quickly dissolves fiberglass so the insulation can be removed from virtually any surface.
If you have a fireplace that you no longer use, it is a good idea to plug the chimney. The chimney of an unused fireplace allows cold air into your home while allowing warm air to exit your home. Insulating for a chimney plug requires insulating from both ends of the chimney because if you only plug the top of the chimney, warm air from the home still escapes into the chimney and causes condensation, which leads to other problems. It is possible to insulate a chimney plug yourself with materials you might already have.
Foam insulation pads are a necessary tool for camping and helpful for home guests, as they cushion your back and spine and protect you from the ubiquitous bumps on the ground floor. These foam pads are also helpful for providing a barrier between you and the deep chill of the ground, which can cause discomfort even on warm days. By making your own insulation pad, you can ensure that the pad is exactly the right length, width and thickness without any extra material that must be carried to the campsite.
Board and batten siding is made with boards or panels set vertically, with wood-batten strips to cover the seams between boards or panels. Much board and batten siding is done with 4-by-8-foot plywood panels, but sometimes cedar planks are used, in widths from 6 to about 12 inches. Exterior wall insulation on board and batten is different from that on wood-sheathed walls, where rigid foam panels are nailed to sheathing and siding is installed over it. There are different methods of installing rigid foam on a board and batten wall, depending on how the boards are placed.
In homes with soffit vents, insulating the attic without covering the space above the soffit provides superior ventilation of the attic. Properly installed insulation will decrease your energy costs and prevent moisture from condensing in your attic during the winter. Batt insulation provides a simple and effective method of insulating your attic.
Soundproofing is important in many aspects of life, whether recording music or audio in a studio or simply trying to keep the noise level of a busy office to a minimum so people can get work done. Whatever your reason for installing soundproofing, you can complete the job using high Sound Transmission Class (STC) room dividers in a way that can be modified cheaply and repeatedly as needed.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the opening around your fireplace flue can be a major source of heat loss due to warm air moving into the attic. Insulation cannot be placed directly in contact with the hot surfaces because it can melt and cause fires. To insulate a flue, you must install an insulation dam first to prevent the insulation from touching the hot pipes.
Duct work for furnaces and air conditioning units is often in the attic of your home. If the duct work is old and leaky, your home isn’t getting the most from your heater or air conditioner. In order to fix the problem, you have to replace the ducts with new ones. In order to access the ducts, you’ll have to remove the insulation from around the ducts. Ensure that your insulation doesn’t contain asbestos, which is used in many homes up until the 1970s. If so, do not try to remove the ducts in your attic until the asbestos is…
Leaky pipes and porous foundations can cost more than the money spent to fix them. Water causes the collapse of fiber glass bats and cellulose, leaving a soggy mess that insulates little. Rigid foam panels absorb less moisture, and require less thickness for comparable R-values, the number assigned to a material that stands for its ability to resist heat transfer. They are also simple to fasten to concrete block walls.
The cold temperatures of winter change more than just the scenery. When freezing air touches cement and wood, reactions happen that cause expansion and contraction. As these otherwise rigorous materials change slightly, you may hear some loud thumping noises. Don’t worry; not matter how loud or constant the thumping becomes, your house will still remain intact.
Venting is an important part of setting up a dryer because the vent carries hot air and excess moisture to the exterior of the home. If your dryer vent terminates in the crawl space, you must fix the vent so that it extends all the way outside the house. If you do not fix the dryer venting, excess moisture can build up under the house, resulting in the development of mold and mildew or warped wooden floor boards.
Attic insulation is an important part of maintaining an energy-efficient home. The insulation fills the voids between the floor joists and the ceiling and stops hot or cold air from penetrating through it to the home’s interior. When installing attic floor insulation, you must often raise the boards slightly so as not to compress the material. You must avoid compressing the insulation, which lowers the R-value, or the amount of protection it provides.
Adding new wires to an insulated wall can be complicated, but isn't impossible. You have to figure out what's in the wall and behind the wall before you can begin installing the electrical box and wires. Be careful not to cut through pipes, venting or other materials while installing your wires.
Extruded expanded polystyrene, or XEPS, foam board is a type of rigid insulation panel designed to increase the energy efficiency of a home or building. The panels are often installed on basement walls to prevent cold underground air from penetrating inside the home. The process of attaching extruded expanded polystyrene foam boards is similar to attaching drywall. However, since most basement walls are concrete, special fasteners are required.
Installing fiberglass batt insulation into crawl-space walls is no different than installing it elsewhere. It will however, require that you cut the length of the insulation to fit the cavity. Never compress or squeeze insulation into place while installing it, as you effectively remove or reduce its R-value when you do so. Insulation retains its ability to resist heat flow because of the air trapped between the fiberglass fibers during the manufacturing process.
If you have exposed insulation on one of the walls in your kitchen it must be addressed quickly. This type of insulation can harbor mold and bacteria if it gets wet, and it is a health hazard to have it sitting out in the open. There are two main ways that you can cover a kitchen wall with visible insulation: drywall or kitchen-grade paneling.
Nails are unattractive in most home decor plans. Even in a basement foundation, nails are an eyesore. You can hide nails either by covering them up so they blend into the foundation, or by drywalling the foundation. Hanging drywall takes more work but you can completely cover all the nails and have a fresh surface to work on. This gives you more variety when you are decorating your basement.
A lot of cold and warm air can be lost to the inside of your walls through uninsulated duct work. Covering your ducts with insulation is just one part of making your home more energy efficient. Take the time to measure the duct work, check it for any gaps or other holes and then insulate it well. If you have specific concerns, however, consult a heating and cooling specialist.
Most present-day houses are built with a double layer of insulation above the living space. Rigid foam board is placed on top of the roof, after the decking is installed and before shingles are added, and a second level of insulation is put inside the attic, between roof joists. Many older houses, however, were built without that outer layer of foam board, which increases the total heat resistance or R value of the insulation. In today's energy-conscious environment, adding foam board is a prudent move. It is done most easily when new shingling or other roof covering is installed.
Pipes running through an unheated crawl space will freeze when the temperature drops, causing them to crack and split. Repairing damaged pipes saddles homeowners with the cost of an expensive project that most do-it-yourselfers cannot complete on their own. Insulation protects the pipes from the sub-freezing temperatures and guards against damage. Providing proper pipe protection in an unheated crawl space requires more than just insulating the exposed pipes.
Lowering home heating costs while conserving energy and “going green” is a concern for some home and property owners. One approach is to outfit a home with proper insulation that traps heat while preventing cold air from intruding. There are several types of insulation, two of which are slab-on-grade foundation insulation and spray-on insulation. The two types differ in cost, installation, application and material.
Many homeowners believe that when insulating their homes, thicker is better. This belief, however, is a misconception. Insulating your home is a matter of finding an effective product that will last the lifetime of your home and, most importantly, save you money. The effectiveness of insulation depends on its R-value. Also, you should know that the insulation material itself is not what keeps your home cool or warm; it is the air trapped inside the material.
Foam insulation sheets have some distinct advantages over batt-style roll insulation, depending on the application you're using them for. Foam sheet insulation doesn't require a frame wall or ceiling joists for installation, so it can be applied directly to basement or other unfinished walls with the use of construction adhesives, whereas batt or blown insulation requires the frame of the wall, and the wall panels themselves, to hold the insulation material in place. Another matter simplifying the installation of foam insulation sheets is that the rigid panels can be easily cut to size or trimmed with simple tools. Laying foam…
