Insulation Basics For Homeowners

As a homeowner you look to your house, townhome, or apartment’s insulation as a piece of the puzzle to the walls, ceiling and floors that keep you warmer or cooler than the temperature out of doors. You look to it as a part of the barrier keeping you and your loved ones safe by making your walls thicker, fuller and adding to the soundness of your complete structure: your home. Insulation is made out of several kinds of fibers but all of which offer temperature and sound control as well as vapor and fire barriers for your home by light/heat exposure as well as by room and floor level whether it is below or above the ground level.

Insulation serves many purposes within a structure. Its uses for temperature moderation has it placed predominately in the exterior walls, any walls that meet with the outdoors. This helps to not only keep the summer heat or the winter cold out, it is also intended to keep the use of air conditioning and heating inside of the home as much as possible. This product can also be used as a sound barrier between levels of a home and its rooms, if needed. This is especially useful in homes with wood or tile floors wherever movement is audible.

These products also play a vital role in providing fire retardants for separate floors of a home or for homes that share walls or are very close to others. These products are cut, shaped, and installed the same as that of the thermal product but of course they are require to be composed of fire retardant materials that have been specially combined for its purpose.

Insulation can be made out of a multitude of blended and singular types of fibers. All types provide several forms of energy reservation, vapor and fire reduction and acoustic buffering. Rock wool, slag wool and fiber glass are predominately used in the uppermost and lowest ceilings and floors as well as walls that make contact with the outside, for added protection.

These products are not exclusive to newer methods including post-consumer recycled denim. They are used to manipulate air quality by keeping out certain impurities and pest while keeping the energy output of your appliances to a minimum. Each one of the above materials can provide a combination of acoustic and thermal barrier, while fiberglass offers significant fire resistance for all areas of your home. There are chemical sprays that can also provide excellent vapor and fire decelerating options as well.

According to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), you should always be prepared when looking into the right product for your walls whether you have new construction or are revising an older home. NAIMA claims that carrying out this necessary home maintenance will look out for your family’s health, your energy costs, while updating its efficiency. So speak with your installation specialist about the best location and thickness standards for your age of home and construction materials.