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You need insulation in your home to provide resistance to heat flow. The more heat flow resistance your insulation provides, the lower your heating and cooling costs.
Heat flows naturally from a warmer to a cooler space. In the winter, this heat flow moves directly from all heated living spaces to adjacent unheated attics, garages, basements, and to the outdoors. Heat flow can also move indirectly through interior ceilings, walls, and floors-wherever there is a difference in temperature. During the cooling season, heat flows from the outdoors to the interior of a house.
To maintain comfort, the heat lost in the winter must be replaced by your heating system and the heat gained in the summer must be removed by your cooling system. Properly insulating your home will decrease this heat flow by providing an effective resistance to the flow of heat.
Insulation's resistance to heat flow is measured or rated in terms of its thermal resistance or R-Value. Most common type of Insulations used in homes is
Heat flows naturally from a warmer to a cooler space. In the winter, this heat flow moves directly from all heated living spaces to adjacent unheated attics, garages, basements, and to the outdoors. Heat flow can also move indirectly through interior ceilings, walls, and floors-wherever there is a difference in temperature. During the cooling season, heat flows from the outdoors to the interior of a house.
To maintain comfort, the heat lost in the winter must be replaced by your heating system and the heat gained in the summer must be removed by your cooling system. Properly insulating your home will decrease this heat flow by providing an effective resistance to the flow of heat.
Insulation's resistance to heat flow is measured or rated in terms of its thermal resistance or R-Value. Most common type of Insulations used in homes is
| Typical Insulation R-Values | ||
| Insulation Type | R Value / Inch | Typical Applications |
| Cellulose, loose fill | 3.7 | Attic Floor |
| Cellulose, high density | 3.2 | Walls, Enclosed Cavities |
| Fiberglass, batts | 3 | Basement ceiling, Open stud walls and Attic |
| Rock wool | 3 | Attic floor, Walls, Basement ceiling |
| Low Density Urethane, Sprayed foam | 3.7 | Attic, Walls (new construction); sill |
Effective insulation systems
Effective insulation systems slow the movement of heat and deal with the movement of moisture at a reasonable cost. To do this we have:
An air barrier, which prevents the movement of interior or exterior air through the system.Carefully filled cavities which leave no gaps in or around the insulation and which do not compress the insulation.
A minimum of thermal bridges. These are parts of the wall that, with a lower R-value, extend from the warm side to the cold side of the insulation, giving heat an easy escape. The structural members in the wall will often be thermal bridges.
A vapor retardant, such as polyethylene sheeting, which prevents moisture from moving from warm interior spaces into a colder building envelope where it could condense.
Best Insulation For Your Home
Cellulose insulates better. It not only offers more heat transfer resistance per inch than other fiber insulation materials, it also seals the home against air infiltration better than other fiber insulations. Cellulose tightened the building 36% to 38% more than fiberglass.
Cellulose insulation contains more than 75% recycled material, primarily newsprint, one of the largest parts of the waste stream. Cellulose insulation not only saves energy, it helps cities meet the growing waste disposal challenge.
The labels of Underwriters Laboratories, the United States Testing Company, and other NAVLAP-approved laboratories, or the seal of the NAHB Research Center, are reliable indicators of safe, effective cellulose insulation that conforms to all federal and industry standards.
If your home is poorly insulated, it usually pays to upgrade the insulation. If you are building a new home, it makes sense to insulate well now so you don't need to retrofit later.
Signs of insulation problems
In the winter
Walls cold to touch
Cold floors
High heating costs
Uneven heating levels within building
Mold growing on walls
In the summer
Uncomfortably hot indoor air
High cooling costs
Ineffectiveness of air conditioning system
Mold growing in basement
In the winter
Walls cold to touch
Cold floors
High heating costs
Uneven heating levels within building
Mold growing on walls
In the summer
Uncomfortably hot indoor air
High cooling costs
Ineffectiveness of air conditioning system
Mold growing in basement
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