The maximum performance of foam board insulation depends heavily on proper installation. Therefore, it’s best to have a certified insulation installer do it. If you’d like to have it installed professionally, you should do the following: * Obtain written cost estimates from several contractors for the R-value you need. Don’t be surprised to find quoted [...]
Posts from ‘April, 2009’
Foam Board Insulation
Foam boards—rigid panels of insulation—can be used to insulate almost any part of your home, from the roof down to the foundation. They provide good thermal resistance and often add structural strength to your home. Foam board insulation sheathing reduces heat conduction through structural elements, like wood and steel studs. Source: EERE, U.S. Department of [...]
Install Concrete block insulation
Concrete block insulation is typically installed for new home construction or in homes undergoing major renovation. Since installation involves masonry skills, it’s best to have a certified cement mason do it. When using masonry blocks for a foundation wall, filling the block cores with high-pressure foam works better than most poured-in insulations, like polystyrene beads [...]
Concrete Block Insulation and Types of Concrete Block Insulation
Insulated concrete blocks can accommodate many walls in a home. Their cores are filled with insulation (except for those cells requiring structural steel reinforcing and concrete infill), which raises the average wall R-value. The better concrete masonry units reduce the area of connecting webs as much as possible. Types of Concrete Block Insulation There are [...]
Blanket (Batt and Roll) Insulation in the Basement
Blanket insulation—the most common and widely available type of insulation—comes in the form of batts or rolls. It consists of flexible fibers, most commonly fiberglass. You also can find batts and rolls made from mineral (rock and slag) wool, plastic fibers, and natural fibers, such as cotton and sheep’s wool. Batts and rolls are available [...]
Moisture Control in Basements
To effectively insulate your basement for energy efficiency and to create a comfortable space, you need to properly control moisture in your basement. Most basement water leakage results from either bulk moisture leaks or capillary action. Bulk moisture is the flow of water through holes, cracks, and other discontinuities into the home’s basement walls. Capillary [...]
Types of Basement Insulation
Once you have determined the insulation R-value you’ll need for either adding insulation to an existing basement or new home construction, you can choose the type of insulation, including the following: * Blanket (batt and roll) insulation * Concrete block insulation (new construction) * Foam board insulation * Insulating concrete forms (new construction) * Loose-fill [...]
Advantages and Disadvantages of Basement Insulation
In most cases, a basement with insulation installed in the exterior basement walls should be considered a conditioned space. Even in a house with an unconditioned basement, the basement is more connected to other living spaces than to the outside. This connection makes basement wall insulation preferable to insulating the basement ceiling. Compared to insulating [...]
Basement Insulation
A properly insulated basement can help reduce your energy costs. However, basement walls are one of the most controversial areas of a house to insulate and seal. You need to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages, not to mention moisture control. Annual Energy Savings The energy cost savings of basement wall insulation vary depending on [...]
Foundation Installation Cost and Performance
Although you can achieve considerable savings in space conditioning costs by insulating the foundation, the installation costs can become relatively high, especially for retrofit projects. The type of materials used, the application method, and the extent of work all affect the overall cost. Simple payback is typically in the range of 6 months for a [...]