Best Residential Insulation Practices

Blanket batts and rolls are typically constructed with fiberglass although versions made of cotton mineral wool.

Best residential insulation practices.

14 best practices for high performance homes from our experts. Air krete cementitious foam is a nontoxic insulation that s sprayed into wall cavities. Select a wall system that minimizes thermal bridging such as a double plate wall or one with exterior rigid insulation. Blanket insulation the most common and widely available type of insulation comes in the form of batts or rolls.

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. Notice that you don t see insulation filling all the spaces between the ceiling joists. The higher the r value the better that material is for insulation. Batts are about the worst you can do here.

In this case it s because they weren t cut. The best way to insulate your house or church school or office building greatly depends on what type of environment you live in if you look at historic houses and buildings you can learn a lot about how to design for your climate because early builders had to adapt to the local conditions to try to make buildings as comfortable as possible. The best insulation types for your home new insulation options are less toxic and more energy efficient. Insulation tips for hot humid climates.

R values can be higher for foam insulation and other advanced insulation systems. R value is a measurement based on a material s ability to resist heat flow. What is the best insulation. One way to assess what is the best insulation is by a measurement called an r value.

Cavity fibrous or cellulose insulation can be installed at levels up to r 15 in a 2 inch x 4 inch wall and up to r 21 in a 2 inch x 6 inch wall. It consists of flexible fibers most commonly fiberglass. Do it yourself insulation of unfinished walls floors and ceilings. By susan lahey november december 2006.

Reduce exterior wall leaks by taping the joints of exterior sheathing and caulking and sealing exterior walls. Get the input of architects trade partners suppliers and other decision makers while the project is still in the design phase. Whenever possible site the home to take advantage of southern exposure on the rear with fewer penetrations on the north side. Here are some best practices for reducing thermal bridging.

See that photo above.