Roof Insulation - Wall Insulation

INSULATION

Energy codes are designed for structures that are going to be heated. These codes, which are state and county specific, have pre-determined wall and roof insulation and window requirements. A close look, taking into consideration our impact on the planet, reveals that a tight, well insulated structure will use considerably less energy to both heat and keep cool and will pay for itself in the long run.

The measure of a materials resistance to heat flow is its R-value,
the greater the resistance, the higher the R-value. There are a variety of insulating materials available, all with different R-values and differing environmental impacts.

In making a choice of insulation materials some of the environmental factors to consider are: ....

1) the environmental cost in manufacturing and shipping

2) level of toxicity, or lack of toxicity

3) potential energy savings in terms of heating and cooling the structure

Thinking along these lines has brought us to what we feel are an efficient, healthy, and environmentally friendly insulation materials.

Insulation materials we feel best about:

White building board: This board is comprised mostly of recycled non-toxic materials - cardboard, newspaper, and wood fiber and held together with starch. It comes with one side painted, ready for your choice of color. This board is what you would see as your ceiling.

Formaldehyde free fiberglass insulation: for filling the wall and roof cavities. This material can either by applied in "batts" or blown into a sealed cavity. The only drawback of this material is the need to protect oneself from glass fibers during installation. A respirator, gloves and long sleeve clothing is recommended. There is the option of recycled cotton batting, though it is considerably more expensive and difficult to cut.

Astro-foil This is a foil faced, double layer bubble wrap type of material. The reflective foil face on both surfaces allows it to reflect out the hot summer heat and reflect warmth back inside in cooler seasons. They require an air space on both sides to effectively reflect the heat or cold. These types of foil faced insulators are also a moisture barrier.

Blown in fiberglass or cellulose: Both of these products require a little more labor but will provide a code exceptable R-30 plus for the roof with a 2x10 rafter system with an additional air space for roof ventilation.