The Future Of Insulation Is Here!

By Author: Mark Munns
Total Articles: 4762
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Nobody ever looks at a house or their utility bills and says, "Wow. That's good insulation, that is!" However, the truth is that insulation helps in several ways:

- cuts down on how much you spend on your utility bills

- helps keep your house at a regular temperature

- makes the walls, floors and ceilings warmer or cooler depending on the season

Can you imagine how much more money you'd pay on utilities without insulation? Now imagine how much more you might save if you had the right insulation. You don't have to; the Department of Energy states that, "You can reduce your home's heating and cooling costs by as much as 30% through proper insulation and air sealing techniques."

Fiberglass and Cellulose Insulation

Many homes and buildings use fiberglass or cellulose insulation. Not necessarily because they're the best, but because they're cheap. They limit air movement; the air becomes still, giving low conduction, no convection and some insulation. Reflective insulation reduces radiation energy. Although they reduce air movement somewhat, the reduction is not as much as fiberglass or ...
... cellulose.

Now, "limiting air movement" shouldn't be confused with "air sealing". Many types of insulation won't reach the nooks and crannies that allow air leaks. To make up for it, some homeowners keep trying †stuffing more insulation into the walls, hoping it will make a difference. No matter how much uncondensed insulation you stuff into your walls, you'll still have air leaks.

Fiberglass and cellulose insulation also have the unwanted traits of holding in moisture and water, which, in turn, becomes an open invitation for mold and mildew. They also have the unfortunate ability to attract rats and mice as a food and nesting source. Incorrectly installed, these forms of insulation can have an incredibly low R-value.

What is R-value?

R-value is the rating of thermal resistance given to insulation. In other words, an insulation type's resistance to heat flow. Several factors go in to determining R-value, such as the type of material, density and thickness. If you have an easily compressed insulation, you won't get the full R-value. If you use insulation like batting, and it's thicker than the area you're using it for, you won't get the full R-value of the insulation. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation is at combating conduction.

The Future is Here!

How do you combat air leaks, mold, mildew, low R-values and more if you already have fiberglass insulation? It's called Foam It Green Polyurethane Spray Foam Insulation, it comes in a kit you can do yourself and it's green. Here's why it's considered the future of insulation:

- Once it dries, polyurethane foam is already compressed. Whether you put more insulation on top of it or leave it like it is, the foam won't lose any R-value.

- One inch of foam has an R-7 value. Adding layers only increases the R-value, increases your home's insulation and lowers utility bills.

- Sprayed foam insulation is forced into corners, sills and other known culprits for air leaks. As it cures, it seals off the leaks in areas that you'd never be able to reach with other types of insulation.

- The Foam It Green Polyurethane Foam has "closed cell" insulation. Unlike "open cell" insulation types that absorb moisture and invite mold, closed cell insulation blocks out moisture, lowering the chances of mold and mildew growing in your walls.

- There is no nutritional value for rats and mice, nor will they use it for nesting purposes. No more rodents chewing on your utility saver!

- With fiberglass and cellulose insulation, you would have to measure, cut and mold the insulation to fit the area you're working with. Because the foam is a spray, you just spray the wall like spray paint and watch the foam rise to insulate.

- Because the foam is green, carbon offset and energy saving, you're adding to the value of your home should you ever want to sell it!

If you've run an energy audit on your home and realized that more is going out than coming in, it's time you took care of those annoying air leaks and poor quality insulation. With a little bit of Foam It Green, you can do just that!
About Author:
Spray Foam Direct.com features quick and easy do-it-yourself spray foam insulation which will save you money and energy. Guardian Energy Technologies Inc. offers the added benefits of reducing our carbon footprint by offering foam it green solutions and balancing their impact through carbon reproduction projects. Visit online today.