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Insulation to Conserve Heat and Reduce Noise

Bob joins Buddy Loxley from MAP Insulation to talk installation in the master bedroom. The crew is using R-15 fiberglass insulation from Owens Corning in the home's exterior walls to meet Energy Star standards. The high-density batt insulation is the highest R-value possible for two-by-four cavities. To achieve maximum R-value, it's important not to compress the insulation. It must remain fluffy in order to trap air and prevent infiltration. The crew will install an R-38 insulation in the ceiling. Owens Corning QuietZone interior wall insulation, a sound attenuation material, is placed in the interior walls to reduce noise transfer from room to room.

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Insulation to Conserve Heat and Reduce Noise

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" Joining us now is -- largely from -- insulation -- contractors who are putting in all the fiberglass insulation and -- So let's talk about that the areas cause obviously it's different what you're -- in the sides closer than what you're doing up in the -- so right now we're looking at the sidewall what what kind of insulation is this the product that they're using in this home has a three and a half inch high density. And it's course it's fiberglass it happens to be -- so that and it tells us who makes it that's correct the -- aides say it's nothing out of what. And it's nothing new it's what we've been using for years in the and a -- the only. The only difference between the this is the highest. And without getting too detailed how they do the extra four. Ours there is more fiberglass product actually put into the blanket itself making it more dense and more -- rigid. As opposed to the now any tips on on and you know what they're doing is for example installing around -- an electrical box and stuff correct when they're doing around they're trying to make sure that there isn't as much compression as least amount of compression as possible both at the bottoms of the wall that's around electrical outlets. Trying to get that's probably the most important tip that you can give homeowners do not compress. -- insulation don't squish it in -- it has to be fluffy has to have the air trapped in between new -- around any compression of the blanket will drop the ability of the blanket to trap heat in an area is -- Notice around the window over there. He is actually drinking it in with his knife correct they do that application for that does that compresses it though doesn't it does not the biggest reason why they're doing that is to. Predominantly stop cold wind and air penetration from outside in around -- area I see as opposed to some people would like to see those areas phones. We would either foam it or stuff it with fiberglass it's predominantly in place to knocks on air penetration around the windows and door jambs IC. Now the job of the insulation is to keep the warm air. In the heated envelope of a house from escaping right got it correct now why do you put any polyethylene moisture barrier in place all the vapor barriers installed over the insulation. To ensure that you don't have moisture condensation problems during hot to cold Air -- first as you can see there is a craft facing on this product in the wall and the ceiling cavity yeah it has for Landers on it which can be insert stapled into the cavity. On a wall application we use the polyethylene vapor barrier. To get us some more uniform vapor barrier one solid vapor barrier across the wall and it also seals off any -- protect air infiltration. In between stunning yeah OK but they in the house wrap is on the outside of the house and that's put there to keep any. Cold air from infiltrating through the wall correct and the concern that a lot of people have is that you're trapping moisture. Somehow in the wall cavities that you're gonna get wet plywood -- insulation OK our our theory and that is that heat and moisture rises and as long as the heat moisture is dissipating outside the home. I rising through the ceiling areas and dissipating out that it shouldn't really be able to trap inside the wall cavity. Now let's talk about roof insulation I. A standard attic installations in -- thirty and we're using an 38 which is a full twelve inches so that we get our energy star rating. Any problems inherent in this kind of installation. Well the area that they're insulating now is an area of critical concern. Where the installer is actually putting in the twelve inch 38 blanket. The first thing that needs to be installed easy styrofoam baffle vents that are being put in the rafter system. You have to make sure that those rafter vents go and exceed the one foot of insulation that's being placed in the attic so that the vent. Actually extends up above that one foot of insulation. So here you want the installation in the roof fifth. Cover beyond the sidewall right correct as you can see he's pulling the blanket out beyond the wall plate. So that it actually does the fiery end of that insulation. Would meet at least where the sidewall application comes up. And doesn't stop at the top of the wall plate where that last piece of strapping us. Now the last thing we're doing involves sound attenuation noise control with this product is called the Quietzone what what is it. Quietzone is a three and a half inch bat insulation. Applied any interior two by four studding for sound deadening so it's regular fiberglass which does have a good role as as a sound attenuated that and I obviously between a bathroom and other rooms in the house. Great idea that's correct thanks I would very much Bob OK."

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Insulation Basics

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. How much insulation does your home need and where? It depends on your climate and the energy costs in your area. The basic principle is that you want to keep heat energy from doing what it does best: dissipating to colder areas. The best way is to trap a layer of air next to the heat source. In new framing, sprayed-on polyurethane foam, fiberglass or cellulose do a good job of providing this layer before the drywall goes up. If you re retrofitting your insulation, you can still spray in cellulose through holes cut from the interior or the exterior. To find out what insulation will work best in your home, you ll want to know the recommended insulation r-values in your area. R-value is the measure of a material s resistance to heat flow. The higher the value, the more effective it is. To see the recommended insulation r-values and cost estimates in your ZIP code, visit the Department of Energy s web site. Even a small draft can make your insulation less effective. Seal any gaps around electrical outlets, ducts, windows and doors with foam sealants, caulking or weatherstripping. The most important area to insulate is your attic. Make sure you ve got at least the attic floor insulated with blown-in or batt insulation to your area s recommended r-value, and consider insulating the roof and attic walls as well. This can provide a fully insulated buffer zone to keep heat where you want it and keep the lid on your energy costs. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Installing Sound Attenuation Insulation

George Saylor from Owens Corning is on location in this episode to discuss the insulation products that will be used in the Waterfront Warehouse Rehab project. Before work begins, Bob notes the importance of wearing protective gear including gloves, hat, long sleeve shirt, pants, particle mask, and eye protection when working with fiberglass insualtion. Owens Corning has provided a fiberglass insulation that delivers an insulation value of R15 in only three and half inches of thickness. The material's higher density creates smaller more uniform cells of trapped air to provide a greater degree of insulation in a tighter space, making it more efficient. Saylor also explains how to insulate around outlets and other building infrastructure. On the exterior walls, extruded polystyrene insulation is being installed between the studs and wallboard to prevent thermal transfer from the metal studs to the building's interior. The additional material will create a R20 wall. In the living spaces, interior walls are filled with fiberglass batt insulation to prevent the transfer of sound from room to room.

The Blown-In Blanket Insulation Process

Bob is joined by Mikde Hobson of Westchester Insulation as the crew prepares one of the Mashpee houses for insulation installation. Hobson explains that this is a patented insulation system that uses special fabric stapled and drawn tight across any cavity that needs to be insulated. The crew works with pneumatic staplers to get the fabric in place across all the walls and the joists of the cathedral ceiling. The fabric is not intended as a moisture barrier of any kind and is just there to hold the insulation in place and prevent it from settling. Hobson shows Bob the white fiberglass that will be blown into the cavities. It is white because it is a virgin product, completely free of treatments, binders, or chemicals. Certainteed and Johns Manville both produce fiberglass insulation that is suitable for the Blow-In-Blanket installation. Once all cavities have been enclosed, the insulation contractor cuts a slit in the fabric and inserts a hose through which the fiberglass is blown. The cavity is filled to a density of two pounds per cubic foot which is visible to the eye by a slight bulge in the fabric. At this density, an R-value of 15 is achieved in two-by-four cavities like walls. In attics and ceiling cavities that are two-by-six, an R-value of 38 can be achieved. This insulation is inert and will not support moisture, mold, animals, or insects. It also serves as a sound insulator and can be blown in around drain lines, in interior partitions, and around tubs and showers. Blo-In-Blanket insulation is suitable for new construction or retrofit applications where it is blown in through the sheathing from the outside or through interior drywall to fill wall cavities. Blow-In-Blanket insulation costs about 50 to 60 percent more to install than traditional batt insulation, but offers such energy efficiency that it pays for itself within two to four years.

Spray-On Closed-Cell Insulation

This NCFI polyurethane spray-on insulation sets up as a rigid product. It will be sprayed in to about 3 1/2 inches in depth and will provide an insulation value of R21. It is sprayed directly onto the back of the sheathing and sticks to it, swelling to 25 times its liquid volume. The foam itself is filled with microscopic bubbles. Since air molecules transport heat energy rapidly from the warm wall to the cold wall, the goal is to stop them or impede their movement with a web of cells inside the insulation. This insulation is also enhanced with Enovate, a Honeywell chemical that is added to the spray to create a new, slower, larger molecule that moves inefficiently to pick up and transfer heat. Heat transfer is therefore retarded in two ways, making for an extremely high insulation value. The foam comes as a two-part product, delivered as a liquid from two drums that mix the components through a sprayer. The liquid is sprayed at a very high pressure, about 2,000 pounds per square inch, to mix the chemical with the hardener and deliver it to the building cavity.