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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

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.

…because they are within the living space. Rigid insulation, spray-foam, and blown-in products are available for…
…living side to prevent moisture buildup in the insulation. Foam insulation requires a professional applicator to spray…

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