Foam Insulation Solutions for Full R-Value

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Finding foam insulation solutions for your home is not difficult. You just need to be convinced that foam insulation is the right choice. When thinking of an insulation solution, pink fiberglass batts are usually the first thing to come to a homeowner’s mind. Since the 1950s, fibreglass batts have been the insulation of choice for Toronto and GTA home builders and owners. Foam insulation solutions have only been available relatively recently and have had a hard time gaining acceptance against the entrenched attitudes towards fiberglass batt insulation.

However, homeowners who take the time to investigate the advantages of fiberglass batt insulation versus foam insulation solutions quickly find there’s good reason to change their thinking. It doesn’t mean that you need to change your home insulation, or that fiberglass batt insulation is not the best solution for your home, but homeowners should at least take the time to investigate other types of insulation and not simply accept the fiberglass batt insulation solution without question.

The first step is to learn more about how home insulation works. Any homeowner who has even thought about home insulation has heard of insulation’s R-value. The R in R-value stands for “resistance” and it refers to the ability of any material to resist the transfer of heat through the material. The higher the R-value, the higher the resistance and the better the home insulation solution. At least that is how it is supposed to work. Homeowners who want better insulation would simply look for a higher R-value. But, home insulation does not always work the way it is supposed to and R-values can be deceiving.

The problem is how R-values are calculated, which is under ideal, uniform conditions. While these testing conditions are excellent for determining the R-value of a material, they do not reflect the conditions under which the insulation is used. In other words, ideal, uniform conditions do not exist in your attic and it means that you probably rarely get the R-value you expect from your home insulation solution.

For many reasons, this is more true for fiberglass batt insulation than foam insulation solutions. The main difference between the two types is their ability to create an air seal. Without an air seal, there are literally holes in your home insulation solution. No seal means gaps exist in your insulation. Air passes freely through those gaps, as if there was no insulation. Gaps, or lack of an air seal, reduce the effective R-value of your home insulation.

If your insulation was able to completely seal the area being insulated, then you would have near perfect insulation conditions and receive full R-value. There are many reasons why it is nearly impossible, and definitely impractical, to create an air seal with fiberglass batts.

Fibreglass batts are designed to fit snuggly between ceiling joists and wall studs. It’s usually a nice tight fit that does a good job of stopping heat from passing between the joists and studs. However, heat also passes through the wood of the stud and joists. Wood is not nearly as good an insulator as fiberglass batts. The result is, beginning with the way it is designed to be applied, the actual R-value you receive from fiberglass batts is usually less than the listed R-value. The problem is even greater because of the difficulty of getting fiberglass batts to fit properly in tight, oddly shaped or difficult to reach places. Gaps are common when using fiberglass batts in these sorts of areas and it further reduces the effective R-value of your insulation. Even if batts are squeezed into place, their R-value is reduced when compressed.

Another factor, common to the attics and wall cavities where home insulation is placed, that reduces the actual R-value of fiberglass batt insulation is moisture. Even small amounts of moisture, like that generated by condensation, can cause batt insulation to have reduced insulating capacity.

Spray foam insulation solutions have none of these disadvantages. Spray foam insulation expands as it is applied. This expansion allows it to get into difficult to reach spots and close every gap creating the air seal that you need to get the most benefit from your home insulation. Foam insulation is also waterproof so it will not be affected by moisture. Many homeowners may prefer fiberglass batts because it’s what they grew up with, but few insulation materials give you the same benefits as a foam insulation solution.

Air Seal Insulators specializes in providing effective spray foam insulation solutions in Toronto and the GTA.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Contact Air Seal today and begin enjoying all the advantages of foam insulation

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