Insulation Questions
Below are some answers to some more commonly asked questions. Please feel free to contact B & B Insulation if we can provide you with additional information.
Cellulose:
What is the best insulation for a “Green Home” / environment?
That’s easy – Cellulose Insulation.
When you install Insulation you are helping to protect the environment. Cellulose is, made of 80-85% recycled paper, diverting discarded papers that would otherwise be sent to landfills. Cellulose Insulation also has the lowest embodied energy score of any major insulation. It takes less energy to produce and transport Cellulose, which means fewer emissions are released in making it. When you combine Cellulose environmentally sound features with its outstanding ability to conserve energy in hundreds of thousands of homes across the country (and worldwide), you would think the color of the insulation would be green.
Can Cellulose be installed over existing insulation?
Provided that the existing insulation is properly installed and free from defect (moisture damage, etc.) Cellulose Installation may be installed over existing insulation. A little Cellulose can go a long way. In fact, as little as 4 inches of Cellulose applied over fiberglass in your attic will restore the effective R-value of the fiberglass in heating and cooling seasons.
Do different installation methods make a difference?
Installation is critical in determining how insulation performs in your home. The walls, ceilings, and floors of your home are full of odd shaped cavities and obstacles like plumbing, air ducts, and wiring. For your insulation to work effectively, it must completely fill around these obstructions without gaps or voids. Cellulose Insulation is sprayed or blown into walls, conforming to your home and surrounding you and your family with a seamless insulation system. With Cellulose walls are fully and tightly insulated, forming a monolithic thermal barrier. No more gaps. No more voids. No more drafts. Just years of comfort and energy efficiency.
How much insulation should I have in my home?
Each area of the country has different recommended R-Values for insulation. Please visit Department of Energy reccomended R-Value page to discover the recommended R-Values for your area.
Are there incentives available from my local utility company?
Utility companies are encouraged through various federal and state initiatives to support consumers and businesses seeking to implement energy conservation programs. Check your utility company’s website or call their local office to find out what incentives are available in your area.
What is R-Value?
R-Value is the industry standard for measuring the insulating power of any material; the higher the R-Value, the higher the insulating power.
What are the thermal benefits of Cellulose?
Cellulose Insulation has a higher density than many other insulation types available, providing excellent resistance to air-infiltration, radiation of heat energy and convective currents. Additionally, it has a higher R-Value/inch—as much as 3.8-3.9 R/inch depending on product depth and density of application; that means more insulating power with less product.
What are the sound control benefits?
Sound waves move through the air and space. The same density and custom fit provided by Cellulose for the purpose of fire safety and thermal control, also increases its ability to control sound. In fact Cellulose Insulation has a high STC rating. That means a building insulated with cellulose will be very quiet.
What are the fire resistance characteristics?
Cellulose Insulation meets and exceeds the fire-resistance testing. Cellulose Insulation® is one of a few building materials used in homes that is commonly treated with fire retardants.When manufacturing cellulose it is a two-stage process that injects both dry and liquid fire retardants to saturate the cellulose fibers. This results in an exceptional insulation that meets and often exceeds stringent fire safety standards, helping protect you and your family. Cellulose Insulation’s ability to add fire resistance is not limited to fire retardants, it also limits the amount of oxygen which can support a fire. Cellulose Insulation® greatly restricts the amount of oxygen available to support combustion, preventing a chimney effect in which hot air and fire can race up a wall to a ceiling or attic where the fire can endanger the entire home.
Do I still need a housewrap or building paper when using Cellulose?
When an insulator combines air seal (caulk or foam) with cellulose wall-spray, housewrap or building paper is not needed to control air movement through the wall. However, this does not at all affect the second purpose that a housewrap or building paper serves: that of a drainage plane. Consideration should still be given to a drainage plane based on the local climate. Some areas of the country receive so much rain that the sheathing beneath the exterior finish will almost certainly become wet. The climate in some of these regions may offer only limited drying potential. In these areas, a drainage plane (which may be considered a “housewrap” is certainly recommended.
Foam :
Q. WHAT IS POLYURETHANE?
A. Polyurethane is a large and varied family of incredibly versatile and useful engineering material. Polyurethane can be processed into foams, coatings, elastomers, adhesives, binders, and sealants for a wide range of applications.
Q. HOW CAN POLYURETHANE BE USED?
A. Polyurethane has a wide range of uses. It may be used for roofing, insulation, protective elastomer coatings, castable elastomer products, bedliners, pour and mold applications, packaging, flexible applications like cushions and , and floatation. The uses of polyurethane foam and elastomers is virtually limitless.
Q. WHY IS POLYURETHANE FOAM GREAT INSULATION?
A. Whether for roof or wall, polyurethane foam is the best insulation material known to man. It delivers a high R-value and creates a seamless building envelope that provides an unsurpassed air-barrier.
Q. IS A SPRAY-APPLIED FOAM ROOF SYSTEM EXPENSIVE?
A. The price of a polyurethane roof system is comparable in installation costs to other roofing systems, but is always less than conventional roofing when life-cycle costs are considered. Polyurethane roofing systems can reduce energy bills up to 50%.
Q. IS POLYURETHANE FOAM ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?
A. Yes, there are no better products available than polyurethane roofing and insulation to reduce energy consumption which reduces a building’s carbon footprint. Additionally, polyurethane products reduce building waste in landfills. Select products also contain more than 25% renewable content.
Q. Is spray polyurethane insulation code approved?
A. Yes. Building codes provide for the use of spray polyurethane insulation in the Foam Plastic section. This section of the code also describes the use of thermal barriers.
Q. How does spray foam work?
A. A two-part mixture is applied by trained professionals to the surface to be insulated. The spray mixture expands rapidly to fill all cracks and voids, completely and permanently adhering to wood, masonry, metal, concrete, and most other construction materials.
Q. Is Polyurethane Foam a good product to spray on the underside of the Mobile homes? Will it insulate the home better and pipes, or should this not be used?
A. Insulating the underside of a trailer with spray polyurethane foam is much like insulating the underside of a home in the crawlspace. It is a good idea and should help with the energy bills especially if there is no insulation there presently.
Q. When can spray foam be installed?
A. Spray foam insulation is professionally installed at the same point in the construction cycle as other types of insulation. That is, using traditional building techniques, spray foam should be installed after the rough plumbing, electrical wiring, and heating and air conditioning ducts have been installed, but before the interior walls are completed in new construction. In some cases spray foam also can be applied in older buildings or structures, to the inside of roofs and under floors after construction has been completed.
Q. Won’t sealing my building lead to indoor air quality problems?
A. Your building does need to be ventilated. Most design professionals will advise you to seal the structure as tight as possible and provide the necessary ventilation through the heating and air conditioning system. Many systems employ an “air exchanger” which is designed to pre-condition (either warm or cool) the incoming outside air with the outgoing exhaust air. In this manner, you can build an extremely energy efficient exterior shell using spray polyurethane foam while still providing controlled and energy efficient ventilation
