Different kinds of insulation materials used in residential homes

There are many kinds of insulation products out on the market and its important to know what each is…Insulation is a kind of protection, for example, wearing a garment insulates the body (to some extent) and thus prevents the outside cold and keeps our body warm. Similarly, house insulation is a kind of protection of the house. One tends to insulate different parts of the house with different materials, with the idea of preventing energy loss. That way one can keep the house warm even in cold weather or vice- versa. Insulation also helps against condensation, which increases moisture in the house, causing mould growth.

There are a number of laws related to insulation standards, which of course differ in each state. According to these standards and the climatic conditions, different materials are used for insulation of the house, like glass wool, cellulose fiber, and polyester or cock- board. The usage of these materials depends on their R- Value. R- Value is the measure of the resistance of the energy flow of the material. Higher R- Value = Higher insulation. Also, insulating materials are mainly divided in two categories of ‘bulk’ and ‘reflecting’. A professional building contractor uses the materials, keeping in mind the amount of insulation required, its purpose and place to be used like near the attic or wall etc. The process of insulating different materials has different names like for example insulating windows is called glazing, while wrapping of pipes for insulation is called lagging.

A home inspection usually done in reference to the sale of the house, where a professional home inspector examines the entire structure of the house and then gives a written report. In his report, he may suggest changes or repairs also, if required. A house inspector’s report is like a manual to a buyer who then gets a complete idea about each and every aspect or the condition of the entire structure from the attic to the basement. One of the things that the Home inspector examines is the insulation of the house and the possible reasons and prevention methods to the mend the problems as well. He checks if there are any kind of condensation, in the attic, windows of each room. If yes and if the problem is too big, he may suggest change of insulation material like soffit of even the entire window in some cases. He has the tools to even check if there are any air leaks or if there are any holes/ cavities in the wall which results in energy loss or is the basements well insulated or not, everything comes under his purview. One must definitely work according to his suggestions and make required changes and use the required materials to get the desired results.

 

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