Insulating walls is an effective way to make your home more comfortable and reduce costs on energy costs, as well as help to decrease noise pollution.
Wall insulation comes in various forms; your choice will ultimately depend on both your needs and budget.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass insulation is a widely popular choice for homes. Crafted from spun molten glass fibers, fiberglass can be stretched into sheets, batts, rolls or loose fill and comes in both recycled content options as well. Fiberglass is highly incombustible while resisting moisture penetration – making it an extremely long-term and durable solution.
Fiberglass insulation can help homeowners keep their house warm during winter and cool during summer by limiting heat transfer between inside and outside their home. To achieve maximum effectiveness, however, a balance must be struck between adding too little insulation (causing unnecessary cold) or too much (causing too much heating costs).
Fiberglass insulation may be safe and effective, yet can irritate skin and lungs when disturbed, especially if airborne material becomes airborne. Therefore, when disturbing this type of insulation it’s wise to wear protective clothing and wear a mask when handling. Foil faced insulation provides an additional option by shielding out unwanted UV rays that could potentially cause lasting damage to interior walls over time.
Mineral Wool
Insulation made of fiberglass fibers provides excellent soundproofing properties by trapping air in its cells and slowing soundwaves down, as well as serving as an effective fire-retardant barrier against flames and smoke.
Made from melted rock and steel slag, mineral wool insulation is more dense than fiberglass insulation and costs more upfront, but is readily available than its alternatives. While the increased density doesn’t pose any major issues for homeowners, its increased density does make the material less accessible than other forms.
Rockwool insulation can be more challenging to manage during ceiling installations due to its weight and thicker nature, necessitating a serrated wood saw or more powerful tool for cutting the batts down to size. Because this material contains small stone fragments and fibers that may irritate skin or lung tissue during installation, homeowners should wear gloves, dust mask and long-sleeved shirt while installing Rockwool to avoid skin irritation or lung issues during setup. Compared with fiberglass insulation however, Rockwool’s rigid form makes measuring and cutting around outlets or obstructions much simpler and accurate.
Cellulose
Cellulose insulation is an eco-friendly material made of recycled newspaper and cardboard. Available as loose fill for retrofitting walls or batts to install into new construction projects, cellulose boasts the highest R value among home insulation options and outshone fiberglass in terms of effectiveness.
Insulation that meets these standards is also designed to be watertight, helping prevent moisture issues such as rot and mold growth. Furthermore, all state/provincial and local fire safety codes have been met.
Cellulose insulation is extremely environmentally-friendly as it uses up to 85% recycled materials, cutting down on paper waste by up to 87% and being safer to install than fiberglass insulation. Cellulose can also sequester carbon, helping mitigate climate change through decreased greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming; furthermore it’s less expensive than other forms of insulation while its moisture-wicking qualities allow it to absorb damp spots more effectively than others.
Injection Foam
Injection foam insulation is an affordable and eco-friendly way to significantly lower energy bills, make your home more comfortable all year round, reduce outside noise levels and protect walls against moisture penetration. Made of expanded or extruded polystyrene beads sourced from either expansion or extrusion processes and available as loose-fill or boards – its production process produces minimal embodied energy while recycling materials making this solution one of the greenest choices available today.
Injection foam insulation can easily be added into existing walls that already contain fiberglass or cellulose insulation, filling every crevice to form an airtight seal and protecting against moisture infiltration, thus helping prevent mold growth and rot. Re-insulating your home without major reconstruction is now possible with injection foam injection!