What is insulation made of

Most thermal drift occurs within the first two years after the insulation material is manufactured, after which the R-value remains unchanged unless the foam is damaged.

Foil and plastic facings on rigid polyurethane foam panels can help slow down thermal drift. Polyurethane insulation is available as a liquid sprayed foam and rigid foam board. Sprayed or foamed-in-place applications of polyurethane insulation are usually cheaper than installing foam boards, and these applications usually perform better because the liquid foam molds itself to all of the surfaces.

All closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation made today is produced with a non-HCFC hydrochlorofluorocarbon gas as the foaming agent.

Low-density, open-cell polyurethane foams use air as the blowing agent and have an R-value that doesn't change over time. These foams are similar to conventional polyurethane foams but are more flexible.

Some low-density varieties use carbon dioxide CO2 as the foaming agent. Low-density foams are sprayed into open wall cavities and rapidly expand to seal and fill the cavity. Slow expanding foam is also available, which is intended for cavities in existing homes.

The liquid foam expands very slowly, reducing the chance of damaging the wall from overexpansion. The foam is water vapor permeable, remains flexible, and is resistant to wicking of moisture. It can provide good air sealing, is fire resistant, and won't sustain a flame. Soy-based, polyurethane liquid spray-foam products are also available. These products can be applied with the same equipment used for petroleum-based polyurethane foam products.

Some manufacturers use polyurethane as the insulating material in structural insulated panels SIPs. Wall panels made of polyurethane are typically 3. Perlite consists of very small, lightweight pellets, which are made by heating rock pellets until they pop.

This creates a type of loose-fill insulation made of pellets that can be poured into place or mixed with cement to create a lightweight, less heat-conductive concrete. Cementitious insulation material is a cement-based foam used as sprayed-foam or foamed-in-placed insulation.

Cementitious foam costs about as much as polyurethane foam, is nontoxic and nonflammable, and is made from minerals like magnesium oxide extracted from seawater. Phenolic phenol-formaldehyde foam was somewhat popular years ago as rigid foam board insulation. It currently has limited availability as a board insulation and is also available as a foamed-in-place insulation.

Phenolic foamed-in-place insulation uses air as the foaming agent. Facings are fastened to insulation materials during the manufacturing process.

A facing protects the insulation's surface, holds the insulation together, and facilitates fastening to building components. Common facing materials include kraft paper, white vinyl sheeting, and aluminum foil. All of these materials act as a vapor barrier and an air barrier if the joints between the insulation boards are taped and sealed.

Aluminum foil can also act as a radiant barrier. Mineral Wool Insulation Materials. The term "mineral wool" typically refers to two types of insulation material: Rock wool, a man-made material consisting of natural minerals like basalt or diabase. Slag wool, a man-made material from blast furnace slag the waste matter that forms on the surface of molten metal. Cellulose Insulation Material. Sheep's Wool. Polystyrene Insulation Materials. Polyisocyanurate Insulation Materials.

Polyurethane Insulation Materials. Perlite Insulation Materials. Perlite insulation materials are commonly found as attic insulation in homes built before Polystyrene beads, vermiculite, and perlite are typically poured.

The Commission issued the R-value Rule to prohibit, on an industry-wide basis, specific unfair or deceptive acts or practices. R-value ratings vary among different types and forms of home insulations and among products of the same type and form.

For loose-fill insulation, each manufacturer must determine the R-value of its product at settled density and create coverage charts showing the minimum settled thickness, minimum weight per square foot, and coverage area per bag for various total R-values.

This is because as the installed thickness of loose-fill insulation increases, its settled density also increases due to compression of the insulation under its own weight. Thus, the R-value of loose-fill insulation does not change proportionately with thickness. Unlike most common insulation systems, which resist conductive and convective heat flow, radiant barriers and reflective insulation work by reflecting radiant heat. Radiant barriers are installed in homes -- usually in attics -- primarily to reduce summer heat gain, which helps lower cooling costs.

Reflective insulation incorporates reflective surfaces -- typically aluminum foils -- into insulation systems that can include a variety of backings, such as kraft paper, plastic film, polyethylene bubbles, or cardboard, as well as thermal insulation materials. Radiant heat travels in a straight line away from any surface and heats anything solid that absorbs its energy. When the sun heats a roof, it's primarily the sun's radiant energy that makes the roof hot.

A large portion of this heat travels by conduction through the roofing materials to the attic side of the roof. The hot roof material then radiates its gained heat energy onto the cooler attic surfaces, including the air ducts and the attic floor. A radiant barrier reduces the radiant heat transfer from the underside of the roof to the other surfaces in the attic. To be effective, it must face a large air space. Radiant barriers are more effective in hot climates, especially when cooling air ducts are located in the attic.

The reduced heat gain may even allow for a smaller air conditioning system. In cool climates, however, it's usually more cost-effective to install more thermal insulation.

Rigid fiber or fibrous board insulation consists of either fiberglass or mineral wool material and is primarily used for insulating air ducts in homes. It is also used when there's a need for insulation that can withstand high temperatures. These products come in a range of thicknesses from 1 inch to 2. Installation in air ducts is usually done by HVAC contractors, who fabricate the insulation at their shops or at job sites. On exterior duct surfaces, they can install the insulation by impaling it on weld pins and securing with speed clips or washers.

They can also use special weld pins with integral-cupped head washers. Unfaced boards can then be finished with reinforced insulating cement, canvas, or weatherproof mastic. Faced boards can be installed in the same way, and the joints between boards sealed with pressure-sensitive tape or glass fabric and mastic.

Liquid foam insulation materials can be sprayed, foamed-in-place, injected, or poured. Foam-in-place insulation can be blown into walls, on attic surfaces, or under floors to insulate and reduce air leakage. Some installations can yield a higher R-value than traditional batt insulation for the same thickness, and can fill even the smallest cavities, creating an effective air barrier.

You can use the small pressurized cans of foam-in-place insulation to reduce air leakage in holes and cracks, such as window and door frames, and electrical and plumbing penetrations. Icynene plastic insulation blown into the walls of a home near Denver. Icynene fills cracks and crevices and adheres to the framing. Today, most foam materials use foaming agents that don't use chlorofluorocarbons CFCs or hydrochlorofluorocarbons HCFCs , which are harmful to the earth's ozone layer.

There are two types of foam-in-place insulation: closed-cell and open-cell. Both are typically made with polyurethane. With closed-cell foam, the high-density cells are closed and filled with a gas that helps the foam expand to fill the spaces around it. Open-cell foam cells are not as dense and are filled with air, which gives the insulation a spongy texture.

The type of insulation you should choose depends on how you will use it and on your budget. While closed-cell foam has a greater R-value and provides stronger resistance against moisture and air leakage, the material is also much denser and is more expensive.

Open-cell foam is lighter and less expensive but should not be used below ground level where it could absorb water. Consult a professional insulation installer to decide what type of insulation is best for you.

Other available foam insulation materials include:. Some less common types include Icynene foam and Tripolymer foam. Icynene foam can be either sprayed or injected, which makes it the most versatile. It also has good resistance to both air and water intrusion. Tripolymer foam—a water-soluble foam—is injected into wall cavities. It has excellent resistance to fire and air intrusion. Liquid foam insulation -- combined with a foaming agent -- can be applied using small spray containers or in larger quantities as a pressure-sprayed foamed-in-place product.

Both types expand and harden as the mixture cures. They also conform to the shape of the cavity, filling and sealing it thoroughly. Slow-curing liquid foams are also available.

These foams are designed to flow over obstructions before expanding and curing, and they are often used for empty wall cavities in existing buildings. There are also liquid foam materials that can be poured from a container. Installation of most types of liquid foam insulation requires special equipment and certification and should only be done by experienced installers.

Following installation, an approved thermal barrier equal in fire resistance to half-inch gypsum board must cover all foam materials. Also, some building codes don't recognize sprayed foam insulation as a vapor barrier, so installation might require an additional vapor retarder. Foam insulation products and installation usually cost more than traditional batt insulation. However, foam insulation has higher R-values and forms an air barrier, which can eliminate some of the other costs and tasks associated with weatherizing a home, such as caulking, applying housewrap and vapor barrier, and taping joints.

When building a new home, this type of insulation can also help reduce construction time and the number of specialized contractors, which saves money. Structural insulated panels SIPs are prefabricated insulated structural elements for use in building walls, ceilings, floors, and roofs.

When installed properly, SIPs also result in a more airtight dwelling, which makes a house energy efficient, quieter, and more comfortable. SIPs not only have high R-values but also high strength-to-weight ratios. A SIP typically consists of 4- to 8-inch-thick foam board insulation sandwiched between two sheets of oriented strand board OSB or other structural facing materials.

Manufacturers can usually customize the exterior and interior sheathing materials to meet customer requirements. The facing is glued to the foam core, and the panel is then either pressed or placed in a vacuum to bond the sheathing and core together. SIPs can be produced in various sizes or dimensions.

Some manufacturers make panels as large as 8 by 24 feet, which require a crane to erect. The quality of SIP manufacturing is very important to the long life and performance of the product.

The panels must be glued, pressed, and cured properly to ensure that they don't delaminate. Their main purposes are protecting the surface, holding the insulation together, and simplifying the attachment to building components. Depending on the type of facing, it can also accomplish the following functions:. Some insulation materials that were used in the past are now outlawed, unavailable or not used due to health issues. Some examples are vermiculite, perlite and urea-formaldehyde.

Vermiculite and perlite were used to insulate attics before the , but are not used anymore because they contain asbestos. These insulation materials were mostly available as loose-fill or pellets. Urea-formaldehyde is a sprayed foam that was commonly used in the s and s.

However, due to improper installations, many health-related court cases took place. As a result, urea-formaldehyde was prohibited in residential buildings, but is still used for masonry walls in commercial and industrial buildings.

The sheer number of insulation materials available may seem overwhelming. However, with professional engineering services, you can make sure that your project has optimal insulation. A well-insulated building has lower heating and cooling expenses, since effective insulation minimizes heat gain during summer and heat loss during winter. When effective insulation is combined with high-efficiency HVAC design, your building achieves a drastic reduction of heating and cooling costs.

Applying insulation is cheaper and simpler in new buildings, since there is no need to disturb an existing construction. Developers who are planning a new project should keep this in mind. Tags insulation building envelope construction materials. Please avoid adding links in comments. Any comment with external website links will not be published. Get expert engineering tips straight to your inbox.

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