How insulation works / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...how to insulate attics properly. A radiant barrier is a control layer that reflects infrared heat - especially important in areas with a high level of insolation. They can be purchased in foil rolls (thermal foil with air bubbles as insulation), and some rigid insulation boards such as polyisocyanurate have them attach...

...How much loose blown cellulose insulation is too much in an attic? What does ‘diminishing returns’ for insulation mean?  It's as simple as this - adding one inch of insulation to a wall that has only one inch of insulation is certainly well worth the investment, in any climate. Adding one inch of insulation to a wall ...

...how much insulation is best? Balancing insulation is about respecting the laws of diminishing returns. Example - If I have a wall with just 2 inches of insulation and I add another 2 inches, I will certainly get my money out of it as that two inches doubles my insulation levels. If I have a wall with 30 inches of insul...

...works well for coldest Canadian winters! How to stop condensation inside exterior walls? This can be caused by thermal bridges through wood framing, poorly installed insulation, or even the complete absence of insulation in some spots. Some insulation materials can settle; other times builders take short cuts and futur...

...insulation layers leads to a warmer, more comfortable interior. Now you know more about how much insulation a home needs, read more about high performance home building in the Ecohome Building Guide, or these pages: All about passive solar home design See Passive House and LEED ready prefab homes here Find th...

...insulation combinations to minimize building energy consumption, though increased insulation will probably be the best option in most cases. Calculating the energy consumption of buildings While insulation R-values are important, what really matters is energy consumption. To assess the impact of different roof insulati...

...insulation. You may lose a couple of inches of interior space, but that space would be more comfortable and you will get a much better return on your insulation investment. Insulation between metal studs - a bad idea: Metal studs are becoming more commonplace in residential construction, and not always with great resul...

...how insulation works, find the right insulation for your home build or renovation in the Ecohome Green Building Guide and these pages here: Find the best insulation for different parts of your home Is spray foam insulation safe in homes for air quality? Which foam boards are best for basement insulation? Find h...

...insulation first to learn the basics.  Understanding the physics behind how walls work is the key to designing well-insulated, airtight and durable wall systems. Loose fill or dense-packed cellulose insulation Blowing cellulose insulation in roof  © Ecohome Recycled content: 80% to 100% Method and form: Cellulose c...