Insulation and soundproofing

Spray Foam Insulation - Is it Good or Toxic & Dangerous?
Insulation and soundproofing

Is spray foam insulation a good choice for your home? Or a toxic recipe for disaster?

Spray foam insulation has been used primarily for home renovations as a way of sealing and insulating in one step, but spray foam is now even finding a home in new build - but, is it safe? Is spray foam insulation the best idea. There is a plethora of home improvement shows demonstrating how easy it is to buy…

How much is Too Much Insulation in my Attic or Walls?
Insulation and soundproofing

How much insulation is too much in attics and walls?

There will come a point where the cost of insulation in any attic, wall or basement - and the energy required to manufacture and transport it - will outweigh any savings. Want to find out where that point is. Home Insulation - how much is too much? A House can definitely be under-insulated (millions of homes…

Is EPS foam eco-friendly? Exterior home insulation rigid foam panels
Insulation and soundproofing

Does plastic foam or Styrofoam insulation have a place in green building?

Which type of insulation is best for reducing emissions and safely mitigating climate change? There may be a case to be made for EPS rigid insulation. Are foam insulation panels a green choice? The short story is, maybe. And the long story is, well.... When we launched Ecohome about a decade ago, our mission was to…

Natural Building Insulation Made of Grass - Eco-friendly, Green
Insulation and soundproofing

Non-toxic natural building insulation made of grass

Natural insulation materials such as hemp insulation, cellulose (including grass based), wood fiber, straw and cotton act as carbon storage and reduce embodied energy and carbon footprint of homes & buildings. Natural building insulation materials In order to combat the climate change impact of the built…

Hemp insulation products for USA & Canada rolling off the production line
Insulation and soundproofing

Hemp insulation in Canada & USA - insulating naturally is an Eco-friendly alternative

A new manufacturer of hemp insulation products sets up shop in Quebec - Hemp being a great Green Building alternative to traditional insulation materials. Hemp insulation manufactured in Canada! Nature Fibres is a young company based in the town of Asbestos, Quebec, which began manufacturing hemp insulation in the…

4th generation blowing agents for spray foam
Insulation and soundproofing

New HFO blowing agents for spray foam will make it over 1,000 times less harmful to the climate

Foam blowing agents long ago stopped harming ozone, that switch had a huge impact on climate. That problem has now been solved. New blowing agents for spray foam coming by the end of 2017 Foam insulation is a petroleum-based product and nothing will change that. But that was never the biggest problem the 'eco'…

An attic with 'insulating paint' which doesn't insulate
Insulation and soundproofing

Does 'insulating paint' work?

No, it doesn't work. Don't buy the hype about insulating paint, this is snake oil in its truest form. No matter that engineers and architects long ago debunked it, insulating paint still occasionally finds its way into buildings. Powdered ceramic chips that can be added to any paint are said to reflect heat in or…

Installing soundproofing batts in interior partition walls of drywall
Insulation and soundproofing

Soundproofing interior walls-video

How to reduce sound transmission through interior partition walls. The key to building smaller homes which don't sacrifice quality of life is ensuring that they are designed to make the best use of their space no matter how limited. However, you must also ensure that there is sufficient privacy by eliminating…

Installing foam panel insulation, which is best?
Insulation and soundproofing

Rigid insulation panels: which ones to use for different applications

Rigid foam insulation boards are different. Choose carefully between Polyisocyanurate, EPS & XPS or Mineral Wool & Hemp as the wrong choice can reduce insulation performance & cause mold & rot in building envelope's. Polyisocyanurate (PIR), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) or Styrofoam? When…

Insulating a Slab on grade for a Passive Solar LEED Home with Rockwool © Ecohome
Insulation and soundproofing

Insulating below slab-on-grade floors

Installing 8 inches of Roxul mineral wool below a concrete slab floor. Insulating below slab-on-grade foundations Why insulate under a slab on grade foundation? For comfort, and to save money, that's why! In many areas Building Code has fallen behind common sense on what specification of insulation to use under a…

How to insulate basements properly
Insulation and soundproofing

Best practices for basement insulation in new home construction

Basements in Canada & USA face serious challenges: fluctuating water tables, surface floods, thermal shock, radon gas infiltration, condensation, mold, mildew, rotting walls and heat loss. Better basements manage these issues. The most common practices currently employed for finishing basement interiors as living…