Archive for the ‘insulation’ Category

Using Residential Foam Insulation To Decrease Your Energy Costs

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Insulating your home is an important step in making your internal environment comfortable for you and your family. Insulation is a process that reduces heat loss or gain and in doing so, decreases the energy necessary to heat or cool the home. The decrease is energy needs leads to savings for you.

The efficiency of a particular type of insulation material is referred to as its R-value. While R-value is a relatively effective manner of classifying insulation products, it doesn’t take into account other factors that can also influence the effectiveness of insulation. The local environment and the construction methods used in creating a home can also impact insulation’s ability to produce the living conditions within the home that you desire.

You will need to take into account any other issues with your home that may need to be addressed to achieve a comfortable and energy-efficient home environment. That being said, insulation is a major step to achieving the most energy-efficient home possible.

Selecting the right type of insulation is important to decreasing energy costs. While any insulation will be an improvement over none, there are forms that are much better than others. Spray foam insulation is one of the top materials available and closed cell spray foam has one of the highest R-values.

The amount of home insulation necessary depends on several factors, including the building’s design and the climate in the area. Energy costs and your individual budget will also impact your insulation plans but you should keep in mind that expense associated with insulating or reinsulating your home will save you money in the long term by reducing energy costs associated with heating and cooling.

Insulating various parts of your home achieves different goals. The attic in particular is of major concern in having an energy-efficient home. Much of the heat that leaks from the house does so through the ceiling and attic. When heating your home, you want to ensure that the money you spend on ambient heat is money well spent. Adding spray foam insulation to your attic is one of the best ways to prevent heat from escaping.

This same process helps you improve the ability of your home cooling system to maintain a comfortable home environment. Spray foam can be used to create a seamless foam board insulation in your walls. This method allows you to trap cooler air inside the home and prevent the heat outside from seeping through walls and increasing the temperature inside the house.

Crawlspaces are other areas of concern in your home. While these spaces are necessary for accessing pipes, electrical work and air ducts, they are one of the leading areas in most American homes that result in air leakage from the home. Using spray foam insulation in your crawlspace will help eliminate any gaps through which air currently passes. It will also help reduce the likelihood of external air entering your home and increasing or decreasing the temperature inside.

Many people overlook the importance of insulating basement walls. If you heat your basement in the winter, insulation in the walls will help save on heating costs. Without proper insulation, heat leaks through the basement walls to the cold or frozen ground outside. In the summer, the temperature of the heated soil outdoors leaks through the basement walls and into your home. Even if you don’t air condition your basement, it can still impact your home cooling costs. Heat rises and if the temperature in the basement increases due to poor insulation, it will affect the temperature in the rest of the house. This is especially true if you have poor insulation in the basement, ceiling or floor of your house.

The heating and cooling costs account for more than half of the energy expense of American homes. Air leakage and inadequate insulation are the leading reasons for wasted energy. Sealing and insulating your home with spray foam reduces costs and decreases the amount of energy you waste. Not only are you lowering your energy bills but you are positively affecting the environment as well.

By reducing your own dependence on fossil fuels, you do your part for the environment. That reduced dependence translates into savings for you. Not only will you see lower energy bills in the long run but you can also receive significant tax credits for insulating your home.

Spray Foam Direct.com features quick and easy do-it-yourself polyurethane foam insulation which will save you money and energy. Guardian Energy Technologies Inc. offers the added benefits of reducing our carbon footprint by offering foam it green solutions and balancing their impact through carbon reproduction projects. Visit online today.

Many Key Tips Of Do It Your Self Sash Window Draught Proofing

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Do it your self sash window draught proofing is a very cost effective means to make improvements on your home. A large amount of energy can be lost through draughts which are not maintained. This causes elevated energy costs.

Taking the opportunity for DIY projects is an easy way of conserving energy at a very reasonable price. The alternate routes of energy efficiency would be to double glaze windows or completely replace them. This is quite expensive and truly not necessary with some self maintenance. These options may be appealing to those looking for a long term investment.

Many homes lose an average of 20 percent of heat due to draughts and ventilation. With energy prices on the rise, this dramatically raises heating costs. So, this is very beneficial to find cost effective remedies. There are a few choices when it comes to sealing windows from air coming through. Each method is easily accomplished without assistance.

An easy way to not only stops draughts, but to ad a sense of style to rooms in a home is to shop for new drapery. Materials that have a thicker texture with some weight to them are known to naturally keep cold air from circulating through a room and heat escaping. The evening hours tend to be the coldest in winter months, so this is a great step to being more efficient. This is most beneficial for chilly nights and any other time there is a deep freeze. If one wants to get some light in the home though, other options will need to be taken as well.

A very easy and cheep way of helping the efficiency of windows is to apply an adhesive rubber stripping along all the edges where the sash and frame meet the window. By simply measuring the lengths of stripping needed for each area and applying carefully; a home can save a great deal of energy. These strips are very reasonable and easy to use. Depending upon the style of window they are quite apparent, though if they are placed neatly, it should not affect the look of a window in a negative way.

Applying plastic sheeting to windows is a great way of eliminating breezes and loss of heating. These materials can be purchased as a package or separately. Typically, this method is known to last a whole average cold season. All that is needed, is to first apply a double sided tape to the window frame. The neater this is performed the better for appearance reasons. Then apply a previously measured plastic sheet, or place plastic over the adhesive and cut along the outer adhesive for a custom fit. Removal is easy and the materials can be recycled. This is an environmentally friendly project.

Do it your self sash window draught proofing is a great option when conserving costs is the ultimate goal. It will save a great amount of otherwise wasted energy and add those savings to the homeowner.

Find the best sash window company by looking online. There you will find the best sash window draught proofing choice for you to use. Head online and learn more today.

Why Are You Wasting Energy, When The Draft Stopper Is The Solution?

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Over the years, a lot of different products have been designed to try and help us alleviate the problems associated with energy loss in and around the home. Unfortunately, we have to live in buildings that can “breathe” and they are more porous than we might otherwise be able to see. All those windows and doors are of course necessary and an amount of natural ventilation is essential, but this does not make for efficient energy use.

A typical home has dozens of locations where our expensive conditioned air could escape. As heat tends to rise, in winter we should be focused on making sure that we have enough insulation in the attic and protection around the attic door to ensure that it does not escape this way. However, we also need to look at all our windows and doors for action as well.

We might know that energy is being wasted, but we might be more than a little concerned about the availability and cost of the various solutions and products available to help. Just remember that the conventional draft stopper is by far the best way to keep that air where it should be. Sure, they’re not the most attractive things to look at, but they are purpose made and cost effective.

A homeowners budget is stretched so thinly during this ongoing recession that we cannot afford to have to deal with the ever increasing cost of energy. Analysts estimate that this is likely to increase by something close to 40% per year in real terms and we should do everything in our power to be energy efficient. Draft stopper products are your first port of call.

It might be sensible for you to consider buying a thermal detection device to find the source of leaks around your home. You might be able to borrow one, but in any case if you think about how much it might be able to save you, go ahead. Combine this with the draft stopper products that you will procure after you have finished your work as a detective and you are ahead of the game.

You can pinpoint a significant difference in temperature by using a thermal detection device around your doors or windows. Look for the telltale sign of cool air infiltration and this will tell you where to put your draft stoppers. Once they are in place, don’t worry about the valuable dollars evaporating to the outside air.

Home heating and cooling experts estimate that we could lose 20% or more of our conditioned air due to poor insulation and efficiency. You should be able to immediately estimate how much this is worth to you in terms of real dollars spent and should make every effort to ensure that your next month’s bill is more appropriate.

Energy efficiency initiatives do not have to be expensive. A typical draft stopper is a very cost effective product, made from polypropylene and ground corncob and designed to be utilitarian — to do the job it was designed for.

Find detailed data about a draft stopper. Be sure to sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.cleanupstuff.com and get our free report. A toll free resource is available on our site to answer any questions.

How To Install Spray Foam Insulation

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

The methods used for installing spray foam insulation will vary somewhat dependent upon the area in your home that you’re insulating. While the insulation works in the same way no matter where you use it, the application or installation methods can vary. New construction projects and those areas of the home that are wide open, like your attic, require a different installation method from those areas that are less accessible spaces like the interior of existing walls and ceilings.

Your attic is an accessible space, making it easy to install spray foam insulation in the area with minimally invasive methods. While most people use fiberglass batting insulation in the attic, it doesn’t prevent air from leaking out of your home during the winter or heat invading your home in the warmer months. When you install spray foam in the proper manner, you help reduce your long term energy costs and also improve the general air quality within your home.

A large percentage of heat escapes your home in the winter through your ceiling or attic. Installing spray foam insulation between the framing studs and the attic walls, ceiling and floor boards will help you reduce heat loss in the winter. It also helps you keep cool air isolated in your home in the summer.

Spray foam insulation is a non-toxic option for your home. It often comes with a lifetime guarantee, making it a highly efficient and effective choice for home insulation needs. While more traditional insulation materials may be less expensive in the short term, they can present health concerns and do not last as long as spray foam, meaning you will be facing more expense later down the road when re-insulation is required.

Spray foam expands into open spaces, increasing to nearly six times the volume once installed. The expansion makes it uniquely capable of filing gaps and spaces in your home. Standard insulation can fill uniform spaces with some degree of efficiency. It does not however prevent air and moisture from entering those spaces after installation. Spray foam fills crevices, gaps, and cracks in your home in a way that no other insulation material can achieve.

There are two varieties of spray foam insulation, each with its own specific benefits. Slow rising injectible foam is used in projects where the area being insulated is enclosed, such as existing walls and ceilings. This foam expands once it is injected into the enclosed space, allowing you to insulate the area without requiring extensive construction efforts. There’s no need to remove existing wall boards or ceiling drywall to install insulation. The foam can be injected through small holes in the wall or ceiling and will expand to fill the empty spaces.

The second type of foam is that which is sprayed into open spaces. For example, it is excellent for use in an unfinished attic. This type is also a good choice for new construction projects. If you’re installing insulation while constructing a new building or residential home you can easily use standard spray foam to complete the project.

The first step in installing spray foam insulation in any area in your home is to perform a test spray. You need to have a good understanding increase in foam volume and the manner in which it expands so you can ensure you are using the right amount and injecting or spraying it in the best locations to fill the space required.

Remember it expands significantly, making it possible to fill spaces with smaller sprays or injections. When installing in larger open spaces, you will want to make several smaller sprays, spreading them out through the area to ensure the entire area is fully filled.

If you’re installing the foam in the interior of already existing walls, your work is done once you’ve injected the foam into the space. However, if you are installing it in a larger space or a new construction area, you will need to perform some additional steps.

After the foam has formed, you will need to allow it to set. The drying process takes a bit of time. The details of the particular foam you use will be available from the dealer and will also be described on the materials that come with the foam.

If you’re installing drywall over the top of the foam, you’ll need to even out the foam before completing the drywall work. The foam will form between the framing studs, and you’ll need to use a handsaw to shave the foam down to a smoother, board-like surface before installing drywall.

Most home insulation projects can be completed by the homeowners. Contractors typically won’t accept jobs that are relatively small and hiring a contractor can be cost-prohibitive for the average homeowner. You can obtain the necessary equipment and foam insulation online. You will quickly learn to operate the necessary equipment.

Spray Foam Direct.com features quick and easy do-it-yourself polyurethane foam insulation which will save you money and energy. Guardian Energy Technologies Inc. offers the added benefits of reducing our carbon footprint by offering foam it green solutions and balancing their impact through carbon reproduction projects. Visit online today.

Climate Fears Call For Door Draft Blockers

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Can it get any hotter? This summer’s been the warmest on record and follows on the heels of a winter that was the coldest on record in many parts. Invariably, this is due to global warming and these extreme weather patterns can be expected to continue. We are suffering through these temperatures, but are also having to pay more for the price of heating and cooling. The best way to feel comfortable and cut down on those bills as well without too much additional expense is through the installation of door draft blockers.

As much as 30% of the cold or hot air within your home will likely escape if you have poor insulation. Now, when you get that oil or electricity bill next month, apply the percentage and see what problem you are having to deal with. You know that you have to employ some form of conditioning as most of us don’t live in the perfect climate. Be careful that this does not eat you out of house and home.

Door draft blockers are good for windows as well and represent the simplest and most cost-effective way of protecting your pocketbook and keeping the draft at bay. You know that you can’t see the miniature cracks that cause the problems in the first place, but out of sight should not mean out of mind.

Meteorologists tell us that our summers will get warmer and winters will get colder as long as global warming goes unchecked. Isn’t it ironic that we are paying more for the fossil fuel energy that is actually causing the global warming problem in the first place?

Door draft blockers will not be very pleasing to look at and may not absolutely complement all of the other accessories in your home. Nevertheless, this is war and these are the most cost-effective alternatives when it comes to keeping the drafts in check. Can you really afford to consider replacing your doors and windows?

Natural subsidence in the ground around our homes causes many of the cracks that lead to drafts. It doesn’t take a lot of movement, but the window and door frames will not be as efficient as they originally were. Trying to fix this issue can be difficult, time-consuming and very expensive, so door draft blocker solutions are the answer.

They call a draft blocker a snake for a reason. It can be manipulated to fit any space and as you can normally buy them at a discount for quantity, you can use them for every single window and door that you have in your property.

Do your bit for the environmentalists and reduce your carbon footprint by cutting back on your energy use. The less air that is wasted through leakage and drafts, the fewer carbon emissions that you will be responsible for using.

Discover detailed information about door draft blockers. Make sure you sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.cleanupstuff.com and get our free report. A toll free number is available on our site to answer any queries.

Replacing Windows Increases Value

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Being a homeowner means you must constantly keep up with regular maintenance and repairs. An owner can spend hours upon hours trying to figure out ways in which they can make their house just a little bit better. Windows are one of the most important features in any home and there are a variety of window treatments that will alter their look. Additionally, window treatments will impact the appearance. A quick walk through a home hardware supplier will reveal that there are hundreds of options for replacement windows. Materials such as fiberglass, steel wood and vinyl are all choices that homeowners have. A window made of vinyl is hollow on the inside, has great insulation, and is well-built. Another bonus is the lower cost of a vinyl option.

Replacing older wooden windows with vinyl can increase heating and cooling efficiency, and save lots of time of maintenance since they never require painting. Selecting to replace your current windows with vinyl can be the best investment decision you make.

As mentioned, they can decrease the noise pollution and reduce in the use of energy. With super R-value ratings and great durability, vinyl is not only a great choice, but a super investment in your property. Get the best R-value available on the vinyl window style you select.

With vinyl windows, you can forget having to pick up a paint brush every year. Because they don’t require paint, they will continue to operate properly, without getting gummed up and jammed from years of built up paint layers. Many vinyl replacement windows have the ability to tilt, which means you’ll never need a ladder to wash a window again. As mentioned, these improvements will increase the value of your property.

Keep in mind that it may be a difficult task to place them in by yourself, however with the proper tools and methods, it can be done. You can always have a carpenter install them for a modest fee. After installation, watch your heating and cooling costs reduce significantly. For energy efficiency and increased home values, nothing shows a greater return on your investment than installing vinyl replacement windows. With the help of a contractor you can replace wood or metal so you can save money on energy and reduce the noise pollution.

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Home Remodeling Projects: Insulating Your Home By Using Blow-in Insulation

Friday, July 30th, 2010

It is a well-known fact that current prices of fuel required for heating your home are reaching prohibitive levels, not to mention the cost of energy required to also cool your home down during summer. A practical way to save on your energy costs is to insulate your home properly. An insulation project for your home may be quite expensive in the beginning and it could be a little difficult to install, but in the long run it would all be worth it as it is one of the best improvements that you can ever do for your home. Okay, so now you know that you absolutely need to go for that home-insulation project, but the question is which type?

Choosing the best insulation:

In the past, people stuffed newspapers and even egg trays into floor boards and walls for insulation. While it may have worked, people were also practically turning their houses into a veritable tinder for bonfire! Fortunately, now there are many available methods for insulating your home. Insulation materials today are provided with R ratings – the more efficient materials get higher R ratings than the less-efficient ones.

Aside from the efficiency of the material used, there are also different methods of installing the insulation. When you begin looking at the different choices for the insulation you can use, you will discover that blow-in insulation is one of the highest R rated choices.

What makes blow-in insulation the better choice?

The efficiency of this type of insulation rather than using rolls of fiberglass is that the blow-in type is more versatile and insulates better. The amount of insulation you blow in is entirely dependent upon you and determines the R rating which varies from fifteen to thirty-eight. This type of insulation is also considered very safe for those people with respiratory problems or allergies.

The insulation material is form-fitting since it is able to stick to the outline of the plane where it is attached as it is basically blown into the walls. With a tighter fit to wiring, corners and beams there will be less chance of any air seepage. The installation process is a breeze. The material also acts as a seal by filling every crack and crevice as it expands.

How is the blow-in insulation installed?

Installing the blow-in insulation is very simple. First, you have a material called the blanket which has a hole where you attach the installation tube. The blanket is placed on the walls or floor where the insulation is to be blown. The hose through which the insulation passes, is very versatile and can be moved towards any direction until such time that a complete insulation of the entire space behind the blanket barrier has been achieved. The blanket is merely to contain the insulation as it is blown in. You finish the process by sealing the installation hole once complete insulation has been achieved.

The new wall material is installed directly over the blanket. It is not essential to remove all the wall material in order to blow in insulation. You can easily make a hole in the wall and blow in the insulation. When completed you can repair the hole with a patch and repaint. Job completed.

Using this type of insulation for your home will be more expensive than the rolls of fiberglass but it has been estimated that within a four year period the energy savings will more than cover the cost of the insulation material.

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When Is Spray Foam Is Better Than Traditional Insulation?

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

When you’re planning to complete any home remodeling or building project, you’ll need to understand the insulation needs for your particular venture. While traditional insulation certainly has its place in modern construction, it is often not the best choice. Spray foam is actually a better choice in many circumstances, giving you more effective insulation at a lower cost.

Spray foam is an efficient method for insulating your home, and it presents a number of advantages over more traditional insulation materials. There are, of course, some downsides to the use of spray foam in certain cases, and understanding the pros and cons associated with your insulation choices will help you make the appropriate decisions for all of your projects.

Spray foam is an extremely efficient insulating material. It excels at blocking heat, and helps prevent excessive heat from entering the home. It can also help keep the internal temperature steady, preventing heated or cooled air from escaping the home as well. The measure of a material’s ability to maintain the internal temperature of your home is actually called the R-value, and represents the material’s effectiveness in blocking heat. The R-value represents the amount of heat or energy the material can block, measured against the space of the material. With spray foam, the R-value is very high, making it a highly effective method for insulating large spaces.

The nature of spray foam additionally makes it a good choice for adding insulation to existing spaces. Those locations in your home that are in need of new insulation can be tricky to update. Removing walls, ceilings or floor materials in an effort to add new insulation to an existing area means a great deal of work and expense. Spray foam insulation can get these types of jobs done more quickly and with less money invested in construction efforts.

Spray foam makes many jobs easier as it can be placed within existing walls and other spaces without requiring access to the entire space. The foam can be sprayed into the space through small openings and then expands to fill the space with the same or better effectiveness as that obtained from a more traditional insulation material.

One of the potential downsides of spray foam insulation is that it can cost more upfront than other insulation options. When working with a limited immediate budget, you may need to consider less costly options for your projects; however, you always want to keep in mind the long-term financial implications of any of your construction, home improvement, or home maintenance choices.

While installing spray foam insulation in your home can be more expensive upfront than some other insulation options, it is a more cost-efficient long-term solution to insulation needs. Not only does it eliminate some of the costs associated with installing new insulation, by making the process more effective through less invasive methods, but it also gives you highly efficient insulation for years to come.

The process of installing other forms of insulation in existing walls and other less accessible regions of the home can result in additional construction costs, as you must remove and replace sections of the wall, floor or ceiling in order to gain access to the areas that are in need of new insulation. By using spray foam, you remove most of the costs associated with accessing hard-to-reach areas.

The R-value efficiency of spray foam makes it a good long-term investment. The upfront cost of installation may be slightly higher than with other materials but the savings in home heating and cooling costs in the long run can make spray foam a more effective and efficient choice.

Additionally, you should consider using spray foam in those areas of the home that have crevices, cracks, gaps or holes present. Traditional insulation materials don’t reach these types of locations with the same efficiency as spray foam. Air and moisture can get trapped in such spaces, presenting issues with heating and cooling your home effectively. Trapped air and moisture make it more difficult to keep internal temperatures steady. Poor insulation allows external temperatures to leak into the home and internal temperatures to escape to the outdoors.

Moisture and condensation that can build up in the cracks, gaps and other empty spaces in the walls, floors, and ceilings in your home can lead to other problems as well. Mold and mildew can result from trapped moisture, presenting issues with not only the efficient heating and cooling of your home but with the quality of the internal air as well. Health concerns surrounding these invasive pests can be serious, and the effort and cost involved in removing mold and mildew greatly exceeds those associated with preventing them in the first place. By using spray foam insulation, you limit the chances of air building up in unfilled spaces within the structure of your home. You also eliminate the concerns associated with moisture being trapped in these types of spaces.

Spray Foam Direct.com features quick and easy do-it-yourself polyurethane foam insulation which will save you money and energy. Guardian Energy Technologies Inc. offers the added benefits of reducing our carbon footprint by offering foam it green solutions and balancing their impact through carbon reproduction projects. Visit online today.

Using Spray Foam Insulation To Protect Your Energy-Efficient Investments

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

If you were one of thousands of Americans that took advantage of tax credit savings by installing a high-energy efficient furnace or air conditioning unit, you may or may not have thought about protecting that investment. Definitely congratulate yourself for taking a step towards reducing energy use and costs but if your home is poorly or inadequately insulated, your potential long-term savings are greatly minimized.

According to DIY home renovation pioneer Bob Villa’s website, the average homeowner wastes over $3,000 in energy costs due to air leaks every five years. That’s an average of $600 each year in wasted energy. Air leaks can occur in any home – new or old. While it’s probable that many older homes are more poorly insulated than newer homes and may have trouble areas and air leaks simply due to age, any home can leak air.

Air leaks can occur through small holes and cracks, some less than an inch, found in various seals throughout a house. Air can also leak from cracks and crevices around doors, windows, through the roof, and even from floor to floor. Insulation serves the purpose of keeping heated air separate from cool air, which in turn reduces the frequency at which a home’s heating or cooling source operates. Many different forms of insulation exist, ranging from rolled batting to blown cellulose. Any type of insulation is better than having none at all but spray foam insulation is superior for sealing air leaks.

Just one inch of spray foam insulation can seal air leaks. It can be applied to any surface, including ceilings, to maximize coverage. Best of all, it can be applied anywhere, even in cracks and crevices where other forms of insulation simply wouldn’t be effective. These features make spray foam insulation an ideal choice for home insulation, especially in older homes.

The resurgence of Do It Yourself home improvement projects, coupled with the increasing desire to practice a “green” lifestyle, means that homeowners are looking for ways to reduce energy use (an environmentally-friendly practice in its own right) and for products to use that are ecologically friendly. Polyurethane spray foam insulation is not only effective at sealing at air leaks; it doesn’t produce toxic fumes, is carbon offset and performs exceptionally well in most zones.

Spray foam insulation is also pest resistant. It holds zero nutritional value for any pest, so it doesn’t attract them or sustain them – a huge benefit in any home. Additionally, closed cell foam doesn’t hold moisture, making it mold resistant as well. Restricting the growth of mold reduces airborne toxins that can aggravate allergies and asthma.

As a DIY project, installing spray foam insulation is simple for most homeowners. Any homeowner that has used a spray paint gun or similar tool can install spray foam insulation. It can be used in attics, crawlspaces, between floors, and in other nooks and crannies where other types of insulation would be awkward and time consuming to install.

Perhaps of bigger concern than the installation advantages of spray foam is its effectiveness. The approximate R-value of spray foam is 7, meaning that in addition to its other benefits, it is a highly effective insulating product. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation will perform. This rating is similar to the energy efficiency rating of your furnace and translates to mean the higher the rating, the more energy efficient it is. For example, an insulation product with an R-value of 3 is less efficient than a product with an R-value of 5. Similarly, a 95 percent energy-efficient furnace is more effective than an 85 percent energy efficient rating. However, without the most effective insulation, there can still be wasted energy caused by air escaping through leaks. This waste can occur regardless of how efficient your furnace is.

The best way to protect your investment in your home’s new high-energy efficient furnace or air conditioning unit is to make sure your home is adequately insulated with a quality product. The combination of energy-efficient appliances and adequate insulation will ensure the biggest reduction in energy use possible. This means you save as much money as possible and your appliance can perform to the best of its ability.

Spray Foam Direct.com features quick and easy do-it-yourself polyurethane foam insulation which will save you money and energy. Guardian Energy Technologies Inc. offers the added benefits of reducing our carbon footprint by offering foam it green solutions and balancing their impact through carbon reproduction projects. Visit online today.

Types Of Spray Foam Insulation

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Many people are looking for more economical and environmentally friendly ways to maintain their homes. One simply way in which to make your home more environmentally friendly is to insulate it better so you are not using more resources than necessary to heat your home. This is especially relevant in geographical regions that have much colder climates. Traditionally, fibreglass batts were used for roofing insulation and these were thought to be quite effective. In recent decades, however, other methods of insulation have been proven to be more cost effective and efficient in providing insulation. One of these products is spray foam. With advances in technology, there are now several types of spray foam suited to different uses. To help you decide which product you should choose, here is a brief outline of the different types and their applications.

Basic Closed Cell Spray Foam Kits

Basic spray foam kits are designed so homeowners can apply them easily to their homes. They are easy to apply and if done properly, result in a professional finish to your home. The type of foam generally used is 100 percent free of CFCs, VOCs, Urea Formaldhyde, and Penta-BDEs which makes them eco-friendly. Most have a fire rating which provides added protection to your home. Look for a kit that has at least an ASTME-84 fire rating. A basic kit makes use of closed cell foam which provides R-7 per inch. The R-7 refers to a thermal rating that is widely used in the construction and building industry. It reflects the ratio of temperature difference across an insulator. In other words, it reflects the amount of insulation provided. Compared to fibreglass batts, this is double the amount of insulation. You will need to wear a respirator mask and gloves when applying and working with the spray foam. You will not need any external power source or compressor in order to apply the spray foam. The kit is completely self-contained. Generally, you will need to use the entire kit in one application as it cannot be stored once opened and mixed.

Anti-Microbial Spray Foam Kits

Anti-microbial spray foam kits are similar to basic spray foam kits but they have an anti-microbial additive in them. An anti-microbial is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of micro-organisms such as fungi and bacteria. It therefore provides an added level of protection for your home. This type of spray foam is particularly suited to your home if you live in a region that has high levels of humidity or receives a lot of rain or snow in season. It helps not only to prevent dampness but also protects against any mold or bacteria that may lurk in crevasses in your home. It is important to note that it will not remove existing mold; instead, it protects against mold growing on the surface of the spray foam. The composition and application of the spray foam is the same as basic spray foam kits. It also has a R7-per inch thermal rating as well as a fire rating.

Open Cell Spray Foam Kits

Open cell spray foam has a lower R-per inch thermal rating and a lower density compared to other types of spray foam. It is generally used in flash and fill applications. What this refers to is a combination of insulation methods. You can make use of lower density spray foam as the balance of the insulation instead of other insulation products such as fibreglass batting. The benefit of this is that you get a higher R-value per inch and a tighter air barrier by using open cell spray foam as the filler after a closed cell layer. By complementing the closed cell with less expensive open cell, you get great results for less cost. The result is a very cost-effective insulation solution for your home.

Slow Rise Spray Foam Kits

Slow rise spray foam has a number of different applications. It can be used for filling sealed wall cavities, closed areas and cinder blocks. It has a high density and R7.7-per inch thermal rating. It can be used for marine applications such as repairing boat hulls or filling pontoons as flotation devices. Other applications include insulating cold storage facilities and cooler walls and doors. It is also suitable for soundproofing resonating cavities ducts and pipes.

High-Density Spray Foam Kits

High-density spray foam is a stronger, more resistant type of material that is made up of polyurethane foam used primarily for cryogenics and roofing repair. It has a low moisture absorption rate and relatively high compressive strength. This results in durable insulation that will protect your home. In the long run, it will also add value to your home.

Spray Foam Direct.com features quick and easy do-it-yourself spray foam insulation which will save you money and energy. Guardian Energy Technologies Inc. offers the added benefits of reducing our carbon footprint by offering foam it green solutions and balancing their impact through carbon reproduction projects. Visit online today.