Insulation Types And The Purposes They Best Serve

Proper insulation is probably one of the most important factors in maintaining an energy-efficient and comfortable home. However, not all insulating materials are created for the same purpose, and some kinds of insulation may not be suited for your home. It’s very important when insulating your home that you’re aware of different insulation types and what purposes they serve.

The following is a list of the different insulation types and the purposes they’re best suited for:

• Blanket – Batts and Rolls: Blanketed insulation is best used for unfinished foundation walls as well as walls and ceilings. This kind of insulating material is usually placed between studs, joists and beams. The biggest advantage of blanketed insulation is that most homeowners can install it themselves, as it does not take professional experience to install it correctly.  The main problem with blankets is that they do not conform to irregular spaces and can leave gaps that reduce the effectiveness of the insulation overall.
• Concrete Block Insulation: Concrete block insulation is best used for unfinished foundation walls during new construction or major renovation. However, installing this kind of insulation requires some masonry skills and since we have no basements in our area this is not used very often.
• Insulating Concrete Forms: Insulating concrete forms, or ICFs, are installed as part of the building structure. This insulation is actually built into the walls in your home, which creates high thermal resistance.
• Blown-In or Loose Fill: Blown-in insulation is an excellent choice for insulating attic floors.  This insulation can be filled to whatever thickness you want and will fill all the irregular-shaped areas to give a consistent and effective R-value.
• Sprayed Foam: Spray foam is an excellent option for patching up small cavities in existing walls or unfinished attic floors. It’s also good for adding insulation to irregularly shaped areas and around areas that are obstructed. Foaming the roof deck and sealing the attic from exterior airflow is a good, but sometimes costly, alternative to insulating your attic space.

By understanding these insulation types, you will have a much better idea of the capabilities of each kind of material or method. For more information on insulation for your Corpus Christi area home, contact the experts at Mathews CCAC Air Conditioning and Insulation (CCAC, Inc.) today. We’re always happy to help our customers with all of their home comfort needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about insulation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Mathews CCAC Air Conditioning and Heating services Corpus Christi, TX. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

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