"Insulation"

Insulation / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Insulation and soundproofing

How to choose between open cell and closed cell spray foam and which is best?

...insulation. Find the best alternative to spray foam insulation Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide to choosing the best insulation. That and our page about choosing the best wall assembly you will likely come up with a suitable alternative to closed cell spray foam insulation or open cell foam that works well,...

Insulation and soundproofing

Is spray foam a good choice? Lessons from the UK's spray foam insulation crisis

...insulation, creating a ripple effect in the real estate market. Take precautions with spray foam insulation: what North American homeowners should do Given the potential risks, North American homeowners should proceed with caution when considering installing spray foam insulation. If you already had spray foam insulati...

Insulation and soundproofing

Spray foam insulation: the hidden environmental costs of difficult removal

...insulation material. The difficulties of removing spray foam insulation One of the most significant challenges with spray foam insulation - both closed-cell and open-cell varieties - is its tenacious adherence to building materials. Spray foam is designed to expand and bond tightly to surfaces, filling every crack and ...

Insulation and soundproofing

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

...insulation When installed properly, spray foam can help make a house airtight (when first applied); it works as a vapor barrier and it adds a significant level of insulation to a home, further reducing the energy needed for heating and cooling. An all-in-one product for home renovation that provides the insulation, air...

Insulation and soundproofing

How much insulation is too much in attics and walls?

...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 that has 5 inches of insulation...

Efficient home design

Why building an affordable family home today means choosing to build a Green Home

...insulation levels have significantly dropped in selling price, while high efficiency modern eco homes have gone up in price - by the simple mechanics of supply and demand. This is easily explained by the fact that when faced with the choice, almost all of us would prefer a modern, comfortable, healthier and efficient h...

Insulation and soundproofing

Non-toxic natural building insulation made of grass

...insulation materials In order to combat the climate change impact of the built environment, natural insulation materials such as hemp insulation, cellulose, wood fiber and grass insulation help us meet emission targets because they act as carbon storage. We are living in a time when the embodied energy of buildings is ...

Insulation and soundproofing

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

...insulation, including its benefits, costs, where to buy it, how hemp insulation compares to other materials, and legislation around its use in certain regions such as the USA and Canada. What is hemp insulation? Hemp insulation is made from the fibrous part of the hemp plant which is processed into batts, boards, or lo...

Efficient home design

Insulation in green home building, a balanced approach to putting it where it does the most good

...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 insulation and...

Efficient home design

Are better insulated homes worth the money?

...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 the best insulation for your home build or renovation here Are triple pane windows worth the money? S...

Efficient home design

Understanding thermal performance

...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...