INSULATION MATERIALS

BY MUDASSIR & AFREEN

INTRODUCTION
The most important aspect of an insulation material is its performance that it consistently provides
the designed-for resistance to the passage of heat throughout the lifetime of the building.
WHY INSULATE YOUR HOUSE???
-Key issues

Reducing the amount of energy used from fossil fuels is the most important factor in promoting
sustainability.

Insulation has the greatest potential for reducing CO
2
emissions.

Energy conserved through insulation use far outweighs the energy used in its manufacture. Only when
a building achieves a LowHeat standard does insulations embodied energy become significant.


HOW INSULATION EXACTLY WORKS???

Ease of installation the ultimate performance will be determined by how effectively a builder can
install a material using conventional skills. For example, insulation slabs need to be installed so that no
gaps result either between adjoining slabs, or between the slabs and other construction components
that form part of the overall insulation envelope, such as rafters or joists. Any gaps left over will enable
the passage of air and result in a reduction in performance.

Shrinkage, compaction, settlement Some materials are likely to suffer a degree of dimensional
instability during their installed life. In many instances this is anticipated and can be overcome through
careful design and installation methods. In all other instances, the specifier should seek guidance
concerning associated risks from the insulation manufacturer particularly where materials have not
had an established record of installed performance.

Protection against moisture some insulation materials will suffer a degradation of performance
when moist or wet. The designer should, through careful detailing, ensure that vulnerable insulation is
protected from moisture. If moisture is a high risk (ingress or over 95% RH), then a suitably resistant
material should be specified.

WHAT IS THE ROLE R VALUE IN INSUALTION???
Insulation is rated in terms of thermal resistance, called R-value, which indicates the resistance to heat
flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness. The R-value of thermal insulation
depends on the type of material, its thickness, and its density. In calculating the R-value of a multi-
layered installation, the R-values of the individual layers are added.
The effectiveness of an insulated ceiling, wall or floor depends on how and where the insulation is
installed.
Insulation which is compressed will not give you its full rated R-value. This can happen if you add
denser insulation on top of lighter insulation in an attic. It also happens if you place batts rated
for one thickness into a thinner cavity, such as placing R-19 insulation rated for 6 1/4 inches into
a 5 1/2 inch wall cavity.
Insulation placed between joists, rafters, and studs does not retard heat flow through those
joists or studs. This heat flow is called thermal bridging. So, the overall R-value of a wall or
ceiling will be somewhat different from the R-value of the insulation itself. That is why it is
important that attic insulation cover the tops of the joists and that is also why we often
recommend the use of insulative sheathing on walls. The short-circuiting through metal framing
is much greater than that through wood-framed walls; sometimes the insulated metal wall's
overall R-value can be as low as half the insulation's R-value.
BASIC TYPES OF INSULATION
Blanket (Batt and Roll) Insulation
FORMthe most common and widely available type of insulationcomes in the form of batts or rolls. It
consists of flexible fibers, most commonly fiberglass. You also can find batts and rolls made from mineral
(rock and slag) wool, plastic fibers, and natural fibers, such as cotton and sheep's wool.

R-Value : R:2.9-3.8/ inch
Where applicable: unfinished walls, including foundation walls floors and ceilings.
Installing technique: Its fitted between studs, joists, and beams
Advantages: Do-it-yourself. Suited for standard stud and joist spacing, which is relatively free from
obstructions
Concrete Block Insulation
FORM : Insulated concrete blocks can accommodate many walls in a home. Their cores are filled with
insulation (except for those cells requiring structural steel reinforcing and concrete infill). There are
several ways to incorporate foam insulationsuch as polystyrene,polyisocyanurate or polyiso,
and polyurethaneinto concrete blocks.
R-VALUE:1-2/inch
Where Applicable : Unfinishedwalls, includingfoundation walls, for new construction
or majorrenovations.
Installing technique : Involves masonry skills.
Advantages : Autoclaved aerated concrete and autoclaved cellularconcrete masonry units have 10
times the insulating value of conventional concrete.

Foam Board Insulation
Foam boardsrigid panels of insulationcan be used to insulate almost any part of your home, from
the roof down to the foundation. The most common types of materials used in making foam board
include polystyrene,polyisocyanurate or polyiso, and polyurethane.
R VALUE: 5.6 to 8

Installing technique: Interior applications: must be covered with 1/2-inch gypsum board or other
building-code approved material for fire safety.Exterior applications: must be covered with
weatherproof facing.
Advantages : High insulating value for relatively little thickness. Can block thermal short circuits when
installed continuously over frames or joists.
Sprayed-Foam and Foamed-In-Place Insulation
Liquid foam insulation materials can be sprayed, foamed-in-place, injected, or poured. Their ability to fill
even the smallest cavities gives them twice the R-value per inch than traditional batt insulation

Installing techniques: Applied using small spray containers or in larger quantities as a pressure sprayed
(foamed-in-place) product.
Advantages : Good for adding insulation to existing finished areas, irregularly shaped areas, and around
obstructions.
Structural Insulated Panels
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are prefabricated insulated structural elements for use in building
walls, ceilings, floors, and roofs. They provide superior and uniform insulation compared to more
traditional construction methods (stud or "stick frame"), offering energy savings of 12%14%.
R-VALUE : 4-8/inch
Installing techniques: Builders connect them together to construct a house.
Advantages : SIP-built houses provide superior and uniform insulation compared to more traditional
construction methods; they also take less time to build.
Environmental impacts

As the green agenda has become more absorbed into the popular consciousness, so too has the
awareness of the environmental impact of the materials used in construction. This impact has become
the subject of govesrnment guidance in recent years notably with the introduction of the Code for
Sustainable Homes and its integral association with the BREs Green Guide to Specification which rates
building materials according to their overall impact on the environment. Consequently, competition
between product manufacturers to occupy the environmental high ground has become fierce. This is
particularly apparent within the insulation sector where claims and counter-claims are being exchanged
between manufacturers of competing products to an unparalleled degree. The result is a state-of-affairs
where Greenwash stands to obscure impartial data and opinion. Steering a course through this blizzard
of information has become something of a challenge for the specifier looking to achieve an insulation
performance with the least environmental impact.

There is no doubt that some insulation materials have a more notable environmental impact during
their life cycle than others. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an evolving discipline that can be used to
provide an appraisal of a materials impact from the point of raw material extraction, the manufacturing
process, its use within a building, through to its final disposal (cradle to grave). Ideally, each material
would be accompanied by an LCA with each assessment produced in an identical manner. In reality, this
is nowhere near the case.
LCAs results can vary by even more than 100% for the same product, depending on the system
boundaries set (what has or has not been included), the emission factor databases used and the
assumptions made. Though the ISO standard for LCAs (14040) includes guidance for assumptions and
allocations, it was developed to outline good practice in preparing LCAs, not to give exact details as to
what should be included in a study or what secondary data should be used. As such, many ISO 14040-
style LCAs are produced as comparative studies with the figures presented for two or more products
valid in their own context. However they cannot be compared with other LCA results without
considerable effort to understand how each figure was derived.

WEB REFERENCES
http://www.greenspec.co.uk/insulation-introduction.php
http://www.eere.energy.gov
http://www.toolbase.org/TechInventory/techDetails.aspx?ContentDetailID=601
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_16.html
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11510
TEXTBOOK REFERENCES :
(1) RANGWALA (2)SHAN SOMAYAJI (3) CARRON