What is it?! & How Does it Work

The ins & outs of Insulation

If you are looking to insulate your Basement, Attic, or Crawlspace you have come to the right place. Here, we will address the ins and outs of insulation and answer some common questions as well! We’ll discuss exactly what insulation is and how it works to protect your home and keep you comfortable all year round.

If you have any additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at CleanSpace Northwest by calling 1-877-698-0260. Let’s get started.

What Is Insulation?

Essentially, insulation is ANY material used to fill the spaces (when we say space, we mean space, for example, little gaps, crevices, hard-to-reach places behind walls, above ceilings, and more.) of your home to reduce heat flow by reflection and/or absorption.

 

A common question we get is “Why is there glass in insulation?”

The reason that there is glass in a lot of insulation is that it is a horrible conductor of heat. In other words, it doesn’t transfer heat well.  Without getting too much into the science of conduction the glass basically has an unstructured form and makes it difficult to conduct heat.

 

Thermal insulation increases energy efficiency and comfort levels. Thermal insulation is defined as products that reduce and slow heat loss or gain by providing a barrier between areas that are significantly different in temperature. There are many forms of thermal insulation, such as fiberglass and cellulose that also provide soundproofing to a limited extent.

How Does Insulation Work?

Did you know that heat flows naturally from warmer areas to cooler ones? This is great for us in houses because during the winter it should go into the cold spaces, right? Wrong, during the winter, heat moves directly from warm spaces (such as your home!) to outdoors and unheated spaces.

If it is hot outside, then the heat moves from the warm outdoors to the cooler interior of your home. Which you know when it’s hot outside the only thing you love more than it is hot outside is that it is even hotter inside (sarcasm included).

Insulation works by slowing the flow of heat from a hot space to a cool space, in other words, they are really big speed bumps for heat. Insulation helps increase the energy efficiency of your home by reducing the amount of heat that escapes from it in the winter (containing the heat and keeping the house warm) and keeping it from getting too warm in the summer months (retaining the cold air and keeping the interior comfortable).

When installed properly, insulation can increase the comfort levels of your home by maintaining a consistent, uniform temperature from room to room. Insulation will also increase your home’s energy efficiency, significantly lowering heating and cooling bills.

What Are the Different Types of Insulation?

There are several types of thermal insulation, including:

• Fiberglass insulation: Most widely used type of insulation, and it can be installed as a blanket system of rolls and batts.
• Cellulose insulation: One of the top environmentally friendly insulation available, cellulose is made of up to 80 percent recycled material. It is one of the best types of insulation if one of your goals is soundproofing.
• Spray foam insulation: Spray foam is ideal for all the small cracks, gaps and crevices behind your walls and can help eliminate air leaks which can cause your energy bills to skyrocket! Here at CleanSpace Northwest, this is one of our most popular types of insulations.
• Rigid foam insulation: Rigid foam, or rigid board, insulation is available as a foam panel that can be cut. It’s mainly used for new construction insulation projects.
• Rockwool insulation or Mineral Wool: This is made up of rocks and minerals spun into small, high temperature-resistant fibers, Rockwool insulation is used for a variety of applications.
• Icynene insulation: This is another kind of spray foam insulation and this is mostly installed between floor joists, around wiring, piping, and ductwork.

Our certified specialists will be able to diagnose what is best for your space.

Many types of insulation—fiberglass, cellulose and foam board—absorb heat. They stop heat flow known as conduction. Radiant barriers reflect heat from the sun and are installed in attics to keep homes cool and comfortable (not to mention a large amount of money you save in energy bills). As its name suggests, radiant barrier insulation stops radiant heat transfer.

Where Can You Insulate?

• Attic insulation: As one of the biggest sources of energy loss in homes, attics are always a great place to start when thinking about insulation.
• Basement insulation: Basement unfinished? No worries, in fact insulating your basement can save you hundreds of dollars a year and eventually pays for itself. Luckily CleanSpace Northwest also finishes basements and can lump your whole project into one. Call us at 1-877-698-0260 for a free inspection and estimate today!
• Crawl space insulation: Crawl space insulation, like basement insulation, is often forgotten about or ignored. After all, most people don’t use their crawl space daily, but crawl space insulation can help prevent heat from getting into or leaving your home and save money.

 

 

Basement & Crawlspace Contractors Serving Kitsap, Pierce, Thurston, Mason and many more counties all over Washington State.

 

CleanSpace Northwest is one of the leaders in the Basement & Crawl Space Companies in Washington State. Located in Bremerton Washington, our team is full of certified specialists in Crawlspace & Basement Repairs. No matter your needs, you can trust CleanSpace NorthWest to provide you with the most advanced, customized solutions, for Crawl Space Repair, Basement Waterproofing, Flood Vents, Sump Pumps, Basement Finishing, insulation, and much more!

 

Whether you want to learn more about what insulation, crawlspace, or basement repair or if you need to hire a local company in Washington State feel free to call us at 1-877-698-0260.