Rigid Foam Insulation - Most Effective Source for One's Space

There are three types of insulation: fiber, foam and reflective. However, rigid foam insulation, which contains hundreds of millions of densely packed air cells, is the most effective. The concept of air being the most effective insulator, rigid foam insulation has sheer volume of compressed trapped air which gives it great thermal performance. All insulations use air to decrease the insulation’s conductivity to prevent convective heat loss. This occurs often when the flow of gas occurs; making it important to keep gas as still as possible.

It is also “hydrophobic,” which makes it impossible to be penetrated by moisture. This penetration could cause permanent loss of R-value and can make the insulation ultimately useless after a period of time. By using this insulation, it can make achieving energy efficiency in a building more possible. Rigid foam works to slow the flow of heat through building and seals this building envelope by preventing outside drafts and air leakage. This maintains indoor air quality at a impressive rate. This insulation saves money by reducing one’s heating and cooling loads as well as achieving both comfortable living and working spaces for users. However, the effectiveness of any insulation is highly dependent on its proper installation.

Foam insulation comes in either rigid sheets or spray. They can be used to insulate almost any part of one’s home from the roof down to the foundation. Great thermal resistance and structural strength are two benefits to using this type of insulation. This insulation type also has a higher R-value per inch than fiber insulation because it uses HCFCs instead of air to create pockets in the foam sheet. This adds values from R (3.6) to R 7.7. The cost of this type is more costly than that of fiber. One purchases it per inch. When using spray foam, it may be used in both open or closed spaces as well as ducts or pipes that pass through building envelopes. Low-density urethane spray can achieve up to R-11 per inch, almost most of these foams are rated much lower. These sprays are effective at sealing out drafts.