insulation

Common insulation for wood frame wall: blanket, batt, loose-fill, reflective and rigid organic insulation, cellulose fiber, other plant fibers, and animal wool very hygroscopic

Insulation

Three basic types of insulation used in residential construction are rock wool, fiberglass and cellulose. Insulation is available as a batt or loose fill. Batts are either fiberglass or rock wool spun together to form a continuous piece of insulation. Insulation is rated by its R-Value, which determines the resistance to the flow of heat. The higher the R-Value the greater the insulating efficiency. Insulation ranges in R-Value from R-11 to R-38. Loose fill insulation includes any of the above substances and is blown into ceilings or stud walls.

Exterior Stud Wall Insulation

Exterior stud wall insulation comes as fiberglass or rock wool batts. Another popular option is blowing fiberglass, cellulose or spray foams into wall cavities. These products are denser than batts and slow the flow of heat and air infiltration. Remember, the higher the R-Value the greater the insulation efficiency. See EIFS

Ecological insulation: such as cellulose fibre

Kehrer, M., Kunzel, H. and Sedlbauer, K., 2003, Ecological insulation materials - does sorption moisture affect their insulation performance?

Spray Insulation

Case study by Foam-Teck, lots of photos

Vacuum Insulation

"a technology with the potential to improve the thermal performance of housing. A Vacuum Insulated Panel consists of a core material sealed in an evacuated envelope of some impermeable material. It can yield an insulation value approximately six times that of fiberglass batts. This technology is currently being used in applications outside the home building industry. by HUDUser

Zero-Cavity approach

"filling the cavity with an air and water permeable fibrous insulation (semi-rigid glass fibre) to reduce the effect of mortar droppings and mortar dams on the cavity" -- (http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/publications/en/rh-pr/tech/96209.htm)

Tidbits

Insulation fact sheet at ORNL is a great short course on issues relation to insulation: "Find the recommended insulation values for a new or existing home, and learn how to buy and install insulation." (for US application mainly)

"Insulation is a material designed to slow down the flow of heat. Common insulation materials, their properties and typical applications are described in the table. In the building envelope, the primary function of insulation in most countries is to keep the heat in, but insulation also plays an important role in keeping heat out during the summer months and in hot climates.- "Insulation types

"ˇ­cavity insulation, whether it is cellulose or fiber glass, plays virtually no role in blocking air infiltration through the walls of a home." --Online source

A summary table of insulation by Building Technology-ATLAS

Insulation Materials, Testing, and Applications, 1990 By D. L. McElroy, Joseph F. Kimpflen, Ronald S.

Insulation Materials By Andr¨¦ O. Desjarlais, Robert R. Zarr , 2002

Table of R-value of common insulations

A good example of use of foam insulation in houses

Loose-Fill Insulations

Buildcore - Building product information for Canada

" the Canadian standard in construction and building product information - helping the Canadian building and design community leverage its time and expertise to develop accurate construction documents", 12,000 building products available in Canada




Building Envelope theory by Foam-Teck

good intro and tips on insulating envleop;




CBD

"240 of the 250 Canadian Building Digests published between 1960 and 1990 by NRC's Institute for Research in Construction. The topics reflect the diversity of the industry and cover virtually every aspect of design and construction in Canada."

vapor transport through insulation

A study of water vapor transmission through insulation under steady state and transient conditions, by Glicksman, L.R. and Katsenelenbogen,S, 1996

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Airborne environmental endotoxin: a cross-validation of sampling and analysis techniques, by Walters, M., Milton, D., Larsson, L. and Ford, T., 1994

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Airborne glass fiber concentrations during installation of residential insulation, by Jacob, T. R., Hadley, J. G., Bender, J. R. and Eastes, W., 1992

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An improved model of heat and moisture transfer with phase change and mobile condensates in fibrous insulation and comparison with experimental results , by Fan, J., Cheng, X., Wen, X. and Sun, W., 2003

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Apparatus for studying transient heat and moisture transfer in fiberglass batt insulation, by Couvillion, R.J. , J.S. Hawisa, and G.J. Tatge, 1992

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ASTM C991-03 Standard Specification for Flexible Glass Fiber Insulation for Metal Buildings, by ASTM, 2003

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Building envelope design, Part 2: estimating field performance of thermal insulation, by Bomberg, M. T. and Kumaran, M. K., 1993

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C1060-90(1997)e1 Standard Practice for Thermographic Inspection of Insulation Installations in Envelope Cavities of Frame Buildings, by ASTM, 1997

water retention of insulation

C1134-90(2001) Standard Test Method for Water Retention of Rigid Thermal Insulations Following Partial Immersion, by ASTM, 2001

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C168-01 Standard Terminology Relating to Thermal Insulating Materials, by ASTM, 2001

cellulosic fiber insulation

C209-98 standard test methods for cellulosic fiber insulating board, by ASTM, 1998

fiberglass insulation in HVAC

Colonization of fiberglass insulation used in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, by Price D. L. ; Simmons R. B. ; Ezeonu I. M. ; Crow S. A. ; Ahearn D. G., 1994

detoriation process

Combined effect of temperature and humidity of the detoriation process of insulation materials in ETICS, by Holm, A. and K¨ąnzel, H.M, 1999

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Convection in highly insulated building structures, by Okland, O., 1998

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Convective processes in loose-fill attic insulation--metering equipment, by Lawton, M. D., 1998

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Dynamic insulation in multistorey buildings, by Taylor, B. J. and Imbabi, M. S., 1999

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Ecological insulation materials - does sorption moisture affect their insulation performance? , by Kehrer, M., Kunzel, H. and Sedlbauer, K., 2003

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Effect of interior and exterior insulation on the hygrothermal behaviour of exposed walls, by Kunzel, H. M., 1998

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Effect of relative humidity on fungal colonization of fiberglass insulation, by Ezeonu, I. M., Noble, J. A., Simmons, R. B., Price, D. L., Crow, S. A. and Ahearn, D. G., 1994

cellulose

Essai sur les toits plats isol¨¦s ¨¤ la fibre de cellulose, by Fazio, P., Derome, D. and Athienitis, A. K., 1998

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Experimental investigation of the effect of natural convection on heat transfer in mineral wool, by Dyrbol, S., Svendsen, S. and Elmroth, A., 2002

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Experimental investigation of the hygrothermal performance of insulation materials, by Hansen, K. K., Rode, C., and Hansen, E., 2001

EIFS insulation damage

Exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS): problems, causes and solutions, by Mattock, C., 1991

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Fungal growth on different insulation materials exposed to different moisture regimes , by Klamer, M., Morsing, E. and Husemoen, T., 2004

mold

Fungal production of volatiles during growth on fiberglass , by Ezeonu, I. M., Price, D. L., Simmons, R. B., Crow, S. A. and Ahearn, D. G., 1994

gas-filled insulation

Gas-filled panels: an update on applications in the building thermal envelope, by Griffith, B. T., Arasteh, D. and T¨ąrler, D., 1996

molds in fiberglass insulation, a literature review

Growth of mold on fiberglass insulation materials--a review of the literature, by Van Loo, J. Robbins, C. Swenson, L. and Kelman, B., 2004

heat transfer measurement

Heat transmission measurements in thermal insulations, by ASTM, 1974

impact of added insulation

Impact of added insulation on air leakage patterns, by Derome, D., Fazio, P., Desmarais, G., 2000

vapor transport through insulation

Influence of material properties on the hygrothermal performance of a high-rise residential wall, by Karagiozis, A.N. and M.Salonvaara, 1995

exterior basement insulation.

In-Situ performance evaluation of exterior insulation basement systems (EIBS) - spray polyurethane foam: summary report, by Swinton, M. C., Bomberg, M. T., Kumaran, M. K., Maref, W., Normandin, N. and Marchand, R. G., 2000

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Insulation materials, testing, and applications, by Mcelroy , D. L., Kimpflen , J. F., Graves , R. S. and Wysocki, D. C., 1990

cellulose in flat roof

Large scale testing of two flat roof assemblies insulated with cellulose, by Derome, D. and Fazio, P., 1998

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Measurements and simulations of natural and forced convection in loose-fill attic insulation , by Wahlgren, P., 2002

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Measuring and modeling vapor boundary layer growth during transient diffusion heat and moisture transfer in cellulose insulation, by Simonson, C. J., Salonvaara, M., Ojanen, T., Walker, I. and Levin, H., 2004

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Modeling heat and moisture transfer through fibrous insulation with phase change and mobile condensates, by Fan, J. and Wen, X., Johansson, P., Samuelson, I., Ekstrand-tobin, A., Mj?rnell, K., Sandberg, P. I. and Sikander, E., 2002

Modelling settling

Modelling settling of loose-fill insulation in walls, part ii determination of coefficients, by Rasmussen, T. V., 2002

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Modified cup for testing of water vapour transmission through thick, permeable materials, by Bomberg, M., Pazera, M., Haghighat, F. and Grunewald, J., 2002

cellulose

Moisture behavior of timber-framed external wall structures in Nordic climate, by Vinha, J.O., P. K?kel? and R. Lindberg, 2001

moisture in celluose wall

Moisture conditions in a north-facing wall with cellulos loose-fill insulation: construction with and without a vapor retarder and air leakage, by Hagentoft, C. E. and Harderup, E., 1996

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Moisture dynamics in building envelopes, by Peuhkuri, R., 2003

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Moisture in constructions with loose-fill insulation and no vapour barrier, by Levin, P., 2000

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Moisture performance of leaky exterior walls with added insulation, by Desmarais, G., D. Derome and P. Fazio, 2001

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Mold performance of some construction products with and without borates, by Fogel, J.L. and J. D. Lloyd, 2002

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Monitoring the hygrothermal performance of a masonry wall with and without thermal insulation, by Maurenbrecher, A. H. P., Rousseau, M. Z., Said, M. N. and Shirtliffe, C. J., 1998

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Optimization about multilayer laminated film and getter device materials of vacuum insulation panel for using at high temperature, by Araki, K., Kamotob, D. and Matsuokac, S., 2009

good review on the non-hygroscopic insulation materials

Organic insulation materials: effect on indoor humidity and necessity of a vapor barrier, by Rode, C., 1998

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Performance characteristics and practical applications of common building thermal insulation materials, by Al-homoud, M. S., 2005

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Performance-based development of a thermally insulated pitched roof system, by Hens, H., 1998

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Risk of indoor condensation related to thermal insulation standards, by Ponterio, L., Rizzo, G., Rodono, G., Scaccianoce, G., 1999

spray applied polurethane

Study of the reduced impact of thermal bridges in two sprayed-applied polyurethane wall assemblies, by Derome, D., Desmarais, G., Rao, J., Athienitis, A. and Fazio, P., 1997

fiberglass, cellulose

Temperature and moisture performance of wall assemblies with fiberglass and cellulose insulation, by Rose, W. B. and McCaa, D. J., 1998

cellulose biber in wood frame roof

Testing of flat roofs insulated with cellulose fiber, by Fazio, P., Derome, D., Gebasi, D., Athienitis, A., Depani, S., Kovacevic, P., 1998

Dynamic insulation

The application of dynamic insulation in buildings, by Taylor, B. J. and Imbabi, M. S., 1998

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The building envelope as an air filter , by Taylor, B. J., Webster, R. and Imbabi, M. S., 1999

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The effectiveness of thermal insulation in different types of buildings in hot climates, by Al-homoud, M. S., 2004

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Thermal diffusion of water vapor through glass fiber insulation, by Stephenson, D. G., 2003

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Thermal testing and numerical simulation of a prototype cell using light wallboards coupling vacuum isolation panels and phase c, by Ahmad, M., Bontemps, A., Sall¨¦e, H., Quenard, D., 2006

cellulose

Thermal transmittance of a cellulose loose-fill insulation material, by Nicolajsen , A., 2005

exterior basement insulation systems

Three-dimensional analysis of thermal resistance of exterior basement insulation systems (EIBS), by Maref, W., Swinton, M. C., Kumaran, M. K. and Bomberg, M. T., 2001

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Vacuum insulation panels for building applications: A review and beyond, by Baetens, R., Jelle, B.P., Thue, J.V., Tenpierik, M. J., Grynning, S., Uvslokk, S. and Gustavsen, A., 2010

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Variations of thermal conductivity of insulation materials under different operating temperatures: impact on envelope-induced cooling load, by Budaiwi, I., Abdou, A. and Al-homoud, M., 2002

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Verification of density predicted for prevention of settling of loose-fill cellulose insulation in walls , by Rasmussen, T.V., Fluent Inc, 2003

polyurathane and polyisocyanurate, vapor transmission

Water vapor transmission and moisture accumulation in polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams, by Schwartz, N. V., Bomberg, M., and Kumaran, M. K., 1996