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United States Department of Energy
(DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program provides low income, families with
assistance, for home improvements, including energy efficiency, through
improving home insulation. In July 2005, the DOE provided $92.5, for low income,
families in nineteen states.
Different Types of Home Insulation
Asbestos is a mineral fiber, used during the 1970s, in building products,
because it was fireproof, good thermal insulator, and easily made into fabrics.
Covered pipe coverings, oil and coal furnaces. Also, a good insulator for hot
water and steam pipes. Further investigation, of asbestos, caused Mesothelioma,
a type of lung cancer, and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. The
Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of asbestos, in July 1989.
Fiber Glass or fibrous glass dust is a soft wool material, produced from molten
sand and inorganic materials. According to Environmental Protection Agency, at
least twenty percent of cycled glass is added to Fiber Glass. Advantages using
Fiber Glass: Absorb sound, control heat, reinforce materials with extra
strength, and help control water condensation. When installed, usually a pink or
yellow color. Fiber Glass installed in ventilation systems, prevent loss of heat
/ cold air, and reduce fan noise. Disadvantages using Fiber Glass: Causing skin,
eye, nose, and throat irritations. Long term exposure to Fiber Glass, may lead
to permanent lung disease. Reducing exposure to medical problems, related to
Fiber Glass, by working in ventilated area, keep away from skin and eye
exposure, by wearing gloves, and eye protection. Also, wash exposed skin
frequently, and ever day clean work cloths.
Mineral Wool insulation refers two different materials: Slag wool and rock wool.
Slag wool produced from iron or blast furnace slag, an industrial waste product.
Rock wool produced from natural rocks. Slag wool is approximately, eighty
percent of the mineral wool industry, and twenty percent for rock wool. Mineral
wool insulation can reduce, residential energy bills by 40 percent, save to
install and no exposure, for respiratory disease or cancer.
Cellulose insulation contains eighty percent of recycled newspapers, fire
retardant chemicals, and in some products, acrylic binders. Advantages: Less
expensive to install than fiberglass, better thermal insulator, better sound
barrier than fiberglass, and greater savings then fiberglass. Cellulose
insulation is blown through, several hundred feet of four inch tubing, either
into attics or wall cavities. Heating and cooling bills are reduced by 15 to 30
percent. Disadvantage using Cellulose insulation: Over a period of time, the
material well settle or reduce it's thickness, which will reduce it efficiency,
by twenty percent of it's R - Value (resistance to heat flow). Recommended upon
installation, add twenty-five percent, to compensate for future energy loss. Any
exposure to moisture, will reduce significantly the effectiveness of this
insulation.
Four different types foam insulation, commonly used for residential and
commercial application. Most common foam insulation is polystyrene. Emerges as
foam, when cooled down, forms a shape, and trimmed to a specific dimension.
Spray foam used for insulation of roofs, inside walls, foundations, entry and
overhead garage doors, pipes, tanks and climate controlled storage units.
Maintains a very high R - value, compared to other insulation's. Covering foam,
with rubber or plastic membranes or layers of asphalt, will protect the
insulation, from degradation of the sun's ultraviolet rays. Molded Expanded
Polystyrene Boards are molded, into common everyday items, including: Coffee
cups, picnic ice chests, and shipping materials. Extruded Expanded Polystyrene
Boards: Density 1.5 pounds per cubic foot, higher R - value compared to Molded
Expanded polystyrene, and suitable for use on roofs and, facing interior or
exterior basement walls. Polyurethane and polyisocyanurate are similar foams to
polystyrene, except having a more fire resistant, and slightly higher R - value.
Installing these boards, seal seems with tape or caulking, are added to prevent
air infiltration. Sometimes, polystyrene boards are treated with an insecticide,
preventing any infestation, and fire retardant material. Consumers can purchase
small bottles of spray containing, rigid foam insulation, effectively used to
seal cracks in doors, and windows, sealing off any airflow. These closed -- cell
foams are better insulators, than other products, and have an R - Value of six,
compared to R - Value of three for fiberglass. Expected savings: 30 - 50 percent
on home heating and cooling cost. Find a Contractor:
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Now Is the Perfect Time to Check Your Home’s Insulation |
