Fiberglass Loose Fill Insulation and Fiberglass Batt Insulation in Kingston

Understanding the basics of residential home insulation

For the typical homeowner looking into fiberglass loose fill insulation or fiberglass batt insulation in Kingston, understanding the basics is valuable. The main aim of home insulation is to stop “heat flow”. In wintertime, it means stopping indoor heat from escaping out, and in summertime it means stopping outdoor heat from coming in. Neither of these summer/winter “heat flows” is a good thing. And neither of them is desirable in the typical residential home. Undesirable “heat flow” makes for a home that isn’t energy efficient, and it results in summer/winter utility bills that are higher than they should be.

Experienced insulation experts look at a home as a “building envelope" – it’s a structure constructed of materials that affect the “heat flow” in a home. Some materials will have a positive influence, and some will have a negative influence. And when an insulation contractor starts to work, the objective is to get rid of the negative influences as completely as possible. That’s why it’s critical to choose insulation that will effectively deal with “heat flow”. The result will be a home that is much more energy efficient – an insulated environment with reduced heating bills in winter and reduced cooling bills in summer.

Most homeowners are quite aware of the many insulation products available on the market. Of course, each product makes claims and promises about performance. But regardless of product, the objective of insulating should be the same - to stop excessive air movement; to stop moisture and vapour from collecting; and to improve on R-Values when the new insulation is installed. It’s also important, with many insulation projects, to be working with a professional. And while it’s true that homeowners can save some money with a DIY approach to insulating, a professional will attain better results.

A popular insulating product is fiberglass (batts or loose fill)

Fiberglass insulation products have become popular throughout most of Canada, and throughout the northern USA. Fiberglass insulation products are quite commonly installed in attics and roofs, and will deliver satisfactory R-Values. With a high quality fiberglass product, and an expert installation, overall energy efficiency is going to be improved, and energy consumption will be reduced from one season to the next. The lifespan of fiberglass products is satisfactory, and the R-Values should sustain for years.

Like most home improvement projects, and especially the bigger ones, insulation requires experience and expertise. Here, professional installers have a definite advantage – they understand the various insulation products and they have expertise with the installations. For instance, with fiberglass batts the “thermal blanket” must be strategically installed to ensure insulating performance. The same thing is true about the loose fill product - it must be perfectly installed to provide insulating performance.

The benefits of installing fiberglass insulation

For optimum results, fiberglass insulation has to be installed based on manufacturer’s specifications. Fiberglass is safe for residential application, and most brands are air-quality tested to ensure quality. Fiberglass insulation products (batts and loose fill) are non-combustible; non-corrosive; and asbestos-free. They will usually comprise various amounts of recycled glass, and won’t settle significantly.

Fiberglass insulation is fabricated so that the finished installation will not attract animals, rodents, or insects. Properly installed, and under optimum conditions, a fiberglass environment is not friendly to mold. Of course, proper ventilation is a must, and under these conditions fiberglass won’t deteriorate. For homeowners contemplating fiberglass insulation in Kingston, it’s a very cost-effective installation.

There are disadvantages with fiberglass insulation

Although popular, fiberglass insulation doesn’t effectively address some of the issues that the experts consider important – like stopping air movement completely, and preventing moisture accumulation. In fact, in the attic and roof, air and moisture are particularly problematic and need to be addressed.

Undesirable air movement is also problematic when fiberglass insulation is installed. It’s a problem because fiberglass doesn’t effectively seal, and for the experts sealing is critical for optimum insulation performance. Without effectively sealing a space, maximum insulation performance can’t be assured.

The biggest issue with fiberglass products is a wet environment. Quite simply, when fiberglass is wet, it will lose its R-Value. And in situations where this is unnoticed, an entire insulated area may deteriorate to a point where removal and reinstallation is required. This is bad under any circumstances.

Wet fiberglass also has the potential to encourage mold. This is not uncommon, and when mold growth is serious, the only recourse is remediation. This is a project for a professional with mold experience, and with expertise in mold removal. In a situation like this, new insulation will have to be installed.

Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) is a viable installation option

Because of the various issues with fiberglass, SPF has emerged as a viable installation option amongst insulation professionals. It’s a single application product that does it all – it creates an air seal to stop air movement; it creates a vapor seal to stop moisture collection; and it makes for superb insulation.

SPF is also effective in stopping air leakage during winter and summer. This is especially important in the attic and roof, and SPF makes for an environment that is completely sealed and airtight. There’s no other comparable insulation product that can deliver these benefits and this type of performance.

The “hybrid” installation delivers benefits and cost-effectiveness

SPF is recognized as the best insulation product on the market. As such, professionals are installing the product into attics and roofs, as well as basements and garages. But an SPF install will not suit every project budget – it’s definitely a premium product. As a result, the professionals at Great Northern Insulation have devised a “hybrid” installation – one that delivers benefits and is cost-effective.

Essentially, the “hybrid” approach combines the SPF product along with one of the fibreglass products. In this “combination install” performance benefits are derived from both of the insulation products and the outcomes are excellent. The SPF delivers sealing and insulating, and the fibreglass product delivers additional R-Value and cost-effectiveness. The “hybrid” approach is a great option for many.