Insulation is the phenomenon of reducing the flow of heat, electricity or sound between the inner space and outer space of an object. Insulation can be used both to prevent heat gain and from heat loss to the surrounding areas. Most electric appliances use insulation technology like Refrigerators, freezers and Heaters. One of the main applications of insulation is house insulation. An insulated home is more energy efficient, requires less maintenance and is more comfortable, as the temperature remains uniform over weather changes. Insulation at home helps in saving energy and reducing utility bills. It makes the house more comfortable.

There are many types of insulation available these days like Batts and Blanket insulation, loose fill insulation, Cellulosic insulation, Reflective insulations etc. Foam insulation is one of them. Foam insulation is performed by pouring liquid foam from a container.

Foam insulation is convenient to install while constructing the house rather than insulating already built structures. As foam insulation is air tight, it is not generally recommended for attic insulation that should be properly ventilated. Also, Foam insulation is a bit more expensive than batt and blanket insulation.

Foam installation is easy to perform with adequate instruments. They are much more powerful and efficient than Batt and Blanket insulation. They have a higher R value and provide better thermal resistance. Due to their high efficiency, they can be installed even in small spaces. Foam insulation is generally filled in the cavities of walls, floor, roofs etc. Foam insulation also protects the space from moisture condensation. Foam insulation does not shrink or settle. It is fire and insect-resistant.

Rigid FoamFoam Insulation is best used when space is a consideration. It is easy to install and best when a higher R value is not needed. It is made up of densely packed air particles and provides a high thermal resistance. It is good for creating a barrier against energy loss and air infiltration.

Spray-on insulation is installed with the material known as polyurethane. Spray foam insulation is used to insulate the walls and ceilings to keep the house warm during cold spells and to keep it cool in summer. Spray Foam insulation is a bit more expensive than Fiber glass insulation. This type of insulation can reduce utility and repair bills as the house is naturally warmer and free from bugs due to the insulation. Spray foam insulation lasts longer than other types. Also, it dos not fall off the wall like fiber glass insulation.

Proper Precautions must be taken while installing the foam insulation. Some Foam insulation materials contain chemicals that can harm the skin and may cause lung cancer. Therefore proper masks must be put on the face before installing them. They must not be installed near to electrical equipments. Though, they do not catch fire easily they may emit harmful gasses if they burn. Foam insulation should also be protected from sunlight as ultraviolet rays from the sun may damage foam insulation.

Jeff King
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/foam-insulation-dont-get-left-in-the-cold-67722.html

Before adding scenery to your HO or O scale model trains toys, first determine the theme, location and layout.

Theme: Consider the theme or purpose for the setting you want to achieve. Is it a passenger train, a military base, or some other setting? The location should be considered, such as if you want the train to travel through towns to and from its destination. Think about the era; do you want your trains toys to be vintage or modern? Your setting and scenery should reflect the overall theme of your train set. Keeping the scenery consistent with the era and theme will keep your train realistic looking.

Location: Decide where you want to display your model trains toys. You might build it on a shelf or countertop for more permanent mounting. You could create an intricate design in which your train runs through the walls (near the ceiling) of your house, traveling from room to room. A different town or factory could be in each room. (Of course, the downside to this type of track is chasing down derailments, but it would be an interesting hobby.)

Layout: After you know the theme and location, plan the layout for the track, terrain, structures and finally, the scenery. The scenery must work within the constraints of the space available and it should compliment your scale model trains. To get some ideas on what you can do with scenery, there are books available from hobby shops. Another source which is faster and cheaper is a Google search for “train stations” or other related keyword phrases. When you find a real train station, then choose maps, then the Satellite tab and zoom in for a view of the scenery around a real station. You can model your station after that or use parts of it for your own design.

To get started with laying out the scenery, draw a rough sketch design on a piece of paper to get an idea of where you want to place different items. After you have a plan that you like, use a pencil to lightly draw directly on the surface of your layout, whether it is a plywood board or wherever the scenery will be positioned. Plan for height and depth based on the scale of your trains.

Use either construction foam (spray-on kind) or plaster to build hills. The spray Foam Insulation can be painted and cut to fit your style. Spray the foam on a working surface where you have room to work, away from your actual layout, shaping it to the bottom layer of the “hill.” Trim the edges until you are satisfied with its look. Add more layers, spraying and trimming each time, until your hill is the correct height. Be sure the layers fit together. Once you are satisfied with the hill’s height and shape, glue each layer together with a product like Liquid Nails. Hold the layers together with toothpicks until dry. Once dry, you can glue the hill to your board, making it part of your scenery. Let this sit aside while you continue adding scenery.

Begin adding ground cover materials around the track. Your hobby store should have several sizes and shades available; a mix of colors and sizes will provide realistic settings for a wide variety of trains toys. If you will be painting or trimming any scenery near the tracks, be sure to cover the tracks with masking tape.

Decide the placement of trees, grass, and other ground covers before moving to the next step. Be sure you have marked the board with the location of each item.

When you are ready to use ground cover, brush an earth-colored brown paint onto an area a few feet square. Your ground cover will stick to the paint as the paint dries. Add some broken branches or more ground cover to enhance your scenery. Continue this process around the board, being sure to protect the tracks as you work.

If you added water to your scenery, be sure to check that the water flows easily, but doesn’t gush and therefore cause damage to your track. The complexity of your water scene determines how much containment you will need for the water. Simply adding a green paint with shimmers gives the illusion of a small pond.

Once the ground cover is all in place, it’s time to add your trees, animals, or other items to your scene. Be sure that purchased items are the same scale as your scale model trains. Your towns can include traffic lights, building, cars, people, and pets. Browse your local hobby shop or an online store for items that fit your theme, whether it’s early steam engine or modern supersonic trains.

Once you’ve mastered these simple scenery-building basics, you can add intricate designs, holiday-themed elements, and trees and scenery that reflect the change of seasons. As your train set expands, you can add detailed cities, construction sites, and other scenic items as you choose. Have fun with your designs. Take pictures, keep them in a photo album so you can see your progress, and have a record of your changes.

Joe Kanooga

Winter is coming and in many places it is already here. If you are a homeowner then you are probably always looking for ways to help prevent heat loss in your home and cut down on utility bills. The more ways you find to do this, the more energy and money you will save.

There are many ways to reduce heat loss in your home and we are going to look at 7 ways that are not only pretty easy to do but also fairly inexpensive as well.

Windows  

If you have lived in your home for a while or if you have purchased an older home with the original windows, there is bound to be some draftiness around the windows and this means a high likelihood of heat loss. Although replacing drafty windows with the newer energy efficient window is an option, for many the cost is too much, especially in today’s budget minded economy.

For just a few dollars you can solve this problem in other ways. Here are two simple methods you can use. First, you can buy Window Insulation Kits which consist of plastic shrink film and double faced tape. Apply the tap around the outer edge of the window frame, stick the plastic file to the tape and then use a hair dryer to shrink the film so that it is tight. Simply cut away any excess plastic and you’re done. This can increase the R-Value up to 90%.

Also, concerning your windows, using quilted curtains to cover your drafty windows, will not only cut down on the heat loss and draftiness, they will also help the room to stay warmer. Many people who use shades on their window can install curtains over the windows while leaving the shades in place. In the summer, simply take down the curtains and leave the rod to make an easy transition during the seasons.

The Fireplace

There is nothing like sitting in front of a warm fire burning in the fireplace of your home on a cold winter night. Many people have a screen covering the opening and unless you wait until the fire burns completely out, the fireplace damper needs to stay open for safety purposes. This means if you go to bed before the fire burns out and the damper is left open all night, warm air from inside your home will be pulled up the chimney and escape outside your house.

Even with the damper completely closed some air can still escape because most dampers do not seal out the air entirely.

One of the best and easiest ways to save energy and reduce heat loss in this situation is to install a set of “Airtight” fireplace doors to the opening. With these doors, the gaskets around the frame seal the door to the fireplace face and keep air from leaking in or out. Plus the doors look great and the glass still lets the heat from the fire come into the home. You will not have to worry if the fire is still burning when you go to bed because even after the fire burns out and the damper is left open, the doors seal off the opening so no heat loss occurs.

Electrical Outlets and Switches

Count up the number of electrical outlets and switches you have in your home and if you have air leaks around the majority of them then you are in for some heat loss problems. There are two simple solutions for this problem and you can easily take care of this yourself.  First you can try the foam outlet sealers or gaskets that fit over your existing outlets and switches. They will cover up the gaps between the edge of the drywall and the outlet boxes and fit in nicely behind the outlet and switch covers. The result is a perfect airtight seal that reduces heat loss in one of the most common areas in your home.

Another option you can use either alone or in conjunction with the outlet sealers is insulated foam that comes in cans and can be sprayed into the gaps around the outlet boxes and then trimmed off with a utility knife. Spray Foam Insulation will come with a long tube adapter that will fit into the can that will make it easy for you to control the amount of foam you apply into the gaps.

Concrete Block Sill Plates and Rim Joist

Just go down into your basement or crawl space and run your hand along the wood sill plate the rests on top of the concrete block or poured foundation walls and also along the outside rim joists that rest on top of the sill plate and below the floor. There is a good chance you will feel air leaks in these areas and that means heat loss. The simple solution to solve this problem is to buy some good acrylic latex caulk and run a bead of caulk along all the edges where the plate meets the block and where the joists meet the plate and the floor and of course anywhere else that you might feel air infiltration.

Attic Insulation

This is a given. If you do not have enough insulation in your attic, not only is your home going to not heat as efficiently as it should you will also be prone to more heat loss. If your home is older and you did have insulation sprayed into the attic when it was built, then you need to check the depth of the insulation to see if it is still energy efficient. Go up into the attic and take a yard stick with you and then simply place the yard stick into the insulation between the trusses or ceiling joists, and measure the depth of the insulation.  On the average around if your insulation is 12 to 18 inches deep then you have an R value of about R-30 to R-38 which is fine for most areas. However if you live in a cold climate and the insulation is below 10 inches deep, then it would be a good idea to add some more.

Here again, you can do the job yourself by renting a blower and buying the material and although it can be a pretty messy job, you will save about half the cost of what an insulation company will charge you to do the job. If you are going to hire someone to do it for you, make sure you get 3 bids and ask for references.

Check Cabinet Toekick Register Covers

You would not believe how much heat loss there is around the register covers that are attached to the toekicks of cabinets in your home. When the duct work is installed prior to the cabinets being installed it is of the utmost importance to make sure the metal boot that the register cover is going to fit into, comes out flush with the front of the toekick hole that is cut out for the register. If this does not happen, the air coming out of the boot will leak under the cabinets and the register cover will have no control over it.

If you have this problem, then you need to either have a heating person come out to your home and make up and extension that fits into the existing boot and also allows your register cover to fit inside of it while allowing it to open and close with ease. This will then give you back control of the amount of heat that comes into the room, stop the heat from getting trapped under your cabinets and will reduce the heat loss and save you money.

Detecting Leaks and Drafts and Consider an Energy Audit

Believe it or not, more and more companies that specialize in performing an energy audit are popping up all over the place. Are these legitimate companies that you want to hire? If is worth paying one of these companies up to $400.00 to perform and energy audit? Can and energy audit help detect leaks and drafts in places you would not have thought of thus helping you to reduce heat loss and save energy and money? Yes, yes and yes!

A certified company that specializes in energy audits uses sophisticated equipment and is trained to use that equipment to seek out all areas of your home where heat loss, leaks and drafts exist. You will then end up with a very detailed report showing you all of the areas of your home that are the prime energy loss areas and you can then either take care of making the upgrades yourself or hire someone to do some of the work for you.

Saving energy, cutting down on heat loss and doing whatever you can to reduce your heating bills, will not only keep you comfortable this winter, but will also save you money in our current budget minded economy.

Rick Maselli
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/7-ways-to-prevent-heat-loss-in-your-home-this-winter-678567.html

Introduction

 

Buildings of all sorts, from homes to factories to high rises, can be troubled by problems related to design, construction and maintenance that can be difficult to diagnose and resolve. The major problems found in buildings include:

 

• Excessive energy use due to missing or damaged insulation, insulation that is performing inadequately, and excessive air-leakage across the thermal perimeter
• Moisture damage due to leaks or condensation, especially in the walls or roofs
• Ice damage to sloped roofs
• Poor hvac distribution or performance
• Inadequate verification of construction details or structural performance delaminations of façade materials
• “Sick building syndrome,” mold growth and other health related issues

 

Often the problems - as well as their causes and consequences - simply cannot be seen until after costly damage has been done. At that point the only recourse may be extensive, costly reconstruction. For example, a commercial building, a nursing home, had extensive problems resulting from a poorly designed roof/ceiling insulation system; these included excessive heat loss during the winter months and, as a result, extensive ice damage due to snow melt. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent in various, poorly planned attempts to correct the underlying causes. In the end the owners simply lived with the continued problem because corrective actions were deemed too expensive. Despite this unfortunate resolution, the thermograms helped the owners negotiate a financial settlement with the architects and contractors.

 

When properly used, thermal imaging enables building owners, architects, contractors and inspectors to verify building performance, identify potential problem areas and validate corrective solutions.

 

A great value of infrared thermography is that it provides a means of seeing the invisible thermal signatures related to many of these problems in building. When properly used, thermography enables building owners, architects, contractors and inspectors to locate problems, verify building performance, and validate solutions. When people act on this information, significant savings result and buildings are more comfortable! All surfaces radiate invisible heat energy. You’ve felt this energy emitted by the sun or a stove burner. Infrared cameras are specially-designed electronic devices that detect thermal radiation. They convert this radiation into thermal images, or thermograms, which visually portray temperature differences as small as 0.05°C. These portable, battery-operated instruments record the thermal data either as still, digital images or on conventional videotape or digital video. The image is displayed live in a viewfinder or on an LCD view screen. Different radiant temperatures are shown as different colors or shades of gray. Although it may sometimes be useful to display temperature values, this is often not required in building work. Rather, the temperature differences are normally of most interest. Given the right conditions most buildings exhibit characteristic thermal patterns that can be interpreted by a qualified person. The infrared systems themselves are quite easy to operate and, thus, a number of thermographers conduct building inspections. The tasks of interpreting the imagery, understanding the root cause problems, and finding solutions are all more difficult. Because of this, thermographers often work closely with a team consisting of building specialists, architects, and contractors. The key to using thermography successfully is understanding what thermal patterns are associated with the problems being studied and knowing when those patterns will become visible in the infrared image.

 

Building Applications for Thermography

 

Thermography has been used since the mid-60s to solve building problems. During the late 70s and early 80s, a time when fuel prices rose dramatically, thermography was embraced widely as a tool to help determine building performance. Since then other applications have been developed and refined, especially related to verification of structural performance. The major building-related applications for the technology are detailed below.

 

Insulation Checks

 

Missing, damaged or non-performing insulation will stand out clearly in a thermal image when there is at least a 10°C (18°F) stable temperature difference between the conditioned space and the outside air. It is often possible to do work with less of a temperature spread due to differences in the thermal capacitance of the building materials. The inspection is typically done from both inside and outside. Often the best results are gained from inside because of fewer influences, but a better overall understanding of the building can often be gained from larger views of the outside elevations.

 

Missing, damaged or non-performing insulation will stand out clearly in a thermal image when there is at least a 10°C (18°F) stable temperature difference between the conditioned space and the outside air.

 

It is essential to know the type of insulation in the building and construction details, including how the insulation was installed. Insulation may be in place but not performing; often a destructive evaluation is warranted to establish baseline conditions or understand the exact construction detail. Each type of insulation has a characteristic thermal pattern. A soft foam insulation is susceptible to shrinkage and cracking when poorly installed. Many factors impact the image you will see. When work is done in the daytime or early evening, the impact of solar loading must be considered. The affects of the sun can easily last 6-8 hours on both the inside and outside after a wall has been exposed. This often results in the direction of heat flow being reversed, making for confusing images and misdiagnosis. Wind must also be reckoned with, as it can both quickly eliminate the thermal difference on a surface as well as enhance others. If building problems are wind-related, i.e. “we are cold on windy days,” then it is wise to conduct the inspection with a wind load. The costs of poor performance of insulation are huge. In addition to excessive energy consumption, there may be costly freeze-ups of water pipes or fire sprinkler systems; health issues associated with mold growth in cold spots, damage to roofs and interiors caused by ice dams, condensation, and water intrusion.

 

Air Leakage Location

 

Excessive air leakage can account for up to half of the energy consumed to condition buildings. Of course adequate air exchange is essential for the occupants’ health and safety, but most buildings have a far higher rate of air exchange than is necessary. The root cause is often poor design and/or construction which allows air to move across the thermal perimeter. The problems can be as straightforward as a failed door weather seal or as complex as an air pathway through a plumbing chase in an interior wall or ceiling plenum. The leakage pathway is often complex and, without infrared, extremely difficult to visualize. Air leakage inspections are best conducted when air flow is directed and controlled. This can be accomplished with exhaust fans, specialized blower fan door, or, in larger buildings, by temporarily altering the HVAC system, to create a negative pressure inside. During the heating season the resulting sites of air infiltration appear cooler. The work can be done any time of year as long as the indoor/outdoor temperature difference is greater than a few degrees. Blower door fans can also be used to quantify air leakage rates. This technique is invaluable in predicting building performance and monitoring air sealing work. Most types of insulation are not effective at reducing air movement through the thermal perimeter. Good construction practice includes interior air sealing; if this is not in place effectively, air can move through the interior and exterior surfaces and through the insulation. Unfortunately, fiberglass is particularly susceptible to this problem. Thus, while the insulation may be present, it does not perform as expected when the building is under a pressure gradient. This will typically go unnoticed until the fuel bill is paid.

 

Moisture Intrusion or Condensation

 

As building designs and techniques produce tighter thermal envelopes, moisture (from leaks or condensation) has created more and more problems. The water can intrude through a small crack but it is then trapped between the relatively impermeable building materials. Good building techniques typically must deal with both air sealing and moisture retarders to keep moisture from accumulating inside the wall sections. Locating moisture with thermography is often simple because water has both a high thermal conductivity and a high heat capacitance. Determining the source of the moisture, however, can be difficult. Condensation, rather than leakage, is often the culprit so it is important to identify sources of air leakage that can transport moist air into the wall sections and the cold spots that can result in it condensing. The classic case is that of warm moist air leaking past the insulation in a metal building or mobile home; as it contacts the cold underside of the metal roof it condenses, and often freezes, causing the occupants the think, mistakenly, that the roof is leaking. Building damage due to condensation includes mold growth, brick spalling, roof membrane fastener corrosion and reduced insulation values.

 

Construction of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (Eifs)

 

The growing popularity of buildings using EIFS has been accompanied by numerous cases of moisture-related structural damage. Although often attributed to leaking windows, water typically intrudes where sealing or flashing systems were inadequate or have begun to fail. Moisture is then trapped under the relatively impervious foam. In warm climates the decay of structural wooden elements, which can occur very rapidly, is a major problem. Mold growth also often accompanies the moisture resulting in health concerns. Thermography is an invaluable tool to locate moisture in EIFS. Inspections are best conducted in the early evening from the outside after a sunny day with little or no wind. It may also be possible to locate moisture from inside during cooling or heating conditions. The expanded Foam Insulation boards tend to become more absorbent to water over time.

 

HVAC Performance

 

HVAC systems can be plagued by design and installation problems resulting in excessive energy use and/or uncomfortable buildings. Thermography helps building specialists visualize the otherwise invisible impact of this poor performance as indicated by excessively hot or cold areas. Once these have been located, the root causes can be determined; these may include reversed or misdirected airflow or poorly placed supply ducts, leading to short-circuiting of air directly to the return ducts. Unfortunately many of these problems are a result of poor design; by the time a thermographer identifies them, it may be too late to correct. On the other hand, some problems (such as reversed diffusers) are very easy to correct. It is also possible to visualize air flow itself! Several thermography studies have been conducted by hanging layers of plastic netting in a room. As the air flows through it, the temperature of the netting can be imaged. In most comfort-related cases it is probably as useful to simply image the walls and objects in the room a technique that is much easier.

 

Subsurface Heat Sources

 

Heating coils are being used more and more either to keep outside walkways or entrance ramps snow free or to provide heat to areas and rooms via hot water or electric cables. Thermography provides a quick way to verify location and performance of these subsurface devices. Typically the thermal pattern shows up very clearly even when the heat source is embedded in several inches of concrete. Similarly, water pipes in wall sections can usually be located quite readily. Water leaks from pipes, whether in a wall section or under a slab, may also be located using infrared imaging (although airborne ultrasonics may also be an effective method). To use infrared imaging, a temperature difference must be induced usually by running hot water through the pipe. Note that leaks under concrete slabs may not express themselves because the water is drained away in the sand/gravel base layer and the effects may not be thermally visible from the surface. As a side note, thermographers are often asked to locate reinforcing steel in buildings. This is much more difficult. Heating the steel is not a simple task, usually accomplished with an inductive coil or direct DC-powered heating. Secondly, the heat is often insufficient to express itself on the surface. Other methods, based on sending and receiving radio signals, are probably more useful.

 

Verification of Construction Detail

 

No area of application is more important these days, particularly in commercial buildings, than the verification of construction details and performance. Thermography is being used with great success to verify bond beams and placement of reinforcing in concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls as well as structural elements of pre-cast, tip-up walls. How? The solid portions of the wall change temperature more slowly than the rest. The inspection can be conducted anytime the wall is in a thermally transient condition - typically in the early evening as it cools down. Because the inspection is conducted during construction, deficiencies can be corrected prior to occupation with relatively minor inconvenience. Verification of placement of insulation in masonry unit walls is also more important than in the past due to high energy costs and health concern regarding mold growth in cold wall cavities.

 

Sick-building Syndrome

 

When buildings are too tight or too moist, health-related problems quickly come to the forefront. Grouped together as “sick building syndrome,” these can stem from inadequate HVAC performance, moisture trapped in walls, mold growth on cold, damp surfaces and inadequate air change rates. Many of these can be visualized and diagnosed, at least in part, with thermography to help solve these very serious-and common-problems. Diagnosing these problems is often a very complex process and, given the fact that litigation may be involved, it is not something to be entered into lightly.

 

Facade Delaminations

 

A great deal of work has been done in SE Asia inspecting the facades of large buildings for delaminations. Failures of these materials can result in serious personnel injury. The masonry tiles used to face the buildings tend to change temperature rather quickly when they begin to delaminate compared to the underlying structure to which they were affixed. The diurnal cycle is typically the driving heat source and inspections are best done in the early evening hours after a warm sunny day.

 

Roof Moisture Inspections

 

The inspection of flat roofs, especially built-up roofs (BUR) has been proven for a number of years. The technique allows for the detection of moisture trapped in a roof system; over time this moisture leads to the pre-mature degradation of the roof. The moisture appears warmer at night after a sunny day due to its greater thermal capacitance. The roof surface must be dry and the technique works best on roofs with absorbent insulation. Inspection work can be accomplished either in a roof-top survey or an aerial survey conducted from a helicopter or fixed-wing craft.

 

Standards and References

 

Several important standards exist to support the work of thermographers conducting building inspections. These include, among others, the following:

 

• ASTM C 1060-97 - Practice for Thermographic Inspection of Insulation Installations in Envelope Cavities of Frame Buildings
• ASTM C-1153-97 - Practice for the Location of Wet Insulation in Roofing Systems Using Infrared Imaging
• ISO 6781 - Thermal insulation, qualitative detection of thermal irregularities in building envelopes, Infrared Method
• American Concrete Institute Design Standard 530 / American Society of Civil Engineers Standard 5, Masonry Building Code and Specification

 

Another excellent reference, although not a standard, is the Canadian General Standards Board Manual for thermographic analysis of building enclosures (149-GP-2MP). Numerous building related papers have been published over the years; many are collected on a CD-ROM from SPIE, entitled Selected Papers from the Proceedings of Thermosense, edited by John Snell and Doug Burleigh, available from the SPIE organization.

 

Conclusion

 

When properly used by qualified individuals, thermal imaging technology can play a powerful role in visualizing otherwise invisible building problems and conditions. Contractors and architects alike are both using thermography to assure the performance of their buildings. Building specialists count on thermography to help them diagnose tough problems that, left unsolved, are costly or dangerous. Owners rely on thermography as a tool for commissioning a new building. While a foundation of expertise must underlie the successful use of thermography for building diagnostics, getting started with most of the applications is often not difficult. An appropriate infrared system is required, with proper training and experience for the operator as well. Having supplementary knowledge of building sciences or access to that information is also vital. The primary return on an investment in building thermography is gaining a higher level of assurance buildings will perform as intended and occupants will be more comfortable, often at a lower cost.

 

Please visit us at www.electrophysics.com/snelltbesab 

 

For more comprehensive White Papers visit our online Knowledge Center www.electrophysics.com/thermal-imaging

 

Electrophysics - IR Cameras for Thermography Professionals

 

373 Route 46, Fairfield, NJ 07004   Phone: 973-882-0211   Fax: 973-882-0997

 

Josh White
http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/testing-building-envelope-systems-using-infrared-thermal-imaging-686820.html

Every home needs home insulation. However, there are several types from which to choose. We will go over a few of them in this article. Insulation is meant to reduce the flow of heat out of your home and into your home. Some of the particular types include fiberglass, rigid foam boards and liquid foam.

It is important to decide which the best home insulation for your house is. One factor that will help make the decision is the particular climate you live in. An effectively insulated home is an energy efficient and much more comfortable home to live in.

The best way to determine which home insulation is best for your climate is to contact your state or local energy conservation office.

Fiberglass home insulation comes in rolls or batts. These are to be installed between floor joists or in wall cavities. There are safety hazards when working with this type of insulation. Make sure you wear a dust mask or a respirator so that you do not breathe in any of the particles. In addition, wear long sleeves and gloves to protect your skin.

Rigid foam home insulation is also known as foam boards. They are more commonly used to insulate the foundation of a home because of their water resistance abilities. Another popular use of this type of insulation is for exterior insulation on walls or under siding. They must be fit tightly together to avoid any loss of energy.

Rigid foam home insulation has a higher R-value than fiberglass, which is why many homeowners and builders prefer to use it.

Liquid foam home insulation is sprayed in a thin layer onto a wall. It is then left alone to expand and fill the wall cavity before anything is added over top of the insulation. One of the main advantages of this type is that once it is applied you do not need to worry about it settling or moving. It provides an airtight seal. It is also quick to apply if you have the experience.

Most home insulation can be installed by a good do it yourselfer. However, many contractors have a lot of experience if you are not comfortable with the job.

Martin Applebaum
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/home-insulation-tips-734087.html

We’ve had some very frigid days in the northeastern US and Canada the last few weeks. Those of us who have a crawl space underneath part of our home have felt plenty of chilly floors underfoot and cold air on our ankles.

You may think that putting a heater in your crawl space will leave you with warmer feet. But in fact sealing and insulating your crawl space will not only address your indoor discomfort with cold, drafty floors, it will also avoid problems such as mold and rot in the crawl space itself, and will improve the health of your home overall.

For starters, let’s clear up a common mistake about the air flows in a crawl space. For many years, homeowners, homebuilders, and building inspectors have believed that a crawl space needs exterior venting on opposite walls, so that air can flow from one vent to the other, drawing out any extra dampness from the enclosed space. But the most recent studies show that ventilating a crawl space creates a very different result, known as the stack effect.

In a nutshell, with a good supply of outside air coming from your crawl space, all you need is a few cracks or hair’s width openings between the crawl space and the living areas, and a few drafts at the top of the house, such as old windows or a poorly sealed attic hatch, and your house starts acting like a giant chimney stack. Hot air rises, so the heated air inside your house works its way out the top openings, pulling cold air up from the crawl space.

The result is that the humidity and cold (and mold spores and dust) from the crawl space get drawn into your home, raising your heating costs and endangering your well-being. Ironically, the better you ventilate your crawl space, the more heat gets drawn out of your home through upstairs cracks.

Even in warmer months, when there is no stack effect from a crawl space, ventilating both ends of the crawl space doesn’t actually do much for airflow or humidity. There is no effect of rising heat to make the air flow through the vents, if they are both at the same level. And this approach basicaly amounts to treating the symptoms - poorly at that - instead of curing the disease. The disease, in this case, is excessive dampness and air entering the crawl space, and excess heat transfer during colder times of year between the crawl space and the outdoors.

You may find that your builder scoffs at the idea of insulating and sealing a crawl space. It defies conventional wisdom - and it also contravenes many local building codes that were developed from that conventional wisdom. But you’ll improve your indoor air quality, cut heat loss, and resolve any problems with humidity, mold, or rotting wood down below, if you set this out-of-date belief aside and do what recent research shows is most effective.

To properly seal and insulate your crawl space, start by removing any sharp objects such as old nails, glass shards, or sharp stones from the crawl space floor, so that you don’t hurt your hands or knees as you work (it is a “crawl space” after all). Also, you’ll be placing a plastic liner on the floor and you don’t want any sharp objects to push through the barrier and cut it as you are installing it.

Buy a liner made specifically for the task - or look for a suitable, thick polyethylene plastic. Not the 6 mil typically used for a vapor barrier - you need to go to 15 or 20 mil thickness if you want a liner that will last. The liner should be large enough to cover the whole floor along with the walls - preferably without your having to cut extra pieces for the walls. The best way to compute the size is to add twice the wall height to both the width and length of the floor, and then add 10% extra to account for the slope of the floor. So if you have 2 foot walls around the crawl space and a 15 x 20 foot space, you’ll need a sheet 21 by 29 feet. It’s better to buy a bit too much liner than to find yourself having to cut and tape on small pieces when you find out you didn’t buy enough to begin with!

Close off any ventilation openings, and for crawl space windows, either replace them with energy efficient ones, or at least ensure that they are not cracked or drafty. You may want to cut out rectangular sections of Foam Insulation to close off the window areas, as this will add an extra level of insulation to windows as well as cut down on drafts. Also check that any doors to the outside are also well weatherstripped.

If part or all of the walls are wood framed, place batt insulation against the wall between the studs; if you have masonry walls, use foam board. Be sure that any large gaps in the walls are patched first - any place where you can see outdoor light shining in from the outside.

Lay the liner over the crawl space floor, and up the walls. Trim the excess pieces off where the wall corners meet. Staple the vapor barrier to the studs, and seal all staple holes and any cuts or breaks in the poly with mastic tape.

Don’t do just part of this job. If you seal the ventilation without adding the vapor barrier, or put in the liner without insulating, you will run into trouble later on. And do it all within a week or two - don’t make this one of those projects thattakes months or years.

Once you have properly sealed and insulated your crawl space, you will find your home much more comfortable in winter. Your floors will be warmer, you’ll have fewer drafts, and your home will be safe from the health effects of crawl space mold and mildew. In fact, so will the crawl space itself.

And remember the notion we started with, that a crawl space heater might solve the problem of cold on your floors during this chilly winter? Well, if you follow the guidance above, you won’t need such a heater. We sealed the crawl space below our breakfast nook a while back, and the breakfast nook became so much more comfortable, we were able to disconnect the baseboard heaters that had been installed in the kitchen extension when it was built.

Robin Green
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/staying-warm-this-winter-whats-the-right-approach-a-crawl-space-heater-or-proper-insulation-728094.html

It’s a lightweight, reflective material made of a plastic substrate with a vapor-deposited coating of aluminum that is also used by NASA to protect astronauts during space walks.

This is a premium choice for insulation. It is applied by stapling it to rafters or laying it out over existing insulation. Radiant barrier foil reflects 97% of radiant heat (either keeping it in during the winter or keeping it out during the summer). It is the least-expensive energy improvement you can make in your home.