As we know it?
Insulation in our houses has become a step towards energy efficiency by regulating the temperatures inside the house. Moreover, some individuals prefer insulation to reduce acoustic interference with the outside world. It also provides protection from molds and corrosion, and is a barrier to lead-based paints and coatings. The need for insulation has also been identified by the government of many countries.
Need for change
Insulation in our house saves us electricity cost a great deal. In future, where electricity charges are going to rise, insulation can help us save money and keep our budget in good control. It has been estimated that every house can save 30 percent of its heating cost, if it is equipped with insulation. This is enough to motivate everyone to install insulation, especially people living in old houses.Insulation comes in many ways like attic insulation, reflective insulation, weather stripping at the windows, etc.
What’s next?
1. Organic-n-sustainable insulation made from mushrooms:
Global warming has become a key issue in everyone’s mind and we are keen to find solutions. This urge has led us to use insulated material that can reduce global warming. But who had thought of producing insulated materials out of flour, water, and mushroom spores?
What’s new:
Elben Bayer from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute thought so. Although this new idea in insulation still has to pick up pace and is not so popular in use, a research proved that it would be considered as one of the list counted for eco friendly items for house. The role that it plays is to suffocate the garbage and also the landfills so that they cannot pollute the house.
What difference will it make:
Though, it is still years away from bringing the insulation available for building an eco friendly home, it will surely be a welcome part of the growing market for eco friendly products, to help the ’suffocating world’ break shackles from its soaring garbage and landfills – its being sustainable, organic and eco-friendly.
2. Wool based insulation:
What’s new?
Did you know that our houses emit enough air pollution to be a concern for the environmentalists? A major contributor to this is central heating and air conditioning in our homes. An eco friendly insulating material made from wool, completely recycled is now available in the markets to lower electricity consumption in both winters and summers. According to statistics about 10 percent of the a dwelling’s heat is lost through floors, walls contribute to 24 percent and an alarming 40 percent is lost through the ceiling. However, wool can stop this energy loss to a high extent thereby saving homeowners’ money and reducing their carbon footprint. Moreover, wool is an eco friendly and non toxic material. Homeowners also have the option to choose recycled wool as an insulation material. Eco insulation using wool can be used in the whole house except for high humidity areas such as swimming pool halls and saunas. It is non- irritant, non-allergenic, non-toxic and odorless. And can easily run for 50 years with minimal maintenance.
3. Styrofoam insulation system:
Styrofoam is light and waterproof and that makes it ideal as building insulation. Its closed cell structure means that Styrofoam insulation has a high R-value. R-value refers to the ability of a material to conduct heat. The higher the value a substance has, the more resistant it is to conducting heat.
What’s new?
Insulation made using Styrofoam does not allow heat to transfer through it and helping in reducing the need for artificial cooling or heating of a house. This insulation also ensures that homes stay warm in winter and cool in summer.
