You probably already know that insulation helps keep a home comfortable, while lowering heating/cooling costs, but what else should you know if you intend on building a home in North Texas? As Flower Mound custom home builders, we know most people aren’t too familiar with the way insulation works, the different types, and what R-Values are. When it comes to the biggest investment of your life, being armed with knowledge is important. Without good insulation, your family may feel uncomfortably warm in summer months or uncomfortably cold in winter months. We will try to help you better understand insulation and heat flow.
Heat flow is simply the “flow” or movement of hot or warm air to cooler air, and insulation is used in buildings to effectively slow the pace of this movement. For instance, when you have the heat running in winter months, you don’t want the heated air to move to the cold outdoors, which can definitely happen if you have inadequate insulation.
Heat may flow or move via radiation, conduction or convection. What does this mean? With radiation, heat follows a direct line, absorbing energy from anything along that straight or direct path. With conduction, heat flows through a material; think of a heated metal pot or a metal spoon, and how it heats up when sitting in a cup of hot coffee. Convection may be easier to understand, as most of us know heated air rises, while colder air settles to the lower spaces of your home. Hot air is lighter than cold air, and because heat circulates or moves through gases or liquids, it rises to the top.
What about R-value? What does it mean? As one of four important factors determining how effective a particular insulation material may be, R-value is basically a measure of how the thickness of a certain insulation material will resist heat flow. Higher R-values mean less heat loss through walls, ceilings, attics, etc., and therefore, greater energy efficiency and comfort.
The various types of insulation include foam boards, cellulose, natural fibers, fiberglass, and many others. The type of insulation used in building a custom home depends on certain factors, including the region’s climate. Our Flower Mound custom home builders use blown-in fiberglass installation, which is proven to be more effective than batting, and is quicker to install, providing far greater protection against heat loss in winter months or heat gain in summer months. Unlike batts with seams, blown-in insulation is loose-fill, which has been found to perform more than 20% better in terms of R-value than batts of the same value.
Full foam encapsulation is another option when building a green custom home, and one we believe enhances insulation even more, when it comes to a comfortable home and improved energy efficiency.
At Bud Bartley Family of Builders, our custom North Texas home builders believe in educating our clients in order for them to make wise investment choices. For a home that’s as environmentally friendly and comfortable as it is beautiful and distinctive, give us a call today!
