Insulation

The type of insulation material required to control the heat transfer depends upon the type of heat transfer. For example, foams, fibrous materials or spaces are used to reduce conductive heat transfer by reducing physical contact between objects. Other common heat insulators are fur, feathers, fiberglass, cellulose fibers, stone, wood, and wool.

Dow Chemical Company manufactures STYROFOAM™ blue extruded polystyrene foam. It is a good thermal insulator providing high compressive strength and water resistance and provides a sustained performance for a long time.

f you want to insulate your roof, the best way is to go for inverted warm roof insulation. In this the insulation material is installed on the top of the waterproof layer– the INVERTED WARM ROOF. This type of arrangement reduces the heat loss through the roof and protects the waterproof layer from temperature fluctuations.

Floor Insulation

Dow Chemical Company has also developed FLOORMATE™, a STYROFOAM solution to insulate ground bearing concrete floors and suspended floors such as beam and block. This solution comes in varying compressive strengths and design loads which provides life time insulation to the floors.

Foundation Insulation

If the foundation or the basement of a building is not properly insulated, it may result in 33% increase in heating expenses. The concrete slab under the home acts like a conductor of heat and cold from the earth around it.
The best way to insulate the foundation is to install a full insulation barrier around the concrete slab. It will also protect the foundation from water problems.

This can be done by using exterior rigid foam board with an R-Value of at least R-10. For this you need to first clean the slab and line the board around the exterior face of the slab. The foam board should meet the exterior of the cladding of the home and extend the lower side of the slab.

Now cover the exposed insulation with a protective material like cement board, vinyl, or Stucco.

Insulation Paint

Insulation paints like Thermilate which contain microspheres work by helping to prevent the heat from getting through the wall and also by reflecting the heat when it touches the wall. The paint can be mixed with the conventional insulation products.

Cotton Insulation

Cotton insulation is refiberized from recycled cotton fabrics or Denim trimmings and mixed with fire retardants. It is devoid of any chemical irritants like Formaldehyde etc .It delivers 10% less sound transmission and better performance at low temperatures and in windy conditions. It is non-toxic, therefore there is no need for safety equipment.