Insulation Institute Blog

25 Checkpoints for Inspecting Insulation Jobs

Most home builders have a point-person responsible for ensuring that tradespeople are completing their work as specified. For some, that means there’s someone physically walking through homes after the insulation has been installed to ensure that the job is done properly. But do they know where to look? Our 25 checkpoints guide can help.

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25 Checkpoints for Inspecting Insulation Jobs

Blown-in Insulation’s Measures and Checks

Blown-in insulation installers know that measuring it in an attic is key to delivering the required thermal performance and receiving a Grade I install. That is typically accomplished by installing attic rulers throughout the space, so there is one for every 300 sq. feet of attic space. Accurate measures are needed to meet code requirements, according to Chris Conway, President of Conway Energy, a building science consulting firm that specializes in single and multi-family construction. No matter how experienced the installer is, you’re going to want to measure every time and check in multiple locations. But there are times when that measurement can be off.

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Blown-in Insulation’s Measures and Checks

A Hot New Home and Missing Insulation

New homeowner Evelyn Cagnetti recently contacted NAIMA to share her frustration about her new Energy Star home, which she had built in February of last year. Shortly after moving in, Evelyn noticed that the upstairs was hot, stale, and stuffy during the winter months. Still, she didn’t know why until she checked the second-floor ceiling and found insulation remnants but no insulation.

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A Hot New Home and Missing Insulation

Trading Off Thermal Resistance is a Very, Very Bad Idea

If you’ve been following our blog for some time now, you know that we write regularly about basic building science. In fact, we completed a primer, Building Science 101 with Building Scientist Allison Bailes a few years back. Dr. Bailes, a Georgia resident, recently wrote the state’s Department of Community Affairs to object to a proposal that would allow as little as R-20 spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation to be used on the underside of the roof deck in new homes built in the state when R-38 is required. You may ask why R-20 SPF at a blower door rating of 3ACH 50 was proffered as a substitute for R-38 and 5ACH 50. So did Bailes.

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Trading Off Thermal Resistance is a Very, Very Bad Idea

Beauty and the Batts

Fiberglass batts are commonly used to insulate flat ceilings and attic areas in both new and existing buildings. They offer performance, cost-effectiveness, and relative ease of installation, but that doesn’t mean they’re always installed properly. The performance of any insulation product is dependent not only on selecting the proper product but also on installing it correctly. So, how does one install batts in flat ceilings to maximize thermal performance?

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Beauty and the Batts

New Report Shows Acoustic Performance

NAIMA has released a new report that documents the acoustical performance of residential wall cavity insulation products. The report is based on research conducted by Intertek Labs that tested seven wall assemblies with variations in cavity insulation products, including fiberglass, mineral wool, open cell spray foam, closed cell spray foam, and flash and batt applications with spray foam and fiberglass insulation.

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New Report Shows Acoustic Performance

Does My Insulation Settle or Expire?

NAIMA/Insulation Institute frequently fields questions regarding various performance aspects of fiberglass and mineral wool insulation. One of the most common questions we receive is, “what is the typical lifespan of fiberglass and mineral wool insulation?” Other questions come up regarding settling and loose fill insulation. We know there are many misconceptions about fiberglass and mineral wool insulation products’ performance and longevity, so pointing out research that can help dispel myths is often necessary.

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Does My Insulation Settle or Expire?

An Insulating Challenge: Scissor Trusses and Sloped Ceilings

Architect Terry Smith of TDSA Architecture in Washington state recently contacted NAIMA with a question about how to properly insulate various types of roof trusses – both conventional and scissor type. Terry rightly pointed out that insulation is intended to be most effective when uniformly applied or layered to cover the full extent of the space being insulated. But there are instances, such as narrow areas near the top plate of scissor trusses and sloped ceilings, where that is not possible.

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An Insulating Challenge: Scissor Trusses and Sloped Ceilings

Insulation Contributes $36B in Payrolls to the Economy

A newly released study of the insulation industry’s economic contributions to the U.S. economy in 2019 details more than 564,000 jobs generated and $36 billion in payrolls that supported families and communities around the country. Those jobs in the manufacturing, distribution, and installation of insulation will be a critical component of the nation’s continued economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the study’s sponsor, the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

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Insulation Contributes $36B in Payrolls to the Economy