The What, How & Why Of Insulation (Part 1)
I know you’ve heard the word ‘insulation‘ thrown around before. But do you really know what it means? How it functions? How it can help in your home? In this series of blogs, we will write in details the What, How and Why to completely understand what exactly Insulation is. Insulation Contractors Near Me Minneapolis MN
What Does Insulation Do?
Insulation is basically a substance that helps to create barrier from air moving in or out of your Minnesota home. It prevents hot air from flowing out of your home when it is cold outside, and cold air from leaving your home when it is hot outside. It is basically substance in your home that helps the interior temperature of your home remain comfortable for you and your family. Therefore, if one has their home properly insulated, may that be in their attic, roof, walls, ceiling, flooring, basement, etc – their overall heating and cooling bills will go down as their HVAC system will not have to work as hard, plus, your home will always remain at a more comfortable temperature. I mean, who likes to wear sweatshirts and extra layers of clothing inside their home even though their heating system is working? And who wants to feel HOTTER in their home than it is outside? Nobody.
How Does Insulation Work? A Simple Science Lesson: Understanding Conduction, Convection and Radiation.
In order to completely understand the science behind insulation and how it works, we first need to focus on how air travels through conduction, convection and radiation. Different kinds of materials have different qualities to them.
- In the process of conduction, hot air moves from one material to another, for example, if you touch a boiling pot, the heat from the pot transfers over to your hand.
- In the process of convection, we follow the movement of heat through elements like air/gases and water. How does this work? Well, as we studied in high school, hot air is lighter and rises upward, whereas, cold air is heavier and denser, therefore falls downward.
- In the process of Radiation, the path of movement of heat is in a straight line where anything in the way of the path results in absorbing the heat.
So What Do These Processes Have To Do With Insulation In Your Home?
The insulation materials that are pretty commonly used in residential or commercial insulation are mostly radiant and conductive, and sometimes convective. However, despite whichever process is used, what we need to have a solid understanding of is “How warm air moves” and that heat moves from warmer air to cooler air, until there is no more variation in temperatures. In your home, this would simply mean, that in winter time, warm air will travel to areas of your home that are not insulated or are under-insulated to level out the temperature. In this case, heat may even escape your home without sufficient insulation, which is obviously something you want to avoid in the winter. If this happens, your heating and cooling system has to work harder to kick out more warm air to make out for all the heat loss.
What Did You Learn?
I hope you learnt enough to have a basic understanding of insulation from this blog. In Part 2, of this series, we will talk about R-values and areas of your home where insulation can be installed. And, as always, for any advice or insulation needs, feel free to contact your local insulation contractor in Minneapolis MN, Century Insulation, today!
Insulation Contractors Near Me Minneapolis MN | Century Insulation
Century Insulation can help you insulate your home or commercial property in Minneapolis Minnesota. Our services include spray foam insulation, attic insulation, cellulose insulation, and fiberglass insulation. If you’re not sure which one is best for you, feel free to contact one of our insulation contractors to come and inspect your house and help you determine which solution works best for you!