Insulation is essential to building a home as it will help reduce or slow down energy transfer from the exterior to the interior. In simplest terms, insulation helps keep us warm in the Winter and cool in the Summer. Easy enough, but how do you know which type of insulation to use, as there is more than one way to insulate? This article shares how McMahon Custom Homes, LLC. will protect your future home.
We start every home by air-sealing all penetrations that separate a conditioned space from an unconditioned one. A wire installed from the great room and entering the attic will need spray foam at the penetration. We want to ensure air transfer is not an issue in your home. The bones of your home are all caulked where they join to remove any possibility of air loss. The focus is on energy efficiency, not heating or cooling unconditioned or outside areas.
The use of closed-cell spray foam in your walls increases the R-value immensely. By installing just one inch of foam, we will achieve an R-7 value in your walls before installing additional insulation to fill the cavity. Considering a 2 x 6 wall can achieve R-21 with standard batt insulation, we will far exceed this using foam as a base. The spray foam acts as a moisture barrier and seals all penetrations to keep air and moisture out of the home. Spray foam is a long-lasting product, and with modern advancements, it is eco-friendly. With the walls being sealed tight, the indoor air quality can be controlled, improving the air you breathe.
The value of BIBS, Blown-In-Blanket System, is the R-value, which at four and a half inches is around R-17. Couple that with the spray foam insulation in the base of your walls you are at a staggering R-24 insulation for your walls. When the minimum code is R-19, we are almost 1.5 times that requirement. The second most valuable component is how the insulation can get around pipes, boxes, and wires and fill the wall. Traditional batt insulation is supposed to be cut around all items in the wall, and the system won’t perform at its highest value if it isn’t. With BIBS, you leave nothing to chance, giving you peace of mind that your investment is protected.
Open-cell spray foam on the roof deck allows you to condition your attic space. We are fans of this system as it will decrease energy use since your unit is no longer fighting a 150-degree attic in the Summer. Having an R-49 insulation on the roof ensures your attic space is climate-controlled year-round. If you have an open area in your attic, you can store precious family heirlooms without concern for what the high temperatures will do to them.
The insulating system you choose or your builder chooses for you will often come down to the initial cost. The procedure above is not inexpensive, and we use it because we are building homes for generations to come. Buying a new home is likely the most significant investment a family will make, and we want to ensure your investment is protected for decades to come.
