How Does Fiberglass Roof Insulation Work

Also it comes in rigid boards and insulation made specifically for ductwork.

How does fiberglass roof insulation work.

4 most homeowners are very familiar with fiberglass they ve seen it at home improvement stores or at new construction sites so that familiarity lends towards helping sell it. Fiberglass is a popular residential and commercial insulator because of its energy saving qualities and minimal fire hazards. Work from the perimeter of the attic toward the door or hatch so that you don t trample all over the insulation you just put in. Fiberglass insulation or glass wool is a man made vitreous fiber.

It is lightweight yet strong and since glass isn t a good conductor of heat it s a very effective insulation material. It is made by pulling strands of glass into thin fibers. How does insulation work to prevent heat loss. How fiberglass insulation works.

Rigid foam boards trap air or another gas to resist conductive heat flow. How does fiberglass insulation work. If fiberglass isn t fitted in properly it can leave gaps for airflow. In this how it works department associate editor rob yagid looks at some of the ways you can avoid common mistakes that prevent fiberglass batts from performing well.

Insulation materials run the gamut from bulky fiber materials such as fiberglass rock and slag wool cellulose and natural fibers to rigid foam boards to sleek foils. While any type of insulation will work for roofs some prefer foam because it usually manages air flow better and the r values are higher. Other varieties would be loose fill which would be the material you see being blown into attics. There are however a few dangers associated with the installation of fiberglass if you are considering installing fiberglass insulation in your home here are a few dangers to know before you get started.

Always cover the tops of the ceiling joists to make sure the insulation is deep enough to reach your target r value and to prevent thermal bridging the heat loss that occurs through the wood framing. The more common formats of fiberglass insulation are the batts most people are familiar with as well as rolls of insulation. People can be affected by fiberglass when they come into contact with it either during the manufacturing process or when it is being used in a building. Bulky materials resist conductive and to a lesser degree convective heat flow in a building cavity.

Fiberglass insulation can sometimes get compressed causing its r value to decrease. While fiberglass batts continue to be a widely used form of insulation they don t always perform to their rated r value.