| There are six major areas where heat or air escapes | | | | This method has its limits. When building insulation, it |
| from your house. These are the attic and roof, the | | | | could not tell you how thick the material is, nor the type |
| walls, windows and doors, storage tanks, ducts, and | | | | or quality. It will require actual physical examination to |
| chimney vents. This early you should know that simply | | | | determine these. |
| adding insulation to an existing one is not going to help | | | | The external walls are the constructions that |
| heat or air from escaping. This is definitely not how | | | | demarcate the outside from the inside of your home. |
| building insulation works. | | | | These are areas where most of the energy is lost |
| Perhaps it is better to start with explaining how heat is | | | | especially if it is not lined with any insulated cavity |
| lost. It follows the law of diffusion, flowing from higher | | | | between two walls. You could install insulation on the |
| level to a lower level. There is a factor called "R" that | | | | exterior by first determining the necessary spots or |
| is equal to the resistance of the heat flow. The higher | | | | key areas where heat escapes the most. From there, |
| the value of R, the lesser heat energy escapes | | | | determine how heavy insulation should be. Consider |
| through the insulation. "U" is the reciprocal value of R | | | | factors like the type of insulation fiber, thickness and |
| that is equal to the value of heat transmitted across | | | | moisture barrier. |
| the insulation material. The lesser the value of U, the | | | | Houses are made of different constructions and |
| better quality is an insulation material. | | | | located varied regions. Therefore, also determine the |
| The above description may seem too scientific for | | | | material makeup of the walls of your house and your |
| some people. There are more practical ways to check | | | | geographical location. You would probably need |
| the insulation quality of a material. First, you can trace | | | | heating or cooling, or both. If both, determine which you |
| where heat escapes through heat imaging or infra red | | | | will need more. Is your country or region predominantly |
| thermal imaging. Such technology could instantly | | | | cold or hot? Furthermore, consider the life span and |
| pinpoint which areas of the insulation are weak. | | | | durability of the material when building insulation. |