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 Mobile ViewINSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT ACOUSTICAL SEALANT CHOICES AIR BYPASS LEAKS AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONS ASBESTOS PHOTO GUIDE to Materials ASBESTOS RISK ASSESSMENT ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Wetting Guidelines ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST Asbestos Under the Microscope ATTIC LEAKS, CONDENSATION & MOLD BASEMENT CEILING VAPOR BARRIER BASEMENT HEAT LOSS BASEMENT LEAKS, INSPECT FOR BASEMENT WATERPROOFING BATH & KITCHEN DESIGN GUIDE BATHROOM VENTILATION BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BLOWN-IN INSULATION BOOKSTORE - INTERIORS BRICK LINED WALLS BRICK VENEER WALL INSULATION BRICK VENEER WALL Loose, Bulged BRICK WALL DRAINAGE WEEP HOLES BUCKLED FOUNDATIONS due to INSULATION? BUILDING NOISE DIAGNOSIS & CURE Carbon Nanotube Materials CACTUS FUNGI / MOLD CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET TEST PROCEDURE CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY CARPETING, SELECTION & INSTALLATION CATHEDRAL CEILING INSULATION CATHEDRAL CEILING VENTILATION CEILING FINISHES INTERIOR CEILINGS, DROP or SUSPENDED PANEL CEILINGS, PLASTER TYPES CEILINGS, PLASTER, LOOSE HAZARDS CEILING TILES - Asbestos-Containing CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CRAWL SPACES DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY Fiberboard Insulation Sheathing Mold FIBERGLASS HAZARDS FIBERGLASS INSULATION FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST Fiberglass Enviro-Scare FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD Fireproofing containing Asbestos FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES FRAMING METAL STUD PERFORMANCE FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING FROST HEAVES, FOUNDATION, SLAB HEAT LOSS RATE CALCULATIONS HEAT LOSS in BUILDINGS HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS HEAT LOSS INDICATORS HEAT LOSS PREVENTION PRIORITIES HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS HOUSEWRAP at SILLS, SOLES, TOP PLATES HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET ICE DAM PREVENTION INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT INSULATION CHOICES INSULATION FACT SHEET- DOE INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS Asbestos Pipe Insulation Balsam Wool Batt Insulation BLOWN-IN INSULATION BRICK LINED WALLS BRICK VENEER WALL INSULATION Cellulose loose fill insulation Ceramic Insulation Concrete insulation, light-weight Cotton Insulating Batts FIBERGLASS DUCT, RIGID CONSTRUCTION Fiberglass Insulation Foam Board Insulation Foam Insulation Types - Visual Id Homasote & Other Insulating Board Icynene Foam Spray Insulation Insects & Foam Insulation Mineral Wool - Rock Wool Insulation Paper Duct Insulation Perlite Insulation PHENOLIC FOAM INSULATION POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM INSULATION POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM BELOW SLABS POLYSTYRENE FOAM INSULATION RADIANT BARRIERS REFLECTIVE INSULATION RIGID FOAM USE INDOORS STRESS SKIN INSULATED PANELS STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION SUPER HI-R INSULATION SUPERINSULATION RETROFIT Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing VERMICULITE INSULATION INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT Air Bypass Leaks, Thermal Tracking AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION AIR SEAL STRATEGIES ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE BASEMENT CEILING VAPOR BARRIER BASEMENT De-Watering Systems BASEMENT HEAT LOSS Blocked Soffit Intake Vents BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWN-IN INSULATION BRICK or BLOCK WALL CAVITY INSULATION BRICK VENEER WALL INSULATION BUCKLED FOUNDATIONS due to INSULATION? CASEWORK, CABINETS, SHELVING INSTALLATION CATHEDRAL CEILING INSULATION CATHEDRAL CEILING VENTILATION HOT ROOF DESIGNS: Un-Vented Roof Solutions ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS ENERGY AUDIT - How to Use a Free One ENERGY SAVINGS MAXIMIZE RETURNS ON ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT OPTIONS ENERGY STAR PROGRAM ENERGY USE MONITORING FIBERGLASS DUCT, RIGID CONSTRUCTION Fiberglass Insulation FIRE PROTECTION FOR FOAM BOARD INSULATION FOUNDATION INSULATION OPTIONS FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES FRAMING METAL STUD PERFORMANCE HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS HIGH MASS TRADEOFFS, HEATING vs COOLING HOUSE DOCTOR, how-to be Inspect Attics for Moisture or Mold Inspect Attics for Blocked Soffit Intake Vents Inspect Basements for Moisture or Mold Inspect Building Exterior - Roof Venting Inspect the Ridge Vent System from the Attic Inspect the Soffit Vent System from the Attic Insects & Foam Insulation Insulation Air & Heat Leaks INSULATION for GREENHOUSE or SOLARIUM INSULATION CHOICES INSULATION FACT SHEET- DOE INSULATION PLACEMENT in BUILDINGS INSULATION R-Values & Properties LOG HOME WALL INSULATION VALUES MOISTURE in BUILDING WALLS, EFFECTS MOISTURE in CELLULOSE INSULATION Mold in Fiberglass Insulation Mold on Books, Book Conservation Mold on Fiberboard Insulating Sheathing MOLD in Foam Insulation MOLD in INSULATION Mold Resistance of Foam Insulation MOLD PREVENTION AFTER FLOODING MOLD RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION PASCAL CALCULATIONS PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN METHOD PHENOLIC FOAM INSULATION POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM INSULATION POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM BELOW SLABS POLYSTYRENE FOAM INSULATION RADIANT BARRIERS REFLECTIVE INSULATION RIGID FOAM USE INDOORS ROOF VENTING ENERGY SAVING DETAILS ROOF VENTING NEEDED? ROOF VENTILATION SPECIFICATIONS SLAB INSULATION LOCATION SLAB INSULATION LOCATION & EXTENT SLAB INSULATION, PASSIVE SOLAR SLATE THERMAL MASS for SOLAR HEAT STORAGE SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS STRESS SKIN INSULATED PANELS STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION SUPER HI-R INSULATION SUPERINSULATION RETROFIT Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing VAPOR BARRIERS & AIR SEALING at BAND JOISTS VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VAPOR BARRIERS & HOUSEWRAP VAPOR CONDENSATION & BUILDING SHEATHING VERMICULITE INSULATION INSULATION LOCATION - WHERE TO PUT IT BLOWN-IN INSULATION INSULATION CHOICES INSULATION FACT SHEET- DOE INSULATION LOCATION & QUANTITY for ATTICS INSULATION LOCATION for BASEMENT FLOORS INSULATION LOCATION for BASEMENT WALLS INSULATION LOCATION for BRICK or BLOCK WALL CAVITY INSULATION LOCATION for BRICK VENEER WALLS INSULATION LOCATION for CAPES, CRAWLSPACES INSULATION LOCATION for CATHEDRAL CEILINGS INSULATION LOCATION for GREENHOUSE or SOLARIUM INSULATION LOCATION for PASSIVE SOLAR FLOOR SLAB INSULATION LOCATION & EXTENT for SLABS INSULATION LOCATION for SOUND CONTROL INSULATION LOCATION for SUSPENDED PANELS INSULATION LOCATION for SWIMMING, INDOOR INSULATION MOLD INSULATION R-Values & Properties KIT HOMES, Aladdin, Sears, Wards, Others KITCHEN & BATH DESIGN GUIDE KITCHEN VENTILATION LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION LEED Building Designation & IAQ LOG HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY LOG HOME GUIDE MOLD in FOAM INSULATION, RESISTANCE MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS MYCOPHOBIA, STAINS MISTAKEN for MOLD MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE Nanomaterials Hazards NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE NOISE CONTROL for HEATING SYSTEMS NOISE CONTROL for FLOORS NOISE CONTROL for PLUMBING NOISE CONTROL for ROOFS ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST PAINT FALURE, DIAGNOSIS, CURE, PREVENTION Paper Duct Insulation Containing Asbestos PASCAL CALCULATIONS PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN METHOD PASSIVE SOLAR HEAT PERFORMANCE PASSIVE SOLAR HOME, LOW COST PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SYSTEMS RADIANT BARRIERS RADIANT HEAT RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid RADIANT HEAT TEMPERATURES RADIANT SLAB FLOORING CHOICES RADIANT SLAB TUBING & FLUID CHOICES REFLECTIVE INSULATION RIGID FOAM USE INDOORS ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES ROT, TIMBER FRAME SEARS KIT HOUSES SHEATHING, FOIL FACED - VENTS SLAB INSULATION, PASSIVE SOLAR SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS STAIN & BIODETERIORATION AGENT CATALOG STAINS on BUILDINGS - QUICK GUIDE STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS STAINS & FINISHES, INTERIOR STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES: PHOTO GUIDE STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS STONE CLEANING METHODS STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION STRESS SKIN INSULATED PANELS STUCCO WAll FAILURES DUE TO WEATHER STUCCO WALL METHODS & INSTALLATION STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION STUCCO PAINT FAILURES SUMP PUMPS GUIDE SWEATING (CONDENSATION) on PIPES, TANKS THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS THERMAL MASS in BUILDINGS THERMAL TRACKING & HEAT LOSS THERMOSTATS, HEATING / COOLING TRIM, INTERIOR INSTALLATION TRUSS UPLIFT, ROOF TRUSSES, Floor & Roof VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION in buildings VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WALL FINISHES INTERIOR WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS WIND WASHING INSULATION At EAVES WINDOWS & DOORS WINTERIZE A BUILDING WOOD Burning Heaters Fireplaces Stoves More Information |
Blown-in cellulose, foam, or other retrofit building insulation products: this blown in insulation retrofit article illustrates and describes the properties of blown-in or pumped-in building insulation materials. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Blown-in Building Insulation: settlement, vapor barriers, condensation, R-values, voidsThis document assists building buyers, owners or inspectors who need to diagnose, identify, or improve building insulation for new construction or retrofit and energy savings projects. Also see Foam Insulation Types - Visual Id also these typical pumped or blown-in insulation materials: Cellulose loose fill insulation, and also Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI and URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing. In these articles we provide photographs and descriptive text various kinds of building insulation along with description of the characteristics of each material. The question-and-answer article below paraphrases, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss. Blown In Building Insulation Characteristics, Advice, Moisture or Condensation ConcernsQuestion: Does blown-in insulation settle and need to be added as time goes by? Our house doesn't seem as warm as it did at first, though it could be because we are getting old. There is no vapor barrier - the builder said that I didn't need a vapor barrier in this climate. - Carl Whitis, Belen NM Answer: Settlement in Blown in Building Wall Insulation
If blown-in insulation has settled however, the gap at the top of the wall may sharply reduce the R-value of the wall. This would drop the effective R-value of the wall from R-13 to R-9.75 - a 25-percent reduction in insulating value and a 25 percent increase in heat loss through the wall. You can determine whether or not blown-in wall insulation has settled by a thermograph scan of the building. Our photo (above left) shows an inspection test cut to expose blown-in cellulose in a building wall. - DF See details about insulation settlement causes, effects, extent and other insulation voids at Retrofit Insulation Settlement, Voids. Other Voids in Blown-in Building Wall or Ceiling InsulationWatch out: in some blown-in building insulation retrofit projects we have occasionally found significant insulation voids where the installer was careless, or where the installer did not anticipate blockages in the wall cavity formed by diagonal bracing or fire blocking. An infra-red or thermal scan of a heated building during cold weather will make such insulation voids obvious - DF. [We did indeed observe significant shrinkage, not settlement, in UFFI blown-in insulation in some homes insulated with that product in the 1970's, particularly if the product was not properly mixed in the first place. See Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI. - DF] Why Does our Blown-in Insulated House Now Feel Colder?Your house may feel cold because the lack of a vapor barrier has let moist air from the house interior (or leaks in the house interior walls) has let moisture enter the walls. As moisture enters building walls, it cools, causing condensation in the wall cavity. The effect is similar to an actual leak into the building wall but perhaps less severe, and possibly not a problem. See Effects of Moisture in Building Wall Cavities - Do We Need a Vapor Barrier? just below. Effects of Moisture in Building Wall Cavities - Do We Need a Vapor Barrier?If we have a limited amount of moisture in the wall cavity:
Even limited moisture leaking into some building walls can accumulate, leading to mold or other building problems depending on the wall structure and materials. For example leaks into EIFS synthetic stucco walls have led to serious rot and mold problems on some buildings. See SIDING EIFS & STUCCO. - DF. Effects of Water Leaks into Wall CavitiesIf insulation actually gets wet (from accumulated condensation or from a leak into the wall cavity or ceiling cavity) the insulation becomes less effective, and you may feel the result as a "colder house" or in some unfortunate cases, as a "moldy house" with indoor air quality problems depending on the amount of moldy air moving in and out of building cavities. If moisture returns to the building interior or exterior (cases 2 and 3 above) then no harm may have been done. Watch out: building insulation that has been wet from leaks or accumulated moisture may invite mold growth, insect attack, and rot, all of which can eventually lead to the need for costly repairs. See INSULATION MOLD for details. Effects of Missing Wall Vapor BarrierStudies of several hundred houses without vapor barriers in Spokane WA and Portland OR, performed in the 1980's by George Tsongas of Portland State University found no structural damage to the buildings and only occasional higher than average moisture levels in the building framing or insulation. Albuquerque NM (your location) is dryer than Spokane and has fewer degree days, so you should not have in-wall humidity problems unless they originated in building leaks. Here we include solar energy, solar heating, solar hot water, and related building energy efficiency improvement articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss. Moisture or Water in Sprayed Cellulose InsulationAccording to Deborah Fallow, owner of MetroNY Insulation,
Fallow adds,
Watch out: In our opinion the views above need some clarification: It is accurate that building wall cavity insulation can safely "absorb" moisture driven into the wall cavity, store it, and later release it back to the living area as seasons and air and moisture movement direction change. We discuss the safe movement of moisture in and out of building cavities at MOISTURE in BUILDING WALLS, EFFECTS. It can also the case that if moisture driven into a wall (usually most severely at wall penetrations such as openings at receptacles or light fixtures) is excessive in amount (such as in a poorly vented bathroom or in a home with water entry troubles) the amount can be enough to saturate the insulation (mold and loss of R-value). The ability of different building insulation materials to absorb moisture vapor and later return it safely to the building interior varies by insulation product. Also, depending on the wall or ceiling's total R-value, moisture can pass through the insulation to the exterior sheathing where it condenses back to liquid form. That's a problem that invites mold growth, structural rot, and insect attack. Fallow's explanation above may confuse some readers who mix up the need for a vapor barrier (keeping moisture out of a wall) and the need for an air barrier (keeping wind effects out of a wall from outside and/or minimizing air movement in and out of a wall from inside the building). Exterior house wrap is specifically intended to be an air barrier, not a moisture barrier, so that if moisture does pass through a wall's insulation it can continue to pass to the outdoors. Or more generally, we place a vapor barrier on the "warm side" of a wall (or ceiling or floor) in order to prevent moisture from moving into and accumulating in the building cavity. In northern climates invariably that means the vapor barrier goes inside the building. In some southern climates where air conditioning is used, the "warm" side of the wall is actually the building exterior and a vapor barrier may be placed there rather than indoors. An in-depth discussion of how moisture moves in and out of buildings is provided at MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE. See our building moisture home page at MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS. A Few Other Warnings about Blown-In Building Insulation
The link to the original Q&A article in PDF form immediately below is preceded by an expanded/updated online version of this article.
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