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How to Inspect & Correct Building Insulation & Ventilation InspectAPedia®  -     Insulation & Heat Loss Inspection Guide; Insulation R-values, Types, & other characteristics Attic, basement, & crawl space condensation - mold problems, mold solutions Fiberglass in buildings: hazards & remedies Mold growth problems on or in building insulation Ice dam causes and ice dam prevention Stain diagnosis in buildings; air leaks, thermal tracking or telegraphing Ventilation of building attics, crawl spaces, & other

This website discusses how to inspect, diagnose problems in, and install or repair building insulation & ventilation systems including heat loss, moisture, & interior stains. Because no amount of insulation can keep a drafty building warm, also review ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES. Also see HEAT LOSS INDICATORS (where is the building losing heat during the heating season, or gaining un-wanted heat during the cooling season), and see HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION for a guide to calculating heat loss (or gain) rates for buildings and building insulation.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Guide to Inspection of Building Insulation: insulation material identification, insulation R-values, insulation characteristics

The websites and articles listed here provide in-depth discussions of how to identify various types of insulation, where insulation defects occur and what is their effect on buildings, and we discuss various indoor air quality issues involving building insulation such as asbestos and fiberglass particle contamination, mold in insulation, and building moisture and condensation where insulation and ventilation have not been properly installed.

Insulation products are used in a very wide range of building products and building locations besides attic, ceiling, and wall insulation. Some kinds of insulation can be tricky to identify and may have special concerns which are discussed in these articles.

Links at page left organize our articles on building insulation inspection, hazards, and insulation properties. Additional insulation articles are listed just below.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

• Asbestos pipe insulation in buildings how to identify asbestos pipe insulation, how to inspect and report its condition
• Brick "Insulation" in Building Walls how inspect, report, and repair this material
• Foam Insulation Spray Product Guide: If you are having trouble determining what type of foam insulation product has been installed in a building, see How to Make a Sure Distinction Among UFFI, Icynene, and Latex Foam Insulations for detailed on the identification of these products in the field.
• HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS, Insulation Properties, Definitions of R, K, U values, Insulation Design
• How to Choose an Air Conditioner - BTU Chart useful when buying or replacing an air conditioner, this chart helps select the proper sized air conditioning unit
• How to Detect and Correct Attic Condensation & Prevent Ice Dam Leaks in Buildings
• How to Inspect Building Interiors and Building Insulation/Ventilation list of articles about building insulation inspection, defects, design, and ventilation requirements
• Insulation Materials as Indicators of Building Age various types of insulation were used in different eras of construction
• Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Fiberglass in Indoor Air, HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
• Insulation Identification Photographs - Fiberglass insulation photos, yellow, pink, green, white fiberglass identification in building attics, walls, ducts, other locations
• Insulation Identification Photographs - Cellulose insulation photos, Mineral wool insulation photos, rock wool insulation photos, cotton insulation photos, balsam wool insulation photos
• Insulation Identification Photographs - Vermiculite insulation photos
• Insulation Properties, Table of R-Values, density, moisture permeability, fire safety, aging effects on various insulation materials
• Insulation Values of Log Home Walls - discusses the insulation value of solid log wall homes compared with other structures, and it explains the principal errors people make when evaluating the cause of chilly log cabins.
• LP or Natural Gas Pressures & BTUH per Cubic Foot how to properly install, inspect, and test gas piping and gas installations
• Mold in Fiberglass in Insulation hidden mold can be a serious contamination problem in fiberglass insulation that has been wet, even though mold is not visible
• Mold in Foam Insulation what is the risk of mold, rot, or other damage when solid foam or spray foam insulation is used in building cavities
• Rated Cooling Capacity - How to Determine Air Conditioning Equipment Rated Cooling Capacity
• Radiant Heat Floor Mistakes to Avoid case history of improper placement of slab insulation and radiant heat tubing - don't let your contractor ruin your costly in-floor heating system as ours did
• Un-Vented Roof Solutions - How to Prevent Attic Condensation, Ice Dam Leaks, Roof Mold, & Roof Structural Damage in Buildings with Un-vented Roof Cavities
• Vermiculite Building Insulation & Asbestos

BASEMENT MOLD includes examples of moldy fiberglass insulation found in basements
CRAWLSPACE MOLD includes additional examples of moldy fiberglass insulation found in crawl spaces

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
AIR BYPASS LEAKS
AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS
  Find Heat Loss & Air Leaks
  Heat Loss Investigation Sequence
  Blower Door Test Data Results
  Smoke Gun for Air Leaks
  Attic Energy Losses - InfraRed
  Basement Energy Losses- IR & Visual
  Duct System Air Movement
  Living Space Heat Loss
  Targets & Hidden Leak Points
  Convective Loops & Thermal Bypass Leaks
  Insulation Air & Heat Leaks
  The Bottom Line on Energy Retrofits
AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION
AIR SEALING STRATEGIES
BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION
ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS
INTERIORS of BUILDINGS
COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ
DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms
HEAT LOSS in BUILDINGS
  How to measure heat movement through a wall
  How to measure building insulation
  How leaky is the building
  BASEMENT HEAT LOSS
  ENERGY AUDIT - How to Use a Free One
  ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES
RADIANT HEAT
RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid
RADIANT SLAB FLOORING CHOICES
RADIANT SLAB TUBING & FLUID CHOICES
HEAT LOSS INDICATORS
HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION
HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
HEAT TAPES, Heat, Insulation prevent Freeze-Up
HEATING SYSTEMS
HEATING COST FUEL & BTU Cost Table
HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS
HEATING LOSS DIAGNOSIS-BOILERS
HEATING LOSS DIAGNOSIS-FURNACES
INSULATION & VENTILATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
Insulation Material Identification Guide
Insulation R-Values & Properties
ASBESTOS: Photo Guide to Materials / Products
Mold Growth Resistance of Foam Insulation
Table of Properties of Insulating Materials
HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET
HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
ICE DAM PREVENTION
MOISTURE, MOLD, ICE DAM LEAKS in ATTICS & ROOFS

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Ice Dam Leaks in building attics and roof cavities, how to inspect for evidence of leaks, identify causes, and correct bad attic ventilation, improper roof venting, and these causes of attic mold or roof structure damage
• Mobile Home Inspections common defects unique to factory built housing, inspection methods
• Mold Cleanup, How to clean or remove mold in buildings
• Mold Resistant Drywall is mold-resistant or "mold proof" Sheetrock^R from US Gypsum or Georgia Pacific worth it?
• Mold Prevention: Avoiding Mold Problems in Buildings by Using Mold-resistant Construction Products & Practices
• Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold, mold action plan, valid and invalid test methods, mold remediation
• Rot, fungus, termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetles, & other wood destroying organisms
• Stairways: A Checklist for Stair, Railing, Landing Safety Inspections
• Links to our list of additional information sources: Interior Defects in Buildings

InspectAPedia® Home & Site Map - Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice: In-depth research & advice on diagnosing, testing, correcting, & preventing building defects & indoor environmental hazards. Unbiased information, no conflicts of interest.

The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems

Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.

Building Inspection, Problem Diagnosis, Forensic Investigation & Testing, Repair Consulting

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