Energy Savings, Comfort, Air And Moisture Infiltration-Polyurethane Insulation Does It All

Polyurethane foam insulation is a major innovation in home insulation technology. For more than 40 years, spray foam insulation has been providing year-round comfort in homes across America. Federal and state energy-saving education groups refer to spray-in-place foam as one of the most efficient means of insulating your home.
How does polyurethane foam work:
A two-part mixture is applied by trained professionals to the inside surface of exterior walls, to the underside of roof, and beneath floors in basements and crawl spaces. The spray mixture expends rapidly to fill all cracks and voids, completely and permanently adhering to wood, masonry, metal studs and joists.
Spray foam insulation is professionally installed at the same point in the construction cycle as other types of insulation. That is, it should be installed after the rough plumbing, electrical wiring, and heating and air conditioning ducts have been installed, but before the interior walls are completed in new home construction. In some cases polyurethane foam also can be applied in older homes, to the inside of roofs and under floors after construction has been completed.
Polyurethane insulation seals your house:
Polyurethane insulation is sprayed on as a liquid which reacts and expends in place. This expansion action also seals all of the cracks and crevasses in your wall’s exterior sheathing. The result is that air can no longer slip in: your house will be less drafty and more comfortable.
Air leakage can also introduce moisture into the wall cavity, resulting in wet insulation and mold and mildew. With the sealing effects of polyurethane insulation, this will not be a concern.
Your house does need to be ventilated:
Most house design professionals will advise you to seal the house structure as tight as possible and provide the necessary ventilation through the heating and air conditioning system. Many systems employ an “air exchanger” which is designed to pre-condition (either warm or cool) the incoming outside air with the outgoing exhaust air. In this manner, you can build an extremely energy efficient exterior shell using polyurethane foam while still providing controlled and energy efficient ventilation.
Unlike cellulose and fiberglass materials, closed-cell foam is impervious to water absorption and wicking. Yet the closed-cell structure allows the passage of water vapor (high energy particles) to allow your home envelope to “breathe”. Liquid water has much larger particles and is unable to pass into or through a closed-cell foam barrier.
Most moisture problems in houses are due to moisture entry from air leakage. Because spray polyurethane insulation provides such an excellent air barrier, this source of moisture is virtually eliminated. Other potential sources of moisture can be excluded with proper construction techniques and materials. Unusual building use (such as freezers or swimming pool buildings) may require a vapor retarder.
Polyurethane insulation strengthens your house:
Your walls will be more resistant to winds and you’ll notice less creaking and shaking when doors are slammed or when the kids are romping about.
Will you save money if you insulate with polyurethane insulation?
Yes! The installed cost of spray polyurethane is somewhat higher than glass fiber batts or blown-in cellulose. However, the higher initial cost is partially offset because you can leave off the house wrap and your heating and air conditioning equipment can be smaller.
You will save in your heating fuel and electric bills. Studies suggest that homes insulated with spray polyurethane use 20 to 40 % less energy than homes insulated with conventional insulation. Your savings may be greater or less depending on your life style, appliances, house site, number and size of windows, etc.
So, if you want your home warm during the winter month and comfortably cool during the summer month and save money on heating and cooling costs-insulate your home!
Visit http://www.curnuttinc.com/ for more information.

Things You May Never Knew About Polyurethane Insulation

Many people-homeowners and even constructors-don’t know that there are other insulating products besides fiberglass. One of which is polyurethane foam. Today I am surprised by how little the construction industry and homeowners know about this great product.
Polyurethane foam insulation is a major innovation in home insulation technology. For more than 40 years, spray foam insulation has been providing year-round comfort in homes across America. Federal and state energy-saving education groups refer to spray-in-place foam as one of the most efficient means of insulating your home.
Energy savings, comfort, air and moisture infiltration-polyurethane insulation does it all.
This remarkable system provides extremely high R-value (R13 at 2-inch thickness). Closed-cell insulation also creates a permanent air barrier and vapor diffusion retarder (VDR); protecting your home’s interior from dust, pollen and moisture infiltration, while strengthening walls. Its closed-cell structure provides superb noise reduction to make even a busy life peacefully quiet. And it’s environmentally friendly, too. But best of all it helps save money on heating and cooling costs year after year.
Professionally installed insulation is applied by specially trained contractors to the inside surface of exterior walls, to the underside of the roof, and beneath floors in basements and crawl spaces during new home construction or home remodeling. The two-part spray mixture expends rapidly to fill all gaps and voids, completely and permanently adhering to wood, masonry, metal, studs and joists. It is best applied after rough plumbing, electrical wiring, and heating and air conditioning ducts are in place and before interior wallboard is installed.
Most spray foam insulation is formulated to inhibit mold, mildew and bacterial growth.
Spray-in-place insulation never settles shrinks, compresses or sags.
Spray foam insulation has higher density (nominal 2 lbs/ft3 of foam) for higher R-value and more efficient vapor and air retardation.
High-density, closed-cell insulation strengthens walls with more than twice the racking strength of so called “soft” open-cell foam insulation products.
Homes insulated with polyurethane foam use less energy for heating and cooling and can often be served by smaller heating and air conditioning units.
For more information please visit http://www.curnuttinc.com

Insulate Your Home And Save Money

There are a lot of things to consider when building a new home or renovate an existing one. If you want to keep you home both toasty warm during the winter month and comfortably cool during the summer months-you have to insulate your home. If you want to save money on heating and cooling costs year after year—insulate your home.
Increasing home insulation creates a more comfortable living environment and lowers heating and cooling cost.
According to the Department of Energy about 56 % of the energy use in typical U.S. home goes toward heating and cooling. When attic, walls or floors are under-insulated, a large part of your costly heated or cooled air may be making a beeline for the outdoors. Many homeowners that opt to install insulation are immediately pleased with the change in air quality and comfort in their houses and over the course of a few years, notice that they are saving a lot of many on their utility bills.
You can reduce your home’s heating and cooling costs through proper insulation and air sealing techniques. These techniques will also make your home more comfortable. Proper moisture control and ventilation strategies will improve the effectiveness of air sealing and insulation. Therefore, a home’s energy efficiency depends on a balance between all of these elements:
· Air sealing
· Insulation
· Moisture control
· Ventilation
A proper balance between all of these elements will also result in a more comfortable, healthier home environment. You need insulation in your home to provide resistance to heat flow. The more heat flow resistance your insulation provides, the lower your heating and cooling costs.
When insulating your home, you can choose from many types of insulation. To choose the best type of insulation, you should first determine the following:
· Where you want or need to insulate
· The recommended R-values for areas you want to insulate

Most of the available insulation forms:
· Blanket: batts and rolls
· Concrete block insulation
· Foam board or rigid foam
· Insulating concrete forms (ICFs)
· Loose-fill
· Reflective system
· Rigid fibrous or fiber insulation
· Sprayed foam and foamed in-place
· Structural insulated panels (SIPs)
Consulting with constructors and applicators will help you to make right choice because your home is usually the single largest investment you will ever make and you need to do it right.
Visit http://curnuttinc.com/ and learn more about Sprayed foam and foamed in-place (polyurethane insulation) – your ideal solution for cost-saving.