NAIMA Offers Insulation Tips To Home Owners Repairing Or Rebuilding Weather-Damaged Homes

With the recent natural disasters in the Southeastern United States, homeowners have many questions about insulation. The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMANorth American Insulation Manufacturers Association, a trade organization representing manufacturers of fiber glass and rock and slag wool insulation products in North America.) has a number of free resources and guides on its website, www.NAIMA.org to aide homeowners with their building decisions and provide tips on choosing and installing insulation. A home built as few as ten years ago likely has much less insulation than even the minimum code requirementsThe criteria an applicant or project must meet in order to receive an incentive, or steps that must be taken in order to receive the incentive, such as having a home energy audit performed or using an approved contractor. today.

"As homeowners clean up after the recent storms, it is important to remember that the decision you make today about insulation will last the life of your home," said Ken Mentzer, president and CEO of NAIMANorth American Insulation Manufacturers Association, a trade organization representing manufacturers of fiber glass and rock and slag wool insulation products in North America.. "Insulation provides numerous benefits to your home including energy conservation, comfort and acoustical advantages, and it is wise for most homeowners to add insulation above the bare minimums required by local and state energy codesLocal requirement that outlines the minimum level of insulation and other energy-efficiency measures for new construction. Energy Codes are updated on an ongoing basis, and minimum levels of insulation are set by considering the cost of energy and what level provides a reasonable payback.."

Wet Insulation

Homeowners in storm ravaged areas may have wet insulation. NAIMA wants homeowners to know that fiber glassA material consisting of glass fibers used in making various products, including yarns, fabrics, insulation, and structural objects or parts. Fiber glass is resistant to heat and fire. insulation that has been wetted from rising flood waters should be removed and replaced, since the water may be contaminated. The American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) provide similar advice. If fiber glass batt insulation is wetted from a clean water source, however, such as a potable water pipeA circular conduit for the conveyance of liquids or semisolids., it can be removed, dried out and reused. All loose-fill insulations that are wetted should be removed and replaced, since they can lose their insulating properties, or R-valueMeasure of resistance to heat flow. Insulation materials have tiny pockets of trapped air. These pockets resist the transfer of heat through material. The ability of insulation to slow the transfer of heat is measured in R-values. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation material's ability to resist the flow of heat through it. The Federal Trade Commission prohibits expressing R-value in terms of inches, because R-value is not a linear measurement. R-values can be added togehter for a total system R-value., when wet.

Insulation Pays

Your state or local utility may offer tax incentives or rebates for increasing the energy efficiency of your home through the use of products like thermal insulation1: Insulation applicable within the general temperature range of 300 F to 1800 F. 2: A material or assembly of materials used to provide resistance to heat flow.. NAIMA's website offers links to these tax incentive and rebateA deduction from an amount charged or a return of a price paid. programs.

Insulation is an investment that pays for itself many times over. The initial costs to install insulation are typically recouped in three to seven years depending on how much you already have and how much more you add. And, fiber glass insulation continues to save energy and help lower bills for the life of your home.

Free Information

Adding more insulation to your unfinished attic can be done at ay time, but adding insulation to walls and conditioned spaces is somewhat more difficult. The best time to think about how much insulation you need is when you are doing new construction or renovations. Considering insulation now will save you time and money later.

NAIMA also provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), including:

• Recommended R-values for insulation in your state, including how much insulation should be installed
• Where to add insulation in an existing home
• Information on how to find and choose a contractor

Homeowners can find free information related to:

• Installing fiber glass batt and loose-fill insulationInsulation in granular, nodular, fibrous, powdery or similar form designed to be installed by pouring, blowing or hand placement. (English and Spanish)
• Comparisons of various insulation products
• Labeling and advertising of home insulation
• Insulation and fire safety
• Insulation for noise control