thermal barrier: New Construction Attic Insulation - Do You Wonder If Heat Escapes?
- 02/19/15 07:31 PM
New construction attic insulation - do you wonder if heat escapes? And, if heat escapes, do you wonder if heat enters? Many clients call me for a home inspection on brand new construction and tell me that they want one even though they are told by the builder they don't need a private inspection. After all, the supervisor is there every day, doing his inspections. The county has been by many times, doing their inspections. Manufacturer reps often come by, like window companies, doing their inspections. So, why in the world would you need to pay money for another, private home (22 comments)
thermal barrier: What Is The Insulation Value (AKA R-Value) Of Faux Stone?
- 02/08/14 07:57 PM
That is an interesting question - what is the insulation value, AKA R-value, of faux stone? Faux stone, or sometimes called manufactured stone, cultured stone, and veneer stone, is a composite material made from cement, polyurethanes and high-density polymers. The "stone" product manufacturers say that there are substantial differences in the materials comprising the different products in terms of thicknesses, weights and composition. But they all claim that faux stone adds R-value ("resistance" value, an insulation measurement) to whatever it is put on top of. I read claims of adding anywhere from 3.6 to 5 additional R-value with faux stone applications. The (52 comments)
thermal barrier: Thermal Image Transition Study On A Condo Building
- 01/26/14 06:52 PM
I was contacted recently by an engineering firm to help with a Transition Study on various condo buildings. This study is to turn the properties over to the residents, and their HOA management company. As such, they had never included a thermal image examination of any building. The purpose of the study is to address issues to everyone knows where they stand. Thermal imaging can help with that! These are buildings that house six condos, three downstairs and three upstairs. They are very nice looking. They had had resident complaints for a long time that they wanted addressed. The complaints concerned (22 comments)
thermal barrier: Now That It's Fall My Closet Is Getting Cold Again
- 11/01/12 06:43 PM
"This is our second year in the house, and now that it's fall my closet is getting cold again." Do you have rooms in your house that are hot or cold? There is a reason for that! And the reason is because that room has an insufficient thermal barrier! In order to be effective insulation has to be complete. It must completely fill a given space, with the called-for thermal barrier (R-value).It must completely touch what it is supposed to insulate.It must completely control temperature migration on all needed sides. Looking at the closet in question, from its underside in the (31 comments)
thermal barrier: Icynene. Do You See Nene?
- 02/13/11 09:47 PM
Thermal imaging cameras see temperature differences in the form of very long light waves the human eye cannot detect. Different temperatures are represented by different colors, and the camera can snap a digital picture of what it is looking at. It is not point and shoot technology. The operator needs training to understand what the camera might be seeing. As I have said before, thermal imaging is sometimes science and sometimes art. Experience and interpretation of what is viewed is the key. This thermal image represents hot and cold, relatively speaking. The color palette I pick for thermal image reporting is (40 comments)
thermal barrier: Why Heat Goes Whoosh From The House
- 02/11/11 01:02 AM
It's elementary physics, my dear Watson, elementary. Heat seeks cold. Everyone thinks that heat rises. Well, it does! If it's seeking cold. If the cold is down, heat sinks! As a Boy Scout, along the C&O canal, near the Antietam Battlefield, there is a large cave. It goes way in and eventually way down. It is full of bats! I have been all through it. Inside we could always tell which way the opening was, even way inside, because we could feel the July heat from that direction! As a 14 year old I marveled at that, not understanding the physics (21 comments)
thermal barrier: Be Careful Putting Fine Art On Exterior Walls
- 12/20/10 12:36 AM
I have heard for some time that fine art can be damaged by temperature variances on exterior walls. And think about it. Your art is essentially providing a thermal break between the warmer air inside your house and the very cold temps outdoors. But we have insulation! Yes, you probably do. And it might be well placed and sufficient. But a thermal break is just that and moisture can develop. Case in point. The bottom of this image is the warm bed frame in a master bedroom. On the wall above the bed was hanging a large mirror. Cooler temperatures are (31 comments)
thermal barrier: Which Way Is Up? An Insulation Lesson.
- 10/30/10 01:36 AM
Often I go into attics and see that people have put in extra insulation. They usually make two mistakes - they use the wrong kind of insulation and install it wrong, OR it is put in the wrong direction. The purpose of insulation is to provide a thermal barrier. The amount of insulation gives it a resistance value, commonly called the R-value. The more R-value, the better the thermal resistance. Heat seeks cold. Heat can go up or DOWN to seek this cold. So in an attic space, the insulation is there to keep the heat out of the house in (37 comments)