How to Achieve All Season Insulation and Air Barriers for Your Home

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Examine three totally different ways that heat energy works with the laws of "heat-loss or heat-gain".

   Those are
   -- (i.) air passing through, or (ii.) thermal heat waves transmitting through solid materials, and even slowly through fluffy insulation and "dead air"
   -- and by (iii.) heat radiation and rays traveling in all 3 common states of matter.
   
   Infrared "as deep-penetrating heat rays" and ultraviolet (UV
   -- as in sun-light) can travel easily through a vacuum! Heat convection is heat rising
   -- and also, spreading out in all directions.
   
   Understand that it is really heat that has to be stopped
   -- not cold! Well, sure we block-off/block-out cold air and harsh unheated, winter winds blowing...
   
   Refrigerators/freezers are insulated to keep heat from being absorbed! Heat is a real commodity, but "cold" does not exist, as such: cold is only "less heat!"
   -- it's just heat moving and so losing of heat, heat lost (heat is lost from a building in cold weather; No! cold is not gained, at all!), the relative absence of heat! Air conditioners remove heat from the ambient, interior environment out to the external atmosphere.
   
   The two main ways are found in section one of the six sections in the EPA's "Thermal Bypass Checklist":
   What Happens and How They Are Different:
   1.) Air and Thermal barriers (The "Air Barrier" stops GAS (air blowing or seeping) versus "Thermal Barrier" including (i) HEAT WAVE traveling in soft, fluffy insulation that hinders/slows it
   -- and/or (ii) to REFLECT INFRARED radiant heat (rays) back ,Where that transpires: ~
   2.) Walls adjoining exterior or unconditioned spaces,~
   3.) Floors between conditioned and exterior spaces,~
   4.) Shafts (stairwells, skylights, etc.),~
   5.) Attic and ceiling,~
   6.) Common walls between dwelling units (town home, duplex, etc.).
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   Step 2: Insulate and create air barriers (durable seal) for floors

   : external air tightness, wind tightness, encapsulation.Know the EPA's Checklist definition of an air barrier: “any solid material that blocks air flow between a conditioned space and an unconditioned space, including necessary sealing to block excessive air flow at edges and seams” — but “solid” can be interpreted in various ways; taken literally, the word refers to any substance that is not a liquid or a gas/vapor, but means a durable seal, so that sometimes is a house wrap like Tyvek, spun polyester (which is a highly breathable), but it does not pass liquid water
   -- or use asphalt/felt paper as a "solid" air barrier, also called a "water resistant barrier" (WRB). , Use sprayed foam or foam board to interrupt heat flow into wood and metal components, where possible to minimize thermal exchange/flow by placing rigid foam board, for example between heated space and exterior siding sheathing
   -- or unheated attic space and ceiling.
   
   An extreme problem is steel studs or beams in an insulated wall, ceiling or floor that would severely reduce the overall energy performance of that wall, because of thermal conduction, (exchange/flow) through the steel.
   
   Yes, wood studs and joist do, also, conduct heat much more so than the insulation between the studs. ,,,,,, Use cans of spray foam
   -- unless the builder/remodeler installs it with high volume spray foam equipment, and then the exterior air barrier is the exterior surface of the cured foam.
   
   Canned foam is great for owners improving both air and thermal barriers and for small remodeling projects, for achieving a good/solid barrier. ,, (zones 1 through 3).
   
   The Thermal Bypass Checklist (such as installing all insulation according to RESNET’s "Grade One" insulation installation guidelines) is required both for builders following the path to obtaining an "Energy Star label" — using a “builder option package,” (BOP) — as well as for builders following the "Performance Home path" (can be somewhat sloppy
   -- but very sloppy insulation installs will warrant downgrading by the rater, resulting in a performance value "below that of a Grade One installation").
   
   The Checklist has 25 items.
   
   While at least 19 of these items must be verified by a third-party home rater, up to 6 of the items can be “self-certified” by the builder.
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   Step 3: ceilings (extensions

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   Step 4: attachments

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   Step 5: openings) on all six sides of your home/building (insulated box) -- top

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   Step 6: bottom

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   Step 7: and right.

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   Step 8: Understand conduction where heat flows through

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   Step 9: and across more conductive materials in an otherwise well-insulated wall

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    Step 10: floor or ceiling

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    Step 11: for significant heat loss.

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    Step 12: Watch out for several areas where your builders might forget to include two or some of all three categories: Exterior air barrier (on all 6 sides)

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    Step 13: Interior air barriers (behind certain areas)

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    Step 14: Insulation

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    Step 15: including in openings

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    Step 16: doors and windows and around them including "weather stripping

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    Step 17: gaskets" at openings.

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    Step 18: Install internal barriers and insulation as mandatory measures for an "Energy Star Home"

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    Step 19: with the EPA Thermal Bypass Checklist (for example

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    Step 20: drywall or foam "Thermo-ply" board) on the interior side of wall insulation behind a metal fireplace (and several similar areas) in colder climate zones.

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    Step 21: If builders are in warm climates (climate zones 1 through 3)

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    Step 22: they may eliminate the interior air barrier in several places that are required in zones 4 and higher (colder) -- but are still required in an "Energy Star Home" in all zones or as long as the insulation is fully supported in place and is installed according to RESNET’s insulation installation requirements for a "Grade One" performance rating

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    Step 23: : Over the insulation behind a metal fireplace (fire-rated drywall board)

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    Step 24: Behind a tub/shower or tub (such as blueboard drywall or concrete board)

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    Step 25: Behind attic knee walls (low walls -- seen with slanted attic ceilings)

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    Step 26: At skylight shaft walls

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    Step 27: and At all staircase walls.

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    Step 28: Understand that the required interior insulation and barriers also include: Behind tub/shower units "on exterior walls"; Behind zero-clearance metal fireplaces; On walls at either side of attic stairs; At interior soffits (for example

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    Step 29: kitchen cabinet soffits); At exterior walls; Above porch ceilings.

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    Step 30: Insulate and weatherstrip around attic access doors and hatches.

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    Step 31: Fill the joist area in a bonus-room floor over a garage: The insulation should be in full contact with both the subfloor above and the exterior air barrier below

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    Step 32: which is often a drywall ceiling in the garage.

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    Step 33: Insulate the edges of slabs in climate zones 4 or higher/colder — a requirement that can also be found in the International Residential Code.

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    Step 34: Realize there are exceptions to the "two-air-barrier" (internal and external) -- while this is about the rules: Ventilated airspace including the exterior air barrier can be omitted above insulation installed in an unfinished/non-living space of an attic floor

35. 35

    Step 35: but adequate ventilation is usually desirable; The interior air barrier can be omitted at rim joists sometimes

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    Step 36: but often should be sealed; The interior air barrier (behind insulation) can be omitted in warmer climate zones.

Detailed Guide

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