 |
|
|
|
| HOMEOWNERS |
| AREAS
OF AIR MOVEMENT How does air escape? Air infiltrates into and out of your home through every hole, nook and cranny. About one -third of this air infiltrates through openings in your ceiling, wall and floors. (Source: Department of Energy) Checking your home's insulation is one of the fastest and most cost-efficient ways to use a whole house approach to reduce energy waste and make the most of your energy dollars. A good insulating system includes a combination of techniques that protect a home from outside temperatures - hot and cold, protect it against air leaks, and control moisture. You can increase the comfort of your home while reducting your heating and cooling needs by up to 10% by investing in proper insulation and sealing air leaks. According to the Department of Energy, heating and cooling accounts for 40-60% of the energy used in the average American home. Rigid foam insulation typically is more expensive than fiber insulation, but it is very effective in buildings with space limitations and where higher R-values are needed. Rigid foam insulation R-values range from R-4 to R-6.5 per inch of thickness (2.54cm), which is up to 2 times greater than most other insulating materials of the same thickness. Foam in place insulation can be blown into wall which reduces air leakage. IMPROVE INDOOR AIR QUALITY Controlling air infiltration greatly reduces or stops the entry of dust, pollen and soil gasses like radon into your building. With a controlled environment in your home or office you can live a more comfortable life, with less cleaning too. ADD STRENGTH TO YOUR BUILDING During installation, the polyurethane foam bonds tight to the framing and adds strength to the building. The expanding foam effectively insulates tight areas that are hard to seal-like the space behind eletrical outlets. You don't even need 2"x6" studs to achieve optimum R-values. You save on construction cost and benefit from continued energy savings throughout the life of the home. SAVE MONEY A building that has good insulation plus air infiltration control....reduces the use of fossil fuels for energy, reduces the CO emissions that damage the environment, saves the owner money, reduces the captial outlay for heating and air conditioning. CONTROL AIR FILTRATION Air infiltration is caused by leaks around windows and doors, or voids, joints and cracks hidden inside the building structure. Uncontrolled air travels through the structure inside walls and ceilings, under basework and along hidden pathways in the plumbing or electrical system. Even the most well-built buildings have seams and gaps that lead to air infiltration. National energy labs estimate that air infiltration wastes nearly half of every heating and cooling dollar. BUILD ENERGY CONSERVATION INTO YOUR HOUSE OR COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL SITE Use spray polyurethane foam from Chemical Design to fill and seal all gaps ina nd around the bulding framework. This unique insulation is spray applied directly into stud cavities or other surfaces, sealing joints and cracks throughout the structure. The spray polyurethane foam expands and fills unwanted voids in the building envelope to stop air infiltration. Spray polyurethane foam quickly cures to a rigid monolithic insulation that holds tight and helps make the structure stronger. The spray polyurethane foam's performance enhances the mechanical ventilation equipment's abilitiy to provide a controlled, properly ventilated environment. The spray polyurethane foam system also seals and reduces the temperature differences between the outside and inside wall - preventing convection currents of air from looping up and down in the walls. THE R-VALUE MYTH "R" refers to resistance to heat flow. These measurements are taken in a laboratory environment. But heat flow resistance is only part of the formula for effective insulation. R-value doesn't measure the amount of air infiltration or moisture that penetrates through an insulated wall. In short, the measurement doesn't factor in real-world weather conditions. The only way to elimate air infiltration and moisture is to completely seal the building tight and use mechanical ventilation equipment to regulate moisture and balance indoor air pressures. (For more on the R-value Myth, click here). HVAC: BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER WITH HVAC SYSTEMS Determining the correct size of residential heating and cooling equipment is key to achieving comfortable interior conditions - temperature and humidity - and saving on initial and operating costs. Size of cooling systems is particularly critical for optimal energy efficiency and comfort. When equipment is oversized, initial costs are higher, efficiency is reduced, energy costs increase, and comfort may be compromised. One Florida study showed a typical 9 percent increase in annual space cooling electricity usage for units that were oversized by 50 percent or more. Correctly sized equipment is especially important in humid climates, where short-cycling of air conditioning equipment can lead to poor humidity control. Similar to an automobile in stop-and-go traffic, the overall efficiency of an air conditioner, furnace, or heat pump is reduced by excessive cycling. More starts and stops accelerate wear and tear on the equipment, which can lead to premature failure. Oversized systems also use more fan power for the blower and often exhibit more duct leakage due to higher operating duct pressures. Finally, oversized air conditioners and heat pumps greatly aggravate the summer utility peak demand on hot days. In the Flordia study cited above, a 10 percent higher summer peak electrical demand was correlated to oversized units. To view the entire article, please click here. Source: Office of Building Technology; Right-sized heating and cooling equipment. |
|
| Copyright 2007. Chemical Design Corporation. All rights reserved. | Site
Designed and Maintained by
Walton Media Services |
