With fall and winter just around the bend, Old Man Winter will be blowing down on us again very soon. Is your home or business ready for another heavy heating season, or do you want to do better this year? Dow’s Styrofoam foam board insulation provides a great solution whether you’re a homeowner or contractor. Here are some more details on situations where this insulation provides superior results.
Use in Foundations
When it comes to improving the comfort of exposed foundation walls, such as in a finished basement, Styrofoam provides exceptional performance. With an R-value that actually improves with cold temperatures, it provides you with both exterior insulations, which keeps the foundation walls from getting as cold to begin with, as well as allowing you to use the foundation walls as a heat sink or buffer, similar to the thermal mass found in log cabins. This makes it easier for your heating and cooling system to keep up with temperature changes, as they don’t hit as rapidly as they would on uninsulated walls. It also prevents thermal transference to or from the soil outside of the structure, keeping you from losing heat or cold as quickly.
Adding Exterior Insulation When Re-siding a Home
If you’ve noticed that your home is a bit cool or drafty and are also considering upgrading its appearance with new siding, it’s very easy to add exterior insulation at the same time. Because sheet foam is rigid, it provides a great base for your new siding while upping your home or business’ exterior insulation without adding a lot of bulk to your structure’s exterior. Styrofoam delivers a higher R-value per inch than cellulose or fiberglass while also blocking drafts when you take a little time to tape the seams. Embed a furring strip at each vertical sheet seam and tape the seams to have a solid structure for your new siding.
Increasing R-value to Existing Insulation
Want to add a better R-value to your attic or walls? Simply add a layer of Styrofoam to increase your R-value without a lot of extra work. Whether you add it to your exterior or interior walls or ceilings, adding drywall or siding over the top of the foam is a simple process, creating a thermal sandwich that delivers strong performance and a milder heating or cooling bill.
Adding Ventilation
If moisture is a problem in your home or business, you probably need to add ventilation. But if you have shallow rafters, this can be a problem, because you don’t want to reduce the R-value in your roofing system. Because Styrofoam has a higher R-value, it can be fit between the rafters while providing a similar amount of insulation in less space, leaving a gap between the insulation and your roof deck for air flow.
Pro tip: cut the insulation to fit very firmly, as gaps allow warm, moist air to reach your roof decking, causing ice dams and rot.
By using Dow’s Styrofoam board insulation for your projects, you can quickly add insulative value to your home with very little effort. Are you ready to upgrade your home or business to better performance and energy efficiency? Foam board is easy to handle, doesn’t itch and can be installed very quickly. If you have any questions or need more information, the experienced professionals at Poulin Lumber are ready to help. Please feel free to contact our experienced associates today to get started.
