insulation Archives - Energy Vanguard https://www.energyvanguard.com/tag/insulation/ Building science knowledge, HVAC design, & fun Tue, 10 Sep 2024 11:59:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 InSoFast Makes Basement Insulation Easy https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/insofast-makes-basement-insulation-easy/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/insofast-makes-basement-insulation-easy/#view_comments Tue, 10 Sep 2024 11:29:49 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9198 If you’ve seen any of the articles or videos about my basement renovation, you probably know I’m using a product called InSoFast to insulate the floors and walls.  You can see it on part of the basement in the photo…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/insofast-makes-basement-insulation-easy/feed/ 6 A Fistful of New Building Science Videos https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-fistful-of-new-building-science-videos/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-fistful-of-new-building-science-videos/#view_comments Mon, 26 Aug 2024 20:00:40 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9175 We’re doing some new things here at Energy Vanguard.  We’ve had a YouTube channel since 2010 but haven’t done much with it.  So one of the new things is working on putting out new videos every week.  Here are the…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-fistful-of-new-building-science-videos/feed/ 1 Concrete, Steel, and Demolition in My Basement https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/concrete-steel-and-demolition-in-my-basement/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/concrete-steel-and-demolition-in-my-basement/#view_comments Thu, 06 Jun 2024 17:54:07 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=9080 Things are heating up in my basement now.  Really.  Our outdoor temperatures have risen since I began my basement renovation in early February and I still don’t have heating and cooling down there yet.  So it’s getting a bit warm…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/concrete-steel-and-demolition-in-my-basement/feed/ 6 The Problem With Too Many Basement Walls https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/the-problem-with-too-many-basement-walls/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/the-problem-with-too-many-basement-walls/#view_comments Tue, 26 Mar 2024 16:51:52 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8932 Ever been in a basement that smelled musty?  Maybe the better question to ask would be if you’ve ever been in a basement that didn’t have that smell.  Far too many basements do.  There could be any number of reasons…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/the-problem-with-too-many-basement-walls/feed/ 31 Weatherizing an Old House: An MLK Day Service Project https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/weatherizing-an-old-house-an-mlk-day-service-project/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/weatherizing-an-old-house-an-mlk-day-service-project/#view_comments Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:26:19 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8773 A lot of volunteers gathered in Decatur, Georgia this past weekend for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project.  They worked at a number of sites doing all kinds things to improve the homes of low-income senior citizens.  The…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/weatherizing-an-old-house-an-mlk-day-service-project/feed/ 16 Do You Really Need That Much Window Area? https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/do-you-really-need-that-much-window-area/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/do-you-really-need-that-much-window-area/#view_comments Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:43:57 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=7937 Windows are thermal bridges in pretty much every home.  The best windows available have an R-value of only about 12.  More affordable windows are in the R-3 to R-6 range.  Wall R-values are in the 13 to 15 range on…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/do-you-really-need-that-much-window-area/feed/ 43 Uncovering the Secrets of an Old House https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/uncovering-the-secrets-of-an-old-house/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/uncovering-the-secrets-of-an-old-house/#view_comments Tue, 06 Jun 2023 13:59:33 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8306 I’ve been in a lot of old houses and seen a lot of interesting things.  One of the things I love about that is trying to figure out the mysteries I find.  Lately, the mysteries I’ve been encountering are in…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/uncovering-the-secrets-of-an-old-house/feed/ 6 How to Kill the Performance of Your Insulation https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/how-to-kill-the-performance-of-your-insulation/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/how-to-kill-the-performance-of-your-insulation/#view_comments Tue, 07 Mar 2023 15:47:16 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8149 If you want to kill the thermal performance of your insulation, you can take your pick of several excellent ways to do so.  Of course, you could just not install insulation.  (It happens, even in new construction.)  You also could…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/how-to-kill-the-performance-of-your-insulation/feed/ 8 Can Cold Surfaces Wring Moisture From Dry Air? https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/can-cold-surfaces-wring-moisture-from-dry-air/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/can-cold-surfaces-wring-moisture-from-dry-air/#view_comments Tue, 21 Feb 2023 14:32:22 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8105 Cold air is dry air, right?  Think about the humidity in your house in winter compared to what it is in summer.  If you’re in a humid climate, it’s going to be drier in winter.  Even in dry climates, it’s…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/can-cold-surfaces-wring-moisture-from-dry-air/feed/ 11 Will a Heat Pump Work in an Old House? https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/will-a-heat-pump-work-in-an-old-house/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/will-a-heat-pump-work-in-an-old-house/#view_comments Wed, 15 Feb 2023 01:07:40 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8085 The question of heat pumps in old houses is coming up a lot lately.  With the great electrification upon us, heat pumps are quickly becoming the number one choice for space heating.  In fact, data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and…

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