CENTRAL & WEST ORLANDO Blog

How Can I Support My Orlando Home’s Building Envelope with Insulation?

Take a moment to consider the following questions: 

? How familiar are you with the integrity of your home’s exterior shell? 

? Did you have a hand in the construction or are you the newest in a long line of owners? 

? When was the last time you had your home’s structure inspected? 

If you’re unsure of your answers or you’re unfamiliar with the construction of your home, don’t worry - you’re not alone as a homeowner. Many property owners aren’t familiar with their building envelope, let alone what they can do to support it. However, it’s always a good idea to learn as much as you can about your home and how you can improve your environment. 

At Koala Insulation of Central and West Orlando, we believe it's important to break down industry lingo and bring home improvement education to the general public. Not only can new and updated insulation help improve your temperature regulation, comfort, and safety. But it can also provide some much-needed support to your structure. Here are a few answers to some commonly asked questions about building envelopes and insulation's impact on a home's structural support. 

What is a Building Envelope? 

The building envelope of your home is simply the divide of the inside and outside of the building. The purpose of the building envelope is to help keep the interior of your home climate controlled. The exterior system includes windows, doors, the roof, floor, and even your foundation and insulation. When it comes to making your home energy-efficient, many home renovations aren't going to matter if you have a poor building envelope because of air leakage, irregular temperatures, and more. 

A climate-controlled building increases your home's energy efficiency and reduces health risks. Keeping the heat inside during the winter and at bay during the summer means your HVAC system puts in less work to keep the inside of your home temperature regulated. While the main purpose of your home's envelope is to keep your home climate controlled, it has a number of

other functions. The building envelope also significantly supports the strength of your home's structure, improving how well it can take external forces and weight. 

Insulation and Heat Transfer 

Insulation is an important factor in maintaining a strong and effective building envelope. This is because a primary function of insulation is also climate control and temperature regulation. While you may be familiar with the product in your attic, did you know insulation material is installed throughout your home? Batt, blown-in, or spray foam lines the insides of your walls and floors, in between ceiling joists, and protects your basement and crawl spaces. 

Insulation is designed to reduce the rate of heat transfer, which is how heat enters and exits a building. An insulation’s R-value is the resistance value to heat, measuring how effective the material can slow the transfer of heat between structures. The higher the R-value, the better an insulation material can regulate your home’s temperature. Not only does it keep heat from entering and leaving your building, but it also slows the rate at which the heat travels between rooms and floors. If you find one room or even a whole side of your home that’s too cold or hot in comparison to the rest of the house, you may need updated insulation. 

How Insulation Supports Your Building Envelope 

Your building envelope is significantly improved with properly installed insulation that has quality coverage throughout the house. The primary support that insulation provides is attributed to the increased temperature regulation. But most material also contributes to the safety and integrity of your building envelope. Many types of insulation are either treated chemically or have natural properties to resist moisture, fire, and even pests. Mold growth, bacteria, infestation, and heat damage not only damage the building envelope but can significantly increase the rate of deterioration for the material and structure. 

Other insulation types can even support the structural integrity of your home. For example, closed-cell spray foam is a great choice when it comes to improving your building envelope. It has an average R-value of 6.9 per inch, which is one of the highest out of the common materials to install in your home (e.g., blown-in fiberglass insulation has about 2.7 R-value while open-cell spray foam has an R-value of about 3.7). Closed-cell spray foam is also very rigid, which provides additional strength to the joists and walls it’s applied onto. 

Consider Consulting Industry Experts in Orlando 

It’s impossible to know every inch and aspect of your home, even if you’re an experienced industry professional. There will understandably always be one or two areas you’re going to need to find assistance with, especially if they often fall under the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. A building envelope is one such area that’s crucial for a homeowner to be familiar with. There are several ways you can improve your home to support the building envelope, reducing costs and monthly bills in the process. Having a strong structure leads to having a long-lasting quality home. 

When it comes to knowing more about hidden or seemingly complicated areas of your home, talk to your local experts. At Koala Insulation of Central and West Orlando, we’re dedicated to bringing quality and affordable service along with easy-to-understand industry know-how. It’s not just our job to make sure you have a cost-effective and energy-efficient solution to problems caused by deteriorated and old insulation material - it’s also to provide detailed answers so you understand both the problem and the solution we’re providing. Contact our team today to learn more about insulation’s impact on your home and schedule your free evaluation.