NORTH KANSAS CITY Blog

How North Kansas City Insulation Supports Your Building Envelope

How North Kansas City Insulation Supports Your Building Envelope

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 not confident in the condition of the house’s structural support, don’t worry; it’s not a common area to keep up with and there can be conflicting advice on how often you should have a professional inspect the structure and foundation. Like many hidden aspects of a building, it falls under the “out of sight, out of mind” principle. If nothing seems to be wrong, then what’s there to know about it?

However, it’s a good idea for you and your household to have some basic knowledge of your building envelope and the support it needs. This barrier between your interior and exterior plays a significant role in maintaining your comfort and safety. It’s also a great place to start if you’re trying to look into quality home renovations, especially if your household is looking to lower your monthly utility costs and increase your energy efficiency.

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.

Learn More with North Kansas City’s Insulation Experts

As a homeowner, it’s important to know as much as possible about your house and how to improve safety and comfort. However, it’s understandable to have areas you’re unfamiliar with, especially if you and your household don’t have any experience in the industry. Luckily, with the help of local experts, it’s not difficult to find out more about the materials within your home.

One of Koala Insulation of North Kansas City’s goals is to bring insulation education to the public in a way that’s easy to comprehend. Our team of industry experts offers free evaluations to provide an opportunity for you and your household to get an idea of your home’s current condition - without the complicated jargon and terminology other service providers tend to use throughout their inspections. Contact our team today to schedule your free evaluation and learn more about insulation’s impact on your home.