INSULATION:

INERT GAS:
Gases which are non-corrosive, non-irritating, and non-life supporting are termed inert gases. Nitrogen is a common inert gas which in its pure state reacts with few substances to encourage life as we know it. Sometimes, lettuce and other fresh foods are packaged in a plastic envelope with a nitrogen gas filler. This keeps them from continuing to use the surrounding oxygen to grow and mature and over-ripen. It also is effective in retarding the development of parasites such as moulds and bacteria. Here we are interested in another factor of inert gas: its ability to insulate.

INSULATION IS the ability to retard the transfer of heat.
Heat is electromagnetic infrared radiation.
It radiates from a heat source outward according to the substances which it comes into contact with. Substances which are good absorbers and transfer agents for this form of radiation are water and steel --- very dense mediums. In general, the less dense a medium, the greater is its insulating capacity. Dry air is a good insulating medium because of its high nitrogen content and its low water content. Many solid and thick building materials have an insulating ability in that they retard the transfer of heat radiation through them. Glass is different.

GLASS is largely transparent to heat radiation.
Energy estimates from many residential houses frequently designate windows as responsible for 60% to 80% of the building heat loss. This is because windows, unless supplemented with insulation or reflective materials simply pass much of the heat on the warmer side of the pane to the cooler side. By enabling an air space between two sets of windows, as in so-called "storm" windows, the insulating capability of windows was increased. Since the space was unsealed and larger than 2 inches, moisture accumulation and air currents generated between the windows lessened the insulating effectiveness possible. How could this be remedied.

THERMOPANE was a development which sealed 2 panes of glass together with about an inch of air space between them. Initially, dry air was used and various sizes of interpane thickness were tried. Eventually, it was determined that the use of inert gas in the envelope between the panes increased the insulating capacity of the window as well as decreasing the long-term aging influences on the sill which the panes were mounted into. Increases in insulating ability of windows of as much as 25% have been attributed to the use of inert gas envelopes between 2 or 3 panes of glass.

MASS:
Any solid material which contributes to the structure of a building is part of its mass. These materials tend to absorb and hold heat radiation. If uninsulated, or if lacking an insulating ability, such materials can continually siphon heat from the warmer side of the shell and convey it to the cooler side. Concrete, earth, stone, steel, and wood are the major materials employed as mass in the construction of buildings.

Mass acts like a heat sink.
It can store heat which has been transferred to it, IF it is insulated from simply passing it on to an adjacent material. It can absorb great quantities of heat until it reaches the temperature on the heat source side less the amount being passed out through the unheated side and edges. If you understand these principles, you can use mass to moderate your dwelling temperature, prevent chills, lessen health stresses, and reduce heading AND cooling costs.

1. If you insulate mass on the sides and edges from which you do not want heat to escape (bottom and outside), it will hold the heat radiated into it from the other side (building interior) up to the temperature of the heating source (as per your thermostat setting).

2. If the heating source is removed for a time (power failure or supply shortage) from the mass, the mass will radiate its stored heat back into the house from which it absorbed the heat.

3. It typically takes a larger mass a longer time to reach the temperature of a heat source (your house) and it takes and equally long time for it to lose that heat (back into your house).

4. The Sun is a great heater of mass.
   If you allow the Sun to heat up your mass before closing it in and insulating your structure from the outside climate, you can save a great amount of heating power in the short to medium term.

5. Strategic placement of skylights and sunrooms can assist is transferring solar energy to your floor and wall mass on sunny days.

6. The use of carpets, rugs, quilts, and hangings on the heat source inside surface of the building will reduce the rate of heat radiation both into the mass and out of the mass -- for they are insulators.

7. Allowing the mass to cool down through a removal of heat sources (turning down the thermostat, shading the windows, removing rugs and carpets) can yield a cooling source during hot weather.

8. The use of ceiling and other large fans during periods when you wish to extract the most heat from the mass (cold weather with loss of power or during energy conservation) or when you want the mass to extract the most heat from the inside air (hot weather with a desire for energy conservation) has proven to be very effective.

• CONCRETE is often used for basement floors and foundation pads. The most common thicknesses range between 4 and 8 inches with its ability to absorb and transfer heat approaching 80% that of water. Increasingly from the 1960s, concrete walls have been insulated --- first on the inside, --- and later on the outside and inside. Any uninsulated concrete wall surface within a 10 inches of the ground surface or exposed above the ground surface has been found to result in severe heat loss during cold weather.

• EARTH is less often used as a heating - cooling mass because of its lower ability to transfer heat and retain heat than other substances, its greater demand for growing plants, and its instability and ability to promote the growth of bacteria, and other lifeforms generally not healthy in close proximity to humans.

  A REMEDY for these concerns with a benefit from the use of earth as a heating - cooling mass ... is to use it as a secondary layer ... or cushion to surround one's building. A depth of 3 to 4 feet of earth is usually sufficient, in well-drained soils, to eliminate problems of frost in the coldest of weather. Earth-berming is the term given to the banking up of soil against the exterior of a building. At the very least, this can encourage runoff, so that water, a good conductor, does not accumulate against the walls of the building. A greater use of berming can cover some or many of the external walls and assist the main structure in conserving heat by excluding the heat loss exposure to water and wind.

• STONE shares much in common with concrete as a heat storage - consuming mass. Unless you are fortunate to find a good building site which affords construction on stable large expanses of rock, you will likely face using stone of uneven weights and dimensions. These have been placed into a concrete cistern under some major buildings to function as heating and cooling regulators for the structure above.

  Like ballast in a ship, these collections of stone are usually fed air from the building to warm them or to take warmth from them and a separate floor must be constructed above them. Some houses have been constructed which use a nearby "stone shed" to collect solar energy during the sunny seasons. By using a forced air system, additional warmth is added to the residence from the shed when it is desired and the shed stone is of adequate temperature.

• STEEL absorbs and transfers heat radiation with such ease that it becomes a poor material for heat storage. Since any heat radiated into steel radiates back out almost as quickly, huge masses of steel prove difficult to heat to the core and unsuitable for introduction back into a living environment. Optimal heat storage mass slowly accumulates a huge amount of heat and slowly radiates it back out. Steel masses are vastly more expensive than their alternatives for this purpose and do not function as efficiently.

• WOOD has been shown to be a superior material than many for its structural strength and its natural insulating properties. Filled with millions of closed cells of air, which act as insulation, solid wood tends to reflect a large amount of heat radiation back into the building towards the heating source in cold weather, OR, back into the outside towards the heating source of the Sun in hot weather. As a mass, solid wood slowly absorbs and releases heat while providing its own insulation to retard the conduction influences of water and wind.

SHUTTERS, window:
The use of wooden solid or slatted or louvered coverings for windows has provided insulating and security qualities for centuries. Installed on the exterior of window penings, they may be closed during poor or violent weather to protect the window covering from breakage. At night, as well as during the owner's absence, shutters may restrict entry, vandalism, break and entry, and air infiltration.

It is wise to co-ordinate window shutter colors with the other external colors of the building. Design considerations may be part of the local building code and/or may influence the evaluation benefit or decay of the building. Shutters are frequently added to modern structures for appearances only and do not have the fittings to allow them to be closed at any time. Such impractical shutters may require annual re-painting without affording any benefit other than that of fickle appearance.

Health considerations for the sensitive person will focus on the maintenance of the shutter more than its ability to afford security and save heating and cooling expenses. Wood that is unfinished will develop a covering of fungal mold and air travelling into the dwelling will carry fungal spores and odors inside. These may increase Reptilian Structure reactive symptoms purely by association unconsciously with the odors. Spore disbursal within the building will increase the seeding of spore growth into fabrics, carpets, and onto surfaces.

Outgasing finishes such as paints, sealers, varnishes, and lacquers can bring similar health concerns. Solvent concentrations in the interior air, if breezes are blowing into the building, can induce a range of predictable symptoms from surfaces finished within the previous 3 or more months. A careful selection, fabrication and maintenance of materials can provide the security, privacy, and energy conserving benefits while avoiding or minimizing the dangers of sensitized reactive behaviors.

SHADES, insulated, window:
Inside building window coverings, other than draperies and films, often take the form of shades. These may be single layered or multi-layered. Single-layered forms can be obtained in various widths and lengths attached to a wooden bar. The bar will have spring-loaded posts at the end which allow for mounting on metal brackets situated on either side of the top of the window. A slot at one end will hold that end post secure. A hole in the bracket at the other end will allow for the free travel of the circular post on that end of the shade core. By variations of jerk and hold motions the shade may be raised or lowered to specific heights and temporarily fixed there.

Multi-layer shades provide many more options for decorating as well as energy use reduction through insulative benefit. These often have external fabric skins of attractive pattern and color backed by a thin insulative batting. A sheet of foil may be positioned in the middle of the layers for the benefit of reflecting heat radiation back outside, and/or, back inside. Due to the increased thickness of these shades, they may raise and lower through a selection of folds or pleats across the blind or shade, being mobilized through a pull-cord at the side.

Health can be best served here by careful selection of facing materials and fabrics with a minimum of outgasing compounds and adequate standards of cleanliness through washing. Permanent press fabrics will outgas formaldehyde for many years. Inadequate cleaning will encourage fungal and spore growth. Particular selections of fabric, may be necessary to avoid triggering of color or odor hypersensitivity. Window shades may be as simple as two facings of paper separated by up to an inch by an air core which provides a maximum of insulative value for a minimum of expense and material.

FIBERGLAS:
Glass spun into a fluffy mass and often tinted pink or creme is a frequently used insulating medium in North America. It is often sold in batts which are the material formed into sections which fit snuggly between the joists in a wood frame construction. Like the standard framing centres of the supporting wood or steel timbers, they are often available in widths to fit 16 or 24 inch openings. They may also be purchased in roles which allows for custom length cutting. A backing of tared reinforced paper with edge lips may be added to provide a built-in vapor barrier and air seal when stappled to the framing.

Fiberglas is a non-organic air holding mass.
For the health conscious this presents many positives. It cannot rot or promote mildew or fungus growth. It's glass nature and its air holding abilities provide it with excellent insulating abilities as long as it remains dry. Water tends to matt and compress it and water makes a good conductor as well as supporting fungal growth. Fiberglas also does not outgas, although the tarred paper will for a time. Placement of the material is best done with the skin protected by gloves and other clothing for the glass fibers are both tiny and sufficiently sharp to penetrate the skin and cause irritation which can be both sore and itchy.

Fibermesh is a fiberglas compound structured to be added to concrete. It provides some insulative benefit and reinforces the concrete with strength similar to that of the more commonly used steel rebar. Unlike the steel option, it never rusts. Rusting steel expands and produces cracks and breaks in the concrete it is used in. Whenever concrete will be subject to rain or runoff water, the consideration of fibermesh use may conserve much expense required later for the maintenance that could include full replacement of the original structure.

ROCK WOOL:

POLYURETHANE:

ISOCYANURATES:

HEATING:

NOTE:
The below factors are all important considerations.
Time and resources have not permitted me to provide you with basic details at this point. In the interim, consider the sub-headings as factors you can consider and research at will according to the relevancies mentioned on other pages of this site.

HYDRONIC:

FIREPLACE:

ELECTRIC:

GAS:

OIL:

WOODSTOVE: