Rated Excellent6 Weirdest Insulation Search Queries Answered
Insulation is an important part of our homes. It helps regulate temperatures by keeping heat in during the colder months and out during warmer seasons. That’s why it’s so important to make sure wall, floor and ceiling insulation is done right.
Loft insulation matters, too, whether you want to convert it into a living space or use it for storage. Letting heat escape is only going to add to your energy bills, and no one needs that hike during winter.
It might seem a daunting task, but insulating a room can be quite simple. It does pay to do a bit of research first, but some questions are a bit stranger than others. We’ve taken a look at six of the strangest questions we’ve been asked and that people search for online to help you avoid the same searches.
1. Why is Insulation Pink?
One of the most common questions is why is fibreglass often pink? There are other colours, with yellow, green and even red, too. It can cause confusion, as a lot of people might think that the colour matters in terms of R-value (which is how efficient it is at keeping heat inside the property), thickness and cost.
The truth is, however, that it doesn’t matter what colour the insulation is. The colour of fibreglass insulation is purely aesthetic and is done by adding dye - as it’s natural colour is clear. This was a branding exercise by companies looking to capture attention of property owners, and was even trademarked.
When choosing insulation materials, look for the R-value labelled, as some products even made from the same material, can have different ratings and this is what will determine how well it works.
2. What is the Strangest Insulation Material?
There are plenty of insulation materials out there, each with their own R-values and prices, so finding the one that works best for your home depends on a number of factors. This includes the climate you live in and how much insulation you need.
Fibreglass might be the most common, but rockwool, cloth and cellulose are also used regularly.
What most people are surprised to learn, though, is that cork is an insulation material. No one seems to expect the material found in wine bottles to be good at insulating your home, which is surprising as it does keep air from entering the wine bottle.
Despite this, it’s still not chosen very often by homeowners.
3. Homemade Insulation ideas
Why buy insulation when you can make it?
Yes, that is something we’re asked. In some ways, it does make sense. Insulation can be expensive to buy, depending on how much you need, and cellulose insulation can be made from materials you likely have handy; paper, cardboard and similar.
Ground these materials and treat it with the right chemicals, which aren’t hard to find, and you have insulation that can be used in your home. You will need to research a bit more about the chemicals and work out the R-value. It will also need a lot of materials, so the time spent could outweigh the cost of buying it.
4. Can You Eat Insulation?
In short, yes. You can eat insulation - but we do not advise that you do it.
Even the more environmentally friendly insulation, such as cellulose, will have been treated with chemicals and this will make it hazardous to your health.
While we don’t think many people actually intend to eat insulation, we think it’s more a case of if any of the insulation is accidentally inhaled while it’s being installed. Small particulates will not do too much harm to you, but wearing a mask and other personal protective equipment will minimise the risk of this happening.
5. Is Loft Insulation Dangerous?
To follow on from the last question, while not inherently dangerous, insulation is a hazard and appropriate steps should be taken to protect yourself and others.
Especially with loose-fill insulation, this has a bigger change of small pieces and particles floating in the air for a while. Inhaling small amounts will affect your throat and nose, while allowing it to come into contact with skin will produce itchy, irritated patches. Avoid touching areas near your eyes until your hands have been cleaned and always wear gloves to avoid fragments penetrating your skin - especially with fibreglass.
6. How Much Loft Insulation Do You Need?
You’d be surprised how often this comes up, but it feels like a lot of people expect a single, magic number so they know how much insulation to get. Unfortunately, there is no magic number. We need a lot more information before helping you work out how much insulation is needed.
We need to know the size of the space you’re insulating, which might just be floor space, but could be roof and walls, too. We need to know the space between joists and eaves, as well as how much insulation is already in place. The climate you live in matters too, to make sure the insulation does the right job.
It’s different for every home, so the more information you can give us, the better.
Speak to Experts About Insulation
You can save yourself a lot of time and hassle by speaking to an expert about your insulation questions and queries before doing anything. This lets you avoid becoming one of the people we’re writing about in the future and means you get the right answers faster.
Contact a member of our team today and we’ll help however we can.