Insulation 101: Learning the Lingo
Terms
16 CFR
Part 460 —
The FTC R-Value Rule
16
CFR Part 1209
— The CPSC Safety Standard
ASTM
C-739 —
Standard Specifications for Cellulosic Fiber (wood base)
Loose-Fill Thermal Insulation
ASTM
C423-84A —
Standard Test Method for Sound Absorption by the Reverberation
Room Method (tested in an attic situation.) GreenFiber’s
cellulose insulation has a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of
0.90 (90% of sound energy absorbed).
ASTM
C-1149 —
Standard Specification for Self-Supported Spray-Applied
Cellulosic Thermal/Acoustical Insulation. Covers 10 material
attributes (density, thermal resistance, surface burning
characteristics, adhesive/cohesive strength, smoldering
combustion, fungi resistance, corrosion, moisture vapor
absorption, odor and flame resistance permanency.)
Air
Changes Per
Hour (ACH) — An expression of ventilation rates - the
number of times in an hour that a home's entire air volume is
exchanged with outside air.
Air
Barrier — A
layer of material resistant to air flow usually in the form of
polyolefin (i.e. Typar, Tyvek, and other housewraps). A material
that is applied in conjunction with a building component (such
as a wall, ceiling or sill plate) to prevent the movement of air
through that component.
Air
Barrier System
— The assembly of components used in building construction to
create a plane of air tightness throughout the building envelope
and to control air leakage.
Backer
Board — A
rigid, non-vapor barrier-forming material such as rock lath,
treated cardboard, plywood, etc. that is used to cover the open
side of an existing wall and forms a cavity that may be filled
with loose-fill insulation. Must have sufficient strength to
withstand the pressure developed when filling the cavity.
Baffles
— Device used to achieve a 1" ventilation space between
insulation and roof sheathing. Helps assure airflow from
eave-vents in attics and cathedral ceilings.
Band
Joist —
Vertical member forming the perimeter of a floor system in which
floor joists tie in.
Blocking
— A material used to retain the insulation in place in open
areas.
Blower
Door —
Diagnostic equipment consisting of a fan, removable panel and
gauges, used to measure and locate air leaks.
Blower
Door Test — A
test used to determine the "tightness" (energy
leakage) of your home.
Blowing
agent — A gas
or a substance capable of producing a gas used in making foamed
materials.
Boric
Acid — A
non-toxic acid that is used as a fire retardant in cellulose
insulation.
Bottom
Plate (Sole Plate)
— Lowest horizontal member of a wall that rests on rough
floor, to which studding is nailed.
BTU
British Thermal Unit
— The amount of energy that is required to raise 1 lb. of water
up 1° F. Fuel values, heat loss and heat gain are measured in
BTU’s.
BTUH
— A rate of energy transfer - can be expressed as BTU’s/hour
Building
Envelope — The
external elements walls, floor, ceiling, roof, windows and doors
of a building that encloses conditioned space; the building
shell.
C-Value
(Thermal Conductance)
— A measure of a material’s ability to allow heat to pass
through it. The same as U-Value, but without air film
resistances.
Capillary
Action, Capillarity
— The movement of liquid within a material against gravity as a
result of surface tension.
Carcinogen
— A substance that is believed to cause cancer.
Cavity
— Empty space between studs/joists in which insulation batts
are placed.
Cellulose
Insulation —
Insulation made from recycled newspaper, making it a natural,
environmentally friendly alternative to fiberglass insulation
products.
Circulation
— A moving around or through something back to the starting
point; circular or circuitous motion.
Class 1/A Fire Rating
— GreenFiber cellulose has been determined to have this
rating, which means that is has a flame spread of 25 or lower as
determined by ASTM Standard E-84.
Collar
Beam —
Horizontal tie beam in a roof truss connecting two opposite
rafters at a level considerably above the wall plate.
Combustion
efficiency — A
measure of useful heat extracted from a fuel source by an
operating heating appliance. For example a furnace with a
combustion efficiency of 60 percent converts 60 percent of the
fuels energy content into useful heat. The rest is lost as
exhaust gases.
Conduction
— Transmission of energy (heat /sound) through a material or
from one material to another by direct contact. Materials with
low rates of conductive heat transfer make good insulation.
Convection
— Transmission of energy (heat /sound) from one place to another
by movement of a fluid such as air or water.
Corrosion
— The process of wearing away gradually, usually by chemical
action.
Critical
Radiant Flux
— A test used to simulate conditions in a hot attic, designed
to test the surface burning characteristics of insulation.
Crawlspace
Vent —
Opening permitting passage of air through the unexcavated area
under a first floor. Ideally there should be at least two vents
per crawlspace.
Cross
Bracing —
System of bracing by use of ties.
Density
— Determined by the weight expressed in pounds of a cubic foot
of spray foam.
Dew
Point — The
temperature at which a vapor begins to condense.
Diffusion
— The movement of water vapor from regions of high relative
humidity (RH) toward regions of lower RH driven by a higher to
lower temperature differential.
Eave
Vents — Vent
openings under eaves of a house. Also, vents located in the
soffit that allow passage of air through the attic.
Emission
— The manner by which substances are discharged through the
air.
Enclosed
Ceiling Cavities
— A ceiling area that is covered on both top and bottom.
Face
Staple —
Stapling facing flange to front side of a stud or rafter.
Faced
Insulation —
Batt-style insulation with an attached vapor barrier, usually a
raft paper or foil-backed paper.
Fill
Tube — Tube
that enables a cavity to be filled through a single entry hole.
Flame
Retardant — A
substance, which is added to a polymer formulation to reduce or
retard the tendency to burn.
Flame
Retarded (Adj.)
— The property of a material to which flame-retardant has been
added.
Flame
Spread —
Standard test for determining relative combustibility. The flame
spread of a tested material is rated relative to red oak (flame
spread = 100).
Flammability
— Relative ability of a material to support combustion as
expressed by its flash point.
Exfiltration
— Uncontrolled leakage of conditioned air from inside the home
to the outside.
Flat
Ceiling —
Attic floor
Foil-Faced
Vapor Barrier
— Created by coating a foil-backed paper with a thin layer of
asphalt adhesive. The coated side of the foil-backed paper is
then applied to the unfaced insulation material. The asphalt
adhesive bonds the foil-backed paper and the insulation
together.
Furring
Strips — Flat
pieces of lumber used to build an irregular framing to an even
surface, either the leveling of a part of a wall or ceiling.
Gable
End Walls —
Triangular end of an exterior wall above the eaves.
Gable
Vents —
Louver mounted in the top point of a gable, allowing passage of
air through the attic.
HH-I-515E
— The General Services Administration purchasing
specifications for loose-fill cellulose insulation requires ASTM
C-739 conformance.
Heat
loss — Heat that
is lost from a building through air leakage, conduction and
radiation. To maintain a steady interior temperature, heat
losses must be offset by a combination of heat gains and heat
contributed by a heating system.
Heating
Degree Day —
A unit to measure "coldness". The number of heating
degree days in any given day is the average temperature for that
day, subtracted from 65° F. The number of heating degree days
per year is used to estimate yearly heat loss in BTU’s.
Heat
recovery ventilation system
— A mechanical ventilation system that recovers energy from
exhausted indoor air and transfers it to incoming air. This
system usually incorporates an air-to-air heat exchanger which
transfers the heat from exhaust air to the incoming air or vice
versa.
Humidistat
— A humidity sensitive control device that signals the
ventilation system to operate if the humidity goes above a
preset limit.
Hydrophobic
— Having no affinity for water; not compatible with water.
"Water fearing".
IIC
(Impact Insulation Class)
— A single number indicating the effectiveness of a
floor/ceiling construction in resisting passage of
structure-borne or impact sound.
Infiltration
— Uncontrolled leakage of air into a building through cracks
around doors, windows, electrical outlets and at structural
joints.
Inset
Staple —
Stapling to the inside portion of the stud or rafter.
Insulated
Ceiling (I.C.)
— Marking on recessed lighting fixture indicating it is
designed for direct insulation contact.
Insulation
— Materials with low thermal conductivity characteristics that
are used to slow the transfer of heat.
Insulation
Density — One
factor determining R-Value; higher density equates to better
insulating properties.
Isocyanate
(MDI) —
One of a group of neutral derivatives of primary amines
(R-N=C=O) groups. An essential component (A) of spray foam
chemistry.
Joist
— Parallel
beam set from wall to wall supporting boards of a floor or
ceiling.
K-Value
— A measure of a homogeneous material’s ability to allow
heat to pass through it, independent of its thickness.
Determined by multiplying a material’s C-Value by its
thickness.
Kilowatt-hour
(kWh) —
Standard unit for measuring electrical energy
consumption-kilowatts X hours.
Knee
Walls — Walls
of varying length used to provide additional support to roof
rafters with a wide span.
Leakage
— Loss of heat/cooling in a structure due to poor insulation.
Material
Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
— A standard formatted information sheet, prepared by a material
manufacturer, describing the potential hazards, physical
properties, and procedures for safe use of a material.
Metal
Flue — Metal
chamber through with hot air, gas, steam or smoke may pass.
Metal
Insulation Supports
— 16" or 24" wire rods holding floor insulation in
place.
Non-Combustible
Construction
— Buildings in which walls, partitions, structural elements,
floors, ceilings, roofs and exits are made of noncombustible
materials and which require higher fire resistance ratings than
combustible construction.
Organic
— Compounds containing carbon.
Overspray
— (1) Airborne spray loss of polyurethane foam. (2) Undesirable
depositions of airborne spray loss.
Perm
— A unit of water vapor transmission defined as 1 grain of water
vapor per square foot per hour per inch of mercury pressure
difference (1 inch mercury = 0.49 psi). Metric unit of measure
is ng/m2 s Pa. 1 perm = 55 ng/m2 s Pa
Permeability
— The time rate of water vapor transmission through unit area of
a material of unit thickness induced by unit vapor pressure
difference between two specific surfaces, under specified
temperature and humidity conditions.
pH
— A measure of acidity/alkalinity of aqueous mixtures. A measure
of pH 7 is neutral, lower is more acidic, higher is more
alkaline.
PSI
— Pounds per square inch.
Radiation
— Transfer of energy (heat/sound) from one object to another
through an intermediate space. Only the object receiving the
radiation, not the space is heated. The heat is in the form of
low frequency, infrared, invisible, light energy, transferring
from a "warm" object to a "cold" object. It
is known as the "black body effect".
Relative
Humidity — The
ratio expressed as a percentage of the amount of moisture air
actually contains to the maximum amount it could contain at that
temperature.
Resilient
Channels —
Metal channels used to inhibit sound transmission from wood
studs through drywall.
R
— A unit of measurement of resistance to heat flow in hr. ft2
° F/BTU.in.
RSI
— A unit of measurement of resistance to heat flow in m2
° C/W per 25 mm. R = 0.176 RSI
Resin
— Component B in spray foam chemistry. This component is mixed
with the A component to form The Icynene Insulation SystemÔ
Retrofit
— The modification of an existing building or facility to include
new systems or components.
Ridge
Vents — Vents
mounted along the entire ridgeline of the roof, allowing the
passage of air through the attic or cathedral ceiling.
Roof
Vents —
Louvers or small domes mounted near the ridge of the roof,
allowing passage of air through the attic.
SBS
"Sick Building Syndrome"
— Said to exist when one or more similar health problems
apparently related to interior environment factors affect
occupants of a specific building.
STC
(Sound Transmission Class)
— A way to measure sound travel.
Settling
— To become compact by sinking.
Smoldering
Combustion —
A test to assess the fire resistance within the insulation
layer.
Spray-Applied
Cellulose —
An installation method in which water is added to cellulose
insulation to make it stick when blown into wall cavities.
Standard
Testing —
Laboratory test methodology for determining relative properties
of materials at specific conditions.
Stud
— Upright post in the framework of a wall to support an
approved interior material such as gypsum wallboard.
Subfloor
— Structural material spanning the floor joists. Acts as a
working platform during construction and a base for the finished
flooring.
Thermostat
— Temperature sensitive control device that signals a heating or
cooling system to operate if the temperature in the building
reaches a preset limit.
Thermal
Barrier — A
material applied over IcyneneÔ Insulation designed to slow the
temperature rise of the foam during a fire situation and delay
its involvement in the fire.
Thermal
Bridge — A
thermally conductive material which penetrates or bypasses an
insulation system; such as a metal fastener or stud.
Thermal
Resistance (R)
— An index of a material's resistance to heat flow. See R and
RSI.
Thermal
Shock — A
building materials reaction to rapid changes in temperature.
Thermography
— A building energy diagnostic technique using an infrared
camera for locating areas of temperature differential in a
building.
Top
Plate —
Horizontal member nailed to the top of the studding of a wall.
Toxicity
— A substance that is considered to contain a toxin or poison.
U-Value
— Overall thermal conductance. U value is equal to the inverse
of the sum of the R-values in a system (U = 1 /R total).
Unfaced
Insulation
— Insulation with no attached vapor barrier.
Vapor
Retarder/Barrier
— A layer of moisture resistant material usually which controls
moisture diffusion (defined as less than 1 perm) to prevent
moisture build up in the walls.
Viscosity
— The thickness or resistance to flow of a liquid. Viscosity
generally decreases as temperature increases; application
temperatures of spray foam components are specified in part, to
control viscosity at the spray gun.
Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOC)
— Any compound containing carbon and hydrogen or containing
carbon and hydrogen in combination with other elements.
Acronyms
AISI — American Iron & Steel Institute
ALA — American Lung Association
ANSI — American National Standards Institute
ASHRAE — American Society for Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers
ASTM — American Society for Testing and Materials
BETEC — Building Environment & Thermal Envelope Council
BOCA — Building Officials and Code Administrators
CABO — (ICC) Conference of American Building Officials (International Code Council)
CCMC — Canadian Construction Materials Centre
CISEP — Cellulose Industry Standards Enforcement Program
CPSC — Consumer Product Safety Commission
CSA — Canadian Standards Association
DOE — U.S. Department of Energy
EPA — Environmental Protection Association
EEBA — Energy and Environmental Building Association
EREC — Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearing House (DOE program)
FSEC — Florida Solar Energy Center
IBC — International Building Code
ICC — International Code Council
MEC — Model Energy Code
NAHB — National Association of Home Builders
NAHBRC — NAHB Research Center
NBC — National Building Code of Canada
NEAT — Novel Environmental Advanced Technology
NER — National Evaluation Report
NIBS — National Institute of Building Sciences
NIST — National Institute of Standards and Technology
NRC — National Research Council of Canada
ORNL — Oak Ridge National Laboratories
SBCCI — Southern Building Codes Congress International
UBC — Uniform Building Code
UL — Underwriter's Laboratories
ULC — Underwriter's Laboratories Canada
|
Related Products
