How do Insulation and Ventilation work together?

No matter how perfect the construction is, any house is incomplete without high-performance insulation. This is critical for everyday functionality where the home should remain warm or cool as per the climatic conditions. Homes that don’t have sufficient insulation are often those with serious issues related to structural integrity. Here, the building has major flaws that allow the home’s internal energy to escape. Starting your project with the Rmax thermasheet insulation products saves time, energy and money and offers enhanced energy efficiency with less energy use and greenhouse emissions through efficient insulation. Rmax offers a variety of continuous insulation products for residential applications.

Similarly, the external climatic conditions have a greater impact on the internal temperature due to ineffective insulation—a widely acknowledged reason for higher energy bills. In fact, research data suggests that 42% of heat within a house is transferred and thus, lost through the ceiling itself! This means an unwanted load on the air-conditioning system, raising the overall energy consumption.

This discussion will help you understand how ventilation plays an important role in deciding your home’s insulation performance.

Explained: The Insulation - Ventilation Relationship with an Example

Attics are one of the most primary considerations when insulating a house. There are two important reasons to ventilate the attic during high-temperature conditions:

1. To release excess heat built-up in internal spaces. Overheating raises the temperature of the interiors, putting a direct strain on the home’s air-conditioning system. Warm air tends to rise upwards. Losing some of the warmer air through the attic ensures that the internal temperature is lowered. This complements the air-conditioning system, helping you save some serious money in the form of reduced energy bills.

2. To lose excess moisture produced within the home. The build-up of moisture can lead to condensation problems. Condensation can lead to substantial deterioration in the quality of overall insulation. A ventilated attic is more adept at gradually losing the moisture. The presence of warm air around the attic’s ventilation spaces ensures that moisture directed towards the attic is easily lost.

Understand Utility of Natural Ventilation for Better Insulation

Natural ventilation is the easiest and the most effective method of ventilation. This method doesn’t need special contraptions or designing elements. Here, the ventilation is achieved through the Chimney Effect—ventilation due to the natural movement of wind. The degree of ventilation achieved here depends directly on the level of wind movement and size of the opening. Size of the opening is easy to change as compared to other insulation-related changes/renovations. To ensure you always have room for natural ventilation:

•    Avoid permanently filling/closing ventilation spaces.

•    Don’t block the original ventilation spaces in a new property.

•    Even if you need to close them for some time, use materials that are easier to remove.

Second, Most Preferred form of Ventilation: Power Ventilation

You should consider Power Ventilation if the primary or natural ventilation spaces are too small and you cannot make them bigger. At home, you can control the temperature by using bigger, more powerful attic fans. It is better to place such fans in the central hallway. This helps to draw the outside air through the windows without creating any high pressure. Ensure you keep some outlets for the exhaust air to escape.