The Impact of Insulation on Indoor Air Quality
Most people think of insulation only as a thermal barrier and a way to protect homes from extreme temperatures and save money on heating and cooling. However, good insulation does so much more than that. Besides preserving a comfortable temperature indoors, it also protects the air quality from dust, allergens, moisture, or mold entering your home.
How Important Is Air Quality and Why?
The air we breathe indoors can sometimes be more polluted than the one outdoors if your home doesn’t have proper ventilation and insulation. Bad air quality inside homes has been linked to many health issues like allergies and respiratory problems, and even some long-term chronic diseases. Besides that, it can affect your mood and your daily life as well as your concentration and sleep.
Installing proper insulation, ventilation, or using air purifiers can help and significantly improve the air quality in your home, and the overall health and well-being of you and your family.
What Is the Difference Between Good and Bad Insulation?
Having bad insulation or no insulation is the same when we’re talking about indoor air quality. Good insulation materials are fiberglass, cellulose, or any other that won’t emit harmful compounds into the air, and are non-toxic.
On the other hand, bad insulation materials like some low-quality spray foams or those containing formaldehyde can release harmful particles and chemicals into the air over time. Moreover, any improperly installed, old, or neglected insulation can start collecting moisture and growing mold and mildew that affects the air quality.
By making sure that insulation in your home is made of good quality material with low emissions and that it’s properly installed, you are investing in better air quality and your overall well-being.
How Can Insulation Improve the Air Quality in Your Home?
Insulation can play a vital role in protecting the healthy environment in your home. Providing a good air barrier, regulating humidity, and stopping mold growth can significantly improve the air quality in your house.
Insulation as an air barrier
Insulation seals gaps and cracks in the walls, floors, and ceilings of your home and in that way stops all outdoor pollutants from entering your living space. By preventing air leakage, the insulation will block harmful airborne particles like diesel soot from entering your house and affecting the air inside.
Good insulation also reduces the amount of dust, pollen, and other potential allergens that inevitably enter your home from the outside, keeping it clean and healthy.
Insulation Regulates the Temperature and Humidity
By reducing heat loss and gain, insulation can regulate the temperature and humidity in your home. Minimizing heat loss from your home simplifies the task of upholding balanced temperatures and lowering the chances of bad indoor air quality.
Oscillating temperatures inside of your home can also mean you will have issues with water condensation and humidity, which all affect respiratory health carrying risks of allergies, asthma, or discomforts like fatigue and headaches.
When you regulate indoor climate, you invest in your overall health and comfort, and good insulation is very often the key solution. By balancing out the temperature and humidity in your home, you use less energy on heating and cooling, which makes you save money but also the environment.
Preventing the Growth of Mold and Mildew
Moisture-loving mold and mildew find their breeding ground on damp surfaces. If your home has insufficient insulation, it can lead to the accumulation of moisture on various surfaces like walls, floors, and ceilings.
The sources of moisture can be different, too. It can stem from gaps in the roof, walls, doors, window sills, and house foundations. Even indoor activities like showering, cooking, or drying the laundry inside, can sometimes contribute to water condensation and moisture in your home.
Proper insulation will work as a defense preventing the moisture indoors that supports the growth of mold and mildew. It works as a filter or a barrier against moisture and mold, but also various bacteria, fungi, and other harmful microorganisms that would love such an environment and be very bad for the air quality and, further on, make adverse effects on your respiratory health.
Good Insulation Works Against Pests
All sorts of pests including mice, rats, birds, bats, and insects, are enticed to make their nests within the plush insulation of your attic, leaving their feces, urine, and other waste behind. Particles of all these unwanted remains can, unfortunately, find a way into the air of your home or ductwork bringing potential health risks.
If you notice any signs of such infestation or hear pests in your walls or the attic, make sure you contact professional pest removal services as soon as possible. When they are successfully removed, you must also get rid of the contaminated insulation and install one of better quality. Besides that, sealing all openings and crevices, where the pests could come through is also crucial.
Against Indoor Pollutants and Vocs
Did you know that indoor air can sometimes contain more pollutants than the air outdoors? The nature of these airborne particles may come as a surprise to many people. Some insulation materials deteriorate over time and can induce an influx of dust, and volatile organic particles (known as VOCs).
Some of the most common sources of VOCs in a household are:
- Deteriorated insulation materials
- Wood preservatives
- Paints and paint products
- Cleaning products
- Paper bags and office supplies
When these compounds remain in the air for a long time, they can cause allergies and other respiratory problems. If insulation is the thing that is compromising your indoor air quality, you should seriously consider upgrading or replacing it in your home.
What Types of Insulation Are the Best for Preserving Indoor Air Quality?
When renovating a house or considering replacing the old insulation, there are a few things to consider when opting for good air quality and healthy solutions. That’s why it’s important to evaluate the quality of the insulation material, check its certifications, and make sure it is installed properly.
Some of the best insulation materials considering their impact on air quality are:
- Fiberglass Insulation
Fiberglass is a commonly used insulation material and is known for its good insulation properties and non-toxic material. It is made from glass fibers that are relatively inert and don’t release almost any airborne particles. If fiberglass is properly installed, it can effectively block pollutants and allergens from entering your home, and preserve the air quality.
- Mineral Wool
Mineral wool, or rock wool is derived from natural steel and mineral slag. It is good thermal insulation while having soundproof and fire-resistant properties. Mineral wool doesn’t release VOCs or any harmful materials and it is safe for indoor air quality.
- Spray Foam
Some spray foam insulations can release VOCs over time and during the installation, so you should be careful when selecting the one you are going to apply. Water-blown spray foam, and low-VOC spray foam, emit fewer harmful chemicals and are the best choice if you decide to go for this type of insulation. Finally, proper installation is the most important to make sure the foam cures completely and seals all the gaps and cracks in the insulated surfaces.
- Cellulose Insulation
Cellulose insulation is made from recycled materials like paper and fabric. It is considered one of the most eco-friendly insulation materials with good insulation properties. Cellulose can work effectively as an air barrier and reduce the infiltration of outdoor pollutants into your home.
- Cotton Insulation
Cotton insulation is made from recycled cotton or denim fibers, and it doesn’t contain formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals. Cotton insulation is a sustainable and eco-friendly material with good thermal insulation properties while being suitable for preserving indoor air quality.
- Reflective Insulation
Reflective insulation doesn’t release any VOCs or other harmful chemicals into the indoor air, and it works as a perfect air barrier preventing any harmful particles from coming inside through the walls, attics, or floors. Reflective insulation also provides a good temperature balance and promotes proper ventilation which controls humidity and prevents the growth of mold and mildew. Moreover, it doesn’t support the nesting of rodents, bugs, or birds and saves your home from the harmful effects of pests waste.
What Types of Insulation Are the Best for Preserving Indoor Air Quality?
Checking the air quality in your home is an important thing to consider from time to time, to ensure a comfortable and healthy living space. There are a few key points to follow in this process:
- Pay attention to any unusual odors or strong smells in your home. Such things can show the presence of pollutants like pests, mold, or VOCs.
- Observe how much dust accumulates in your home. Excessive dust buildup can lead to allergies and signal bad air quality in your place.
- Watch out for humidity and monitor its levels. Excessive moisture produces mold and harms indoor air quality. Check your HVAC system regularly and change the air filters to maintain clean air. Air purifiers can also contribute a lot to cleaning the air and monitoring humidity levels.
- If you or any of your family members experience irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, excessive coughing or sneezing, or increased allergic reactions, that may be a sign of poor air quality in your home, and an alarm to do something about it, as it can seriously damage your health.
Clean and fresh indoor air provides many health advantages and is important for normal functioning daily life. Not only will it preserve your respiratory system and save you from allergies, but it will also benefit your mental health, increasing happiness, productivity, and improving sleep.
