Insulation is one tough nut to crack. As if you don’t already have several options and factors to consider, I thought I’d mention one more: natural wool insulation by Oregon Shepherd. The company makes batt (PermaBatt) and loose fill (PermaLoft) insulation products, and they both look pretty impressive on paper. Oregon Shepard believes they have the “only loose fill, blown-in wool insulation in the world.”
Alex Wilson, this year's winner of the Hanley Award for Vision and Leadership in Sustainable Housing, selected EnGuard Insulation by Vita Nonwovens as the BuildingGreen Product of the Week following Greenbuild in Chicago. The 100% polyester insulation product is made with recycled plastic bottles, or, more specifically, 15% post-consumer and 35% pre-consumer recycled content.
The folks at GreenovationTV and Old House Web are working on a net-zero energy renovation of a 100-year-old home. Through the process, they’re posting helpful videos, including this one on insulating uninsulated spaces. This kind of information is on the money for anyone living in an existing home, especially if you’re like me and you own an old house from 1958!
Despite the fact that we are now living in the 21st century, aerogel insulation seems like a material out of science-fiction. It is the lightest solid known, although by volume it is 99% air. It is breathable, but it doesn't absorb water. It is incredibly strong for its weight. But most importantly, it is a fantastic insulator.
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