Common insulation construction terms 4

Common construction terms 4 Insulation

Have you have ever been on a construction site talking to your contractor and been totally lost in the terms that they are using? Well I’m here to help; here are some common terms that contractor’s use that you might not understand.

• Batts. This refers to the insulation that is installed between the studs of the walls.

• Pink. This refers to fibreglass insulation that is installed in the outside stud walls of homes. It is called pink because the product is usually pink in colour.

• Roxall. This is a type of insulation that is installed in between the studs of walls usually for sound dampening or as a fire barrier. It is green in colour and is made from burn resistant material not fibreglass.

• Vapour barrier. This is the plastic that is installed over the outside stud walls after the insulation has been installed in the walls.

• Super 6. This refers to the thickness of the vapour barrier that is installed over the outside stud walls. The 6 means that the insulation is 6mm thick.

• Acoustical caulking. This is what is used between joints in the plastic and on the edges to make an air tight seal.

• Blown in. This is the insulation that is typically installed in the ceiling of the attic. The insulation is latterly blown in from a blower truck that has a long hose attached to it.

• Tuck tape. This is the tape that is used over joints in the plastic instead of acoustical caulking to achieve an air tight seal. It is also used around light switches electrical boxes and anywhere you cannot achieve a proper seal.

• Red tape. Another name for Tuck tape, tuck tape is red in colour.

• Spray foam. This refers to the foam that is sprayed around windows and doors by a handheld foam gun or a foam truck for larger areas like roof areas and walls cavities.

• Hanging blanket. This refers to an insulation that is used in unfinished areas of basements. The insulation is encapsulated in a plastic bag allowing it to be attached at the top of the foundation. The insulation in the plastic bag (the plastic bag acts as the vapour barrier) then hangs down over the exposed concrete. This allows builders to insulate a basement without installing studs and vapour barrier.

• Polystyrene. This is a type of rigid foam insulation that comes in sheets that are usually 2 feet wide by 8 feet long. They can also have a lapping joint to give continuous insulation on the outside of framed walls. Rigid foam can be used in a variety of places, it can be lied under concrete floors and on the outside of walls. Rigid foam comes in almost any thickness that you desire.

• Blown wall insulation. This is the insulation that is blown into the wall cavities instead of using batt insulation.

• Moore vents. These are vents that are installed to the underside of the plywood to create airspace in the attic. The vents are installed from the soffit up past the insulation that is blown in on the attic ceiling.

This should help you understand what your contractor is talking about the next time you have a meeting with them. Look for part 5 of common construction terms, coming soon.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.