Building Insulation Basics

Course Outline

Building insulation is a very important design consideration. Properly insulated buildings can save energy resource and money significantly. This course is designed to help engineers and architects learn how to properly insulate a home. In this course you will learn how to insulate attic hatches, basements, ceilings, attics, crawl spaces, slabs, and walls. In addition, it also provides helpful tips on air sealing, moisture control and R-value calculation. Although the course materials are tailored for residential construction, the insulation principles are applicable to commercial construction. This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Understand the importance of air sealing for a building;
• Identify major air leakage sites in a house;
• Insulate attics and ceilings properly;
• Insulate basement walls using different methods;
• Insulate crawlspace effectively;
• Insulate truss floor systems effectively;
• Insulate walls and floors effectively;
• Insulate slab and foundation walls properly;
• Understand how to properly ventilate an attic;
• Seal attic access panel/pull-down stair;
• Calculate the required R-values of existing homes;
• Determine the recommended R-value for new homes; and
• Understand the importance of moisture control.

Course Content

This course is based on several Technology Fact Sheets published by United States Department of Energy. Please click the link (hypertext) below to access the course material:

Insulation Fact Sheets (67 pages, a PDF file)

You need to open or download the above document for your study.

Course Summary

Energy codes typically require a thermal boundary between a conditioned space and an unconditioned space or between building interior and exterior. To save energy resource, the building enclosure should be insulated continuously without gaps. Proper insulation should be considered for floor slab, crawlspace, basement, walls, ceilings and attics. Openings in the building enclosure, like for windows, doors, electrical outlets, plumbing pipes, and lighting fixtures, need to be sealed so that the insulation is continuous.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following web pages:

Energy Star Program
House Insulation - Different Types
R-Value Recommendations

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

---

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDHonline.org or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered professional engineer. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

---