INSULATION PROBLEM

Evening Star, Issue 21580, 28 November 1933, Page 2

INSULATION PROBLEM

HOW MUCH IS SUFFICIENT ? EXPERIENCE OF BUILDERS The value of insulation is generally recognised among builders nowadays, and the question is not “ Shall this building be insulated? ” but rather “ How thick should the material be in order that we may have, not just insulation, but really adequate insulation? ” This development was quite apparent at a recent meeting of the Builders’ Association of Indianapolis, and the way they questioned a visiting representative of an insulation manufacturer showed some of the other building trends also, says an American journal.

Two good new reasons why Indianapolis buildings should be well insulated, the question-and-answer session brought out. are the growing use of air-con-ditioning systems for summer use and the near approach of natural gas for heating purposes in winter. In either case the house must be well insulated if the cost is to be kept within reasonable bounds.

When one speaker mentioned that the pipe lines for natural gas now are within ten miles of Chicago one of the builders countered with: “ You haven’t, got anything on us—they’re that close to Indianapolis, too.” It soon was evident that local builders are considering the advent of natural gas as an important factor in home design. This also is true of air-conditioning apparatus, for one of the builders reported that he is including this modern feature in all the homes he has built, and others of the' contractors also told of using such equipment. Ft is not merely “ the coining thing,” but rather the thing that already is here and to be reckoned with. There was lively comment at the meeting concerning the model home recently built which contains all the latest modern devices designed to make life in the home more comfortable and convenient.

What these builders were seeking were the definite facts on how thick the insulating materials should be to give sufficient insulation without being so thick as to be too cumbersome and so great in first cost as to take up too much of the heating and cooling money it might save. After their discussion they were inclined to think that halfinch insulating board is a bit too thin, and that it would be better for practical purposes if it were thicker—nearer an inch in thickness.