In
broad terms, insulation is the prevention of heat, cold, or sounds from being
transmitted (sent) from one place to the other. In usage, it is referring to
the materials that confine these natural phenomena (cold, heat, sound) in their
places. Insulation from electricity is using known insulators that are
non-conductive and make it safe to handle.
Insulators
work in many ways, dependent on the energy we want to be insulated against.
They are mostly composed of materials with millions of pockets of air inside.
Because
air is a good insulator, the trapped air in these materials make them good
insulators as well with high thermal resistance, it even stops sound.
Thermal
Usually,
this is the insulation used in walls and ceilings, including those on the
outside walls of houses where heat is usually lost in colder climate (or gained
in hotter weather conditions). The work of thermal insulation is to keep one
side (the inside of the house, for instance) of the insulating material warmer
than the other (from the cold outside).
In extremely
hot (or cold) places, the insulation design of in keeping your houses warm or
cool needs to follow the climate changes. Usually, this happens in temperate
countries and in other places where it is cold most of the time.
“R
values” are the usual measurement fro effectiveness in thermal insulation. When
the R value is higher, the thermal insulation it gives is better. RM is the
total value of thermal resistance of the materials used. RT is the total value
of the heat resistance provided by the whole construction including the
materials.
Sound
Controlling
sound is another form of insulation, this time with regards to the sound waves.
At some point, the types of insulation used in thermal control can also control
both sound and heat. These insulating properties (acoustic, for sound) are
usually found in walls, ceilings and floors.
There
are, however, specialized sound-roofing applied to special places like
theaters, recording studio or movie sets that need this type of insulation from
outside noise, or extraneous sound.
In other
places where there are extreme external noise generated (highways, airports,
train lines, factories) there are also other specialized methods in keeping off
the sound. The acoustic measures are usually done on windows and other places
in buildings receiving these noises.
Two birds in one stone
Some
people have the notion that heat insulation can also do a stand in to do the
job of sound insulation. In some ways, it can. However, the design tends to
lean on one group or another (sound or heat). Thermal insulation is still best
for temperature control.
On another
scenario, acoustic insulation can control the pitch and volume of the sound
from somewhere into entering. However, it cannot guarantee that heat (or cold)
is kept off. Depending on the construction of the building or your house or the
materials used, or maybe your area in general, thermal insulation can sometimes
take care and keep unnecessary sound out.
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