Wouldn't it be nice if you can make different climate zones at home without abusing your heaters or your air conditioners? You're also probably wondering if having a good night’s sleep due to noise reduction can be achieved by adding a layer of insulation materials, but should you insulate interior walls? We've researched this topic and found your answer.
Even if it's not required, it is a good practice to insulate internal walls if you're trying to achieve any of the following:
- Have different temperature levels in several areas of your home
- Sound-proof the rooms
- Improve the moisture control at home
- Save energy
- Add another layer of fire protection
We will get into further details about why should you insulate your interior walls. In addition, we will discuss the steps you can follow on how to insulate interior walls, so keep reading this post until the end to learn more. With that said, let's get right into it!
5 Reasons To Insulate Interior Walls
Insulation is the process of creating a barrier to prevent the increase and loss of heat within a closed space. We often see pipelines, vents, and outer walls insulated, but insulating your interior walls can also be a great idea due to the following reasons.
If you are planning to do a major renovation at home, you're probably contemplating whether it would be a good idea to insulate your interior walls.
Don't worry! We've listed down some of the reasons you might want to consider before you come up with a decision.
1. Creating Climate Zones
Putting a layer of insulation materials on your interior walls can give several advantages. For one, it allows you to have different temperature levels in separate areas of your home.
If you are using a centralized air conditioner or heating system, you can heat up or cool down a specific room using insulating materials instead of letting the temperature be the same in all areas of your home.
2. Sound-Proofing
Noise is inevitable when you have loud housemates or kids living with you. Good thing insulation doesn't just help with temperature control, but in muffling sound too.
Often, homeowners who live near roads or pretty noisy neighborhoods resort to insulating walls to reduce sound from coming inside their homes, but some also insulate interior walls to sound-proof areas within their houses.
However, not all types of insulation materials can reduce sound transfer. Materials such as fiberglass, foam, and cellulose are the best choices if you want to dampen the sound in individual rooms.
Although insulating interior walls will not 100% prevent the sound transfer, it still helps reduce the noise coming from one area to another.
3. Improve Moisture Control
Moisture control is one of the top reasons why people decide to insulate areas of their home. Moisture is something we cannot prevent from building up, but by insulating our homes, we can reduce possible mold or mildew from dominating the wet spaces of the house.
If you live in a place with higher humidity levels, exterior insulation will not be enough to protect your home from rotting and other structural damages due to condensation and moisture. This is why insulation materials such as vapor barriers are the perfect product to use when you want to prevent moisture buildup at home.
4. Energy Conservation
Due to the increasing cost of electrical energy, some homeowners are using insulation to lessen power consumption. The reason is that insulation materials can help trap and prevent heat from transferring.
When you insulate your interior walls, you also decrease heat transfer or gain. It stops you from abusing your heating and cooling appliances, thus, helping you conserve energy for up to 20%.
5. Fire Prevention
Fire prevention is something a number of homeowners rarely consider when choosing the materials they will use. However, besides keeping your home warm and cozy during winter and cool in the summer, protecting your home from possible fire should be a top priority.
Although it can be tempting to use other insulation products, there are insulation materials that are combustible.
Insulation materials such as mineral wool and fiberglass are a great addition to the fire-prevention features of your home. If you want to use a different product, make sure to check if it's fire-prone before purchasing it if your goal is to reduce the threat of fire at home.
How To Insulate Interior Walls
Insulating the interior walls of your home is not going to be as expensive as insulating the exterior. As a matter of fact, doing so will only cost you around half of the money you spend on your exterior insulation.
Here is how to insulate interior walls, should you decide to do the job by yourself.
1. Choosing The Right Insulation Material
Once you've decided to insulate your interior walls, the next thing you need to consider is the type of material you are going to use. You have plenty of options to choose from, so make sure to pick the best one that will suit your needs.
Do not forget to check the recommended local building code for insulation levels.
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2. Preparing The Workspace
After picking the material that you will use, clean the area where the insulation materials will be installed. Keeping the space free from any obstacles will help you work better.
3. Install The Insulation Material
Depending on the type of material you are working with, begin the installation process. Some materials require adhesives, while some use staples to hold them in place.
After putting the materials, make sure to cover the gaps to ensure efficient insulation.
Is Mineral Wool Better Than Fiberglass When Insulating Interior Walls?
It is no surprise that mineral wool and fiberglass are two of the best choices for insulation. Both insulation materials are known for their thermal performance, moisture control, ability to prevent sound transfer, and fire resistance.
Mineral wool is an inorganic and fibrous type of insulation material made from molten rock or silica, while fiberglass is made from glass fibers. The best product to choose will depend on your preferences as well as the product's function.
Let's take a look at some of the things you might want to consider before making a verdict.
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Thermal Performance
Thermal performance is one of the things you need to consider when choosing the right insulation material for your interior wall. This is the product's ability to prevent heat from passing through, whether you want to keep the room temperature low or high.
When it comes to thermal performance, there is a slight advantage when using mineral wool instead of fiberglass. Fiberglass only offers R-13 for a 3.5 inches thickness while mineral wool is offering R-15 for a similar thickness.
Moisture Control
Mineral wool does not have a facing, unlike fiberglass which comes in different options (Kraft-faced, unfaced, and FSK-faced). This makes fiberglass better at controlling moisture since it can prevent water vapor from reaching the material.
If moisture is your number one reason to insulate your interior walls, then fiberglass would be a better choice for the job.
Sound Dampening
The difference between mineral wool and fiberglass' ability to reduce noise is very minimal that it's a bit hard to tell. However, mineral wool has better sound control compared to fiberglass.
Fire Resistance
Both mineral wool and fiberglass are good at delaying the spread of fire due to their non-combustible nature, but fiberglass has a lower melting point compared to mineral wool. This makes mineral wool better in terms of fire prevention than fiberglass, whether the fiberglass is faced or not.
Application
Fiberglass can be used to insulate the interior and exterior walls, attics, garages, and basements. On the other hand, mineral wool is commonly installed in exterior walls, crawl areas that are prone to heat, and basements.
Final Thoughts
Whether it's for moisture protection, acoustic reasons, fire prevention, or temperature and energy consumption control, insulating your interior walls is a good idea. Just remember to weigh your options and think about why you want to insulate your walls before making your final decision.
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