Go Green: InsulationA well-insulated cottage keeps cooler under the beating sun, as well as staving off winter’s cold. And since you’ll be using less energy for cooling and heating, insulation is key to going green. What’s more, new sustainable offerings employ recycled waste materials, taking a load off landfills, and natural, non-toxic ingredients, making DIY installation safer. Recycled contentFibreglass has been an insulation-industry staple for years. But where the old stuff included formaldehyde as a binder, greener alternatives use acrylic and are often made with recycled glass. Mineral-wool insulators (bottom) also use a waste by-product, the slag produced in steel smelting. And some new spray foams incorporate recycled plastics. Even old jeans and newspapers get a second life: Cotton (middle), including denim, can be woven into a three-dimensional web that traps heat and sound, while recycled newsprint becomes cellulose insulation that’s blown into wall cavities. Renewable ingredientsNatural fibres such as wool and hemp require no protective clothing for safe installation. Wool insulation (top), in ropes for log cabins or batts for framed cottages, does double duty by absorbing some indoor air pollutants. Hemp fibre, available in batts of different thickness, is durable, non-toxic, and itch free. And soybean oil, a renewable alternative to petroleum, is a main ingredient in some polyurethane foams. For general information about insulation:TreeHugger: www.treehugger.com (search for “green
insulation”) For product information:Fibreglass Mineral wool Spray foams Cellulose Natural fibres - Susan Nerberg
Published in the May 2008 issue of Cottage Life magazine. Copyright © 2008 by Cottage Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, photograph, or artwork, for other than personal use, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden |