INSUL-TARP is a patented revolutionary product like no other on the market today. Its lightweight, Space Age design integrates closed cell foam and an aluminum reflective material with a protective poly coating all within three thin layers. The durable poly coating protects the insulating material from potentially damaging surfaces and is impermeable to moisture, helping it to maintain a high R-value in a minimal amount of space. The superior physical characteristics and overall design of INSUL-TARP make it the most effective product for insulating under concrete slabs in Residential, Commercial and Agricultural radiant heating systems.

DECREASING THE HAZARDS OF RADON
Text by Cristopher Brooks | Photography courtsy of CertainTeed

Many homeowners do not understand what radon is – and how dangerous it can be. Radon is a radioactive gas, colorless and odorless, and forms when radium decays. The gas occurs naturally, but is harmful to your health. Potentially it can become a dangerous problem. Radon is found throughout the United States. It harmlessly diffuses through outdoor air. “Inside a home or other structure, elevated levels can be harmful and even cause health problems,” says Steven B. Gross, PE, Director of Marketing and Product Development at Certain Teed Corporation in Valley forge, Pennsylvania. Certain Teed manufactures Form-A-Drain, a residential foundation system that serves a dual purpose, meeting the structure’s needs for a foundation, but also creating an opportunity to reduce radon.

BY CARI SCRIBNER
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES UNION

Your mother always told you to put on a hat when you went outside, because she understood how much heat loss occurs from the top of your body. But when it comes to keeping your home warm, you need to pay attention to the basement.

“Most people are surprised to find out that most heat loss in a building occurs through the foundation, and not the roof,” said Rick Walker of E and E Mechanical, Inc. “A poured foundation sitting four feet below grade has the same insulation values as three-quarter inch plywood sitting above grade. Essentially, a large portion of your hard-earned energy dollars are spent heating the ground beneath your foundation.”

Technicians at the Troy-based company install and service a wide variety of heating and cooling systems, from high efficiency change outs and new construction installs to the super-efficient applications of hydronic radiant, geothermal, and solar technologies.

The very word “radiant” has a lusurious appeal and makes you feel warmer just saving it. Radiant floor and ceiling systems heat objects, not air, to provide superior human comfort. Here is radiant heating in a nutshell: Radiant heat does not heat the air like a forced-air furnace; instead, it heats the objects around it. An example of this could be found in a campsite: the camper is warmed by radiant heat, while the hot dog is cooked over traditional convective heat.

BUILDING A HOME WITH AN UNINSULATED FOUNDATION MIGHT NOT BE A CRIME, BUT IT IS AN ENERGY SIN. LEARN HOW AND WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE INSULATING CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS, SLABS AND CROWSPACES.

A STANDARD FEATURE IN YOUR NEW HOMES :
BY MATTHEW POWER

Do you think of concrete as a good insulator ? Think again. A 10” slab of poured concrete has an R-value of about 1, which is comparable to a pane of glass. That means that basement heat loss can account for 50 percent of a home’s heating bills in some regions. Yet most builders view insulating foundations as an unnecessary inconvenience – a labor – intensive process with low payback. They insulate between the floor joists above the concrete and leave insulating the concrete for owners to deal with if they want to condition the basement at a future time.