How Drywall and Insulation Work Together

If your home seems unusually chilly, do you have to call drywall services in Saskatoon? Maybe, but the problem may not be primarily with the drywall. Unless there is a gaping hole in the drywall that is letting air in, the problem is more likely with the insulation. Here is how drywall and insulation work together to keep your home warm and cozy.

Does Drywall Help Keep Your Saskatoon Home Warm?

Heat flow resistance is the measure of how effective a building material is at insulating the interior of a home. It is expressed as an R-value. The higher the R-value, the more effective a material is at preventing heat transfer.

Drywall has a low R-value of 0.5. While it is slightly effective at preventing heat transfer, it is not considered an efficient insulator. This is probably due in part to the porous nature of drywall. When the gypsum paste is spread out on cardboard sheets to form drywall, it forms little crevices and crannies as it dries.

Drywall alone is not very effective at keeping your home warm. However, drywall and insulation can work together, the insulation providing the required R-value while the drywall holds it in place.

What Should You Use To Insulate Drywall?

There are several effective types of insulation available. The type you use depends on whether you already have drywall installed and, if so, if you would like to keep it or are willing to replace it. If you do not want to replace your existing drywall, you can insulate it with loose-fill cellulose. This method involves drilling a small hole near the ceiling next to each wall stud and blowing the insulation through an inserted nozzle to fill up the void. From that point, it is a simple matter of patching, retexturing, and repainting the remaining holes.

If you have not yet installed the drywall, or if you are willing to replace the existing drywall, you can insulate using either expandable spray foam or fiberglass batts. Fiberglass batts are the most common type of insulation because it is the least expensive and easiest to install. However, expandable spray foam provides a higher R-value. It does the most good on exterior walls.

What Are the Benefits of Insulating Drywall?

In addition to keeping your house warm, the combination of drywall and insulation offers other benefits. Insulation helps to prevent heat from escaping your home. When the heat stays in place instead of leaking outside, your HVAC system does not have to work as hard to maintain a consistent temperature. Your furnace uses less fuel, which increases energy efficiency and helps to reduce your utility bills.

Fire-rated drywall and insulation help to slow the spread of fire should one ignite inside your home. It does not put out the fire, but it may give you and your family more time to escape before you become trapped. Party walls, i.e., those that separate living quarters in apartments, townhouses, and other multifamily living structures, are required to have fire-rated drywall and insulation.

There are also types of insulation that help with soundproofing. However, depending on the extent to which you want to block sound, you might need more than just insulation and drywall.

Why Should You Call Handyman Connection for Drywall Services in Saskatoon?

It is very important to install drywall just right. Otherwise, you could have visible defects or structural problems, as well as lose the limited heat flow resistance that drywall provides. There are many ways that amateur drywall installation can go wrong, but our technicians are trained and experienced to get it right the first time. Whether you need drywall installation, repair, or replacement, contact Handyman Connection for a an estimate. We perform a wide range of home repairs.