Whether you're building Toronto downtown condos or beach houses in Queensland, you're going to want to include some sort of insulation in your building plans. Insulation helps keep the indoors and outdoors separate, meaning it can make your air conditioning or heating system more efficient. There are many different types of insulation with different capacities for capacities for reflecting heat (known as R values), so if you're aiming for maximum efficiency in your home, it's best to know what your options are. Here are some popular types of insulation.

Fiberglass and Mineral Wool

Fiberglass and mineral wool come in the form of spun fluff batting. With its pink or yellow coloring, it often looks like cotton candy. These two materials have an R value of between 3 and 3.7, which puts it in the low to mid range of insulation. Most of the homes your Durham real estate agent shows you will likely be insulated with fiberglass as it is very readily available and can be installed by simply by stuffing it between the studs and covering it with a plastic vapor barrier.

Cellulose

Another type of insulation you may come across during your hunt for Toronto Beaches real estate is loose fill, which is usually made of fiberglass, mineral wool, or cellulose fiber. These types of insulation have similar R values to their batting-form cousins (between 2.8 and 3.7) but the difference is that they come in particulate form, much like foam packing peanuts. This type of insulation is usually sprayed into a space or attic by a pro and just sits there, making it susceptible to being moved around by air currents.

Foam Board

Board stock is a newer type of insulation that is popular for its compact size and moisture draining properties, making it ideal for basement insulation. It comes in the form of dense sheets of varying thickness that can be cut and tucked between walls or stuck to foundations. It's usually made out of polystyrene, foil-faced polyisocyanurate foam, rigid fiberglass, or rigid mineral fiber. These materials have an R value of between 3.6 and 6.7, making them some of the most efficient types of insulation you can use in your condo. Toronto has many stores that stock this insulation.

Spray Cellulose or Polyurethane

If you've been watching the new real estate and building shows, you will also be familiar with spray insulation, which consists of an expanding foam made of cellulose or polyurethane particles held together with a binding material. These types of insulation will give a home on the Brownsville, TX real estate listings an R value of between 3.0 and 6.0, but they are more difficult to install as they must be done by a professional. They also need to be covered by a plastic vapor barrier.