Tiny House Insulation: The Key To Cozy Living.
By Jason & Denise McDonald. Updated: March 2023.
Provided by OffGridSurvivor (Photo: iStock by Getty Images).
Introduction.
With the recent popularity of small or “tiny” houses, many people are wondering how to insulate them.
The good news is that there are several options for tiny house insulation, and the best option depends on the climate, budget, and preference of the homeowner.
Some common tiny house insulation materials include fiberglass batts, spray foam, blown-in cellulose, and rigid foam board.
The different types of tiny houses.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a tiny house is a home that’s under 500 square feet. It’s also known by other names: small house, micro home, micro cabin or tiny house on wheels (which specifically refers to homes parked in RV parks).
While they vary in size and style of construction, one thing remains constant: they maintain their small footprints while still offering plenty of space for living.
Insulation is a necessity for a tiny house.
Insulation is a necessity for a tiny house. It helps keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer; it makes your house quieter, drier, safer, and healthier.
To learn how to choose insulation for your tiny home and how much you should install, read on!
What is the best homemade insulation?
Now that you know what to look for in an insulation material, it’s time to consider the DIY. You won’t be able to install a whole house of insulation if you don’t have the proper tools or knowledge.
This is why it’s important to use recycled materials and materials that are easy to find, work with and remove.
For example: If you’re working on a small home (such as a tiny house), consider using old newspapers or cardboard boxes for insulation instead of fiberglass or rock wool.
These materials are cheap, lightweight, easy-to-find and easy-to-work with. Plus they’re easily removed when necessary!
If you’re working on a larger home, consider using old clothes or blankets for insulation instead of fiberglass or rock wool.
These materials are cheap, lightweight, easy-to-find and easy-to-work with. Plus they’re easily removed when necessary!
Types of insulation for tiny houses.
There are many different types of insulation for tiny houses.
This can make the process of choosing an option difficult, especially if you’re new to this kind of project. In this section, we’ll cover the most common varieties and how they can be used in a tiny house so that you’re able to make an informed decision when it comes time to purchase materials.
We will also examine some homemade insulation options that are popular among those building their own tiny home. These include straw bales, adobe blocks and more!
What is the most eco friendly insulation?
A lot of insulation options are available to use in your tiny house. You can choose among these materials:
- Coconut fiber
- Wood fiber
- Recovered cellulose (a byproduct of papermaking)
- Recovered cotton (a byproduct of denim manufacturing)
- Rock wool (made from minerals)
- Cork (made from bark)
- Fiberglass insulation, made from sand and glass fibers
The three types of insulation.
Insulation is a necessity for any home, and it’s no different for tiny houses. A great way to save on space and money, insulation keeps your house at a consistent temperature and prevents heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.
Choosing the right type of insulation for your needs will help you stay comfortable all year round while saving energy costs.
The most common types of insulation are fiberglass batts (a flat blanket made up of small fibers), cellulose (sawdust that’s been compacted), blown-in foam boards, or foam spray polyurethane foam (SPF).
Each option has its pros and cons; here we’ll go over each type so that you can decide which works best for you!
Fiberglass Batts: Fiberglass batts are a popular choice because they’re relatively inexpensive and easy to install. They come in a variety of widths, lengths, thicknesses, and R-values (an indicator of insulation’s ability to resist heat transfer).
The downside to batts is that they’re heavy and difficult to move around once installed. They also don’t insulate your home as well as other options because they can trap moisture inside the walls.
Cellulose: Cellulose is made up of sawdust that’s been compacted into rolls or batts. It’s an effective way to insulate because it keeps out air and moisture while still being lightweight enough for DIYers to install themselves. Cellulose doesn’t provide as much R-value as other types of insulation, but it can be combined with other products if necessary.
Blown-In Foam Boards: Blown-in foam boards are made up of two different materials: one is a light, fluffy material that holds the shape of your walls while the other is a hardening chemical mixture that bonds them together. This type of insulation is great for filling large gaps in your walls and sealing leaks around pipes or wires.
How much insulation do you need?
To find out how much insulation you will need, use this formula:
(Square footage of your house) x (R-value of your chosen brand of insulation) = square feet of insulation needed
For example, let’s say you have a 200 square foot tiny house and want to install 3″ thick batts. That would be 200 * 12 inches (3 inches per inch) = 2400 sf x 12 inches = 28800 sqft.
Now we can divide it by the R-value of our selected brand; in this case, we’ll use R19 as an example since that seems to be one of the most common types used in tiny homes: 28800/19= 1128 sqft or 113 bundles!
So if you’re building an average size house from scratch, expect to buy at least 107 bundles!
Get the most out of your tiny house insulation.
- Insulation is important.
- It keeps your house warm in winter and cool in summer.
- It helps keep your house quiet, especially when you’re trying to sleep or watch a movie.
- And it also helps protect the life of whoever lives inside your tiny house from fire!
You can find many other options for insulating your home.
You can find many other options for insulating your home. For example, there are two types of insulation: fiberglass and cellulose. Fiberglass is an insulator that is made from recycled glass fibers and is used in some commercial buildings since it has a higher R-value than cellulose.
Cellulose, on the other hand, consists of recycled paper fibers that are blown into attics or walls to reduce heat loss and improve sound absorption (since sound waves travel through solid materials more easily).
Both types of insulation help your house stay warm during cold weather but may not be ideal for tiny houses because they’re bulky or heavy; depending on how much insulation you need will determine what type you should use.
Another form of insulation is called radiant barrier which can be installed between roof rafters under shingles or even over existing plywood.
It’s popular because sheathing prior to adding a roof decking material like OSB board or plywood panels which would keep the suns rays from penetrating those spaces is so effective.
As well as being able to reflect back some amount towards its source rather than absorbing all that energy making things hotter inside where we live is a great solution.
This process also helps prevent condensation issues too!
Installing your tiny house insulation.
There are many different ways to insulate a tiny house, but here’s a basic checklist:
- Insulate your walls, floor and ceiling. You can use traditional fiberglass batts or spray foam insulation to do this.
- Insulate any doors and windows in the home. You can use low-e glass or storm windows to help keep heat out of the home by limiting heat transfer through these areas.
- If you have an attic space above your ceiling, it’s worth considering adding some additional insulation on top of what you already have up there (like a layer of clear plastic). This will help keep heat from escaping through that space as well!
The benefits of insulating your tiny house.
Insulating your tiny house is a great way to make it more comfortable and save money on your utility bills. Insulation keeps your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter, which means you won’t have to run your electricity or heating system as much.
Insulated walls also help keep outside noise out, keeping you more comfortable while you relax inside with friends and family. Insulation can even help keep moisture from getting into the structure of your home if it rains or snows a lot where you live!
If you live somewhere that gets very hot during summer months, insulating will make sure that heat isn’t transferred into your tiny house easily through walls made out of wood or plastic sheeting (common materials used for insulation).
If this happens often enough over time, it can cause structural damage due to expansion/contraction caused by temperature changes happening over time.
However, if there’s adequate insulation installed beneath those surfaces then much less heat transfer takes place between inside spaces like bedrooms versus outside ones like hallways since they’re separated by layers.
Instead one single layer like what would happen without any kind of insulation being installed first before attaching drywall sheets onto studs using glue followed by nails which means there would be less air movement between rooms because we need something else besides just plastering drywall all over everything.
Is living in a tiny house right for you?
If you are looking for a low cost way to live, a tiny house may be for you. Tiny houses are great for people who want to live off the grid. They also work well if you just want to travel around and don’t want to pay rent anymore.
Troubleshooting.
If you’re noticing a drafty door, window or roof and want to keep your home warm during the winter months, there are some easy fixes that can be done. For example, if your tiny house has a leaky roof and it’s starting to get cold outside, you may need to repair the area where moisture is coming in.
This could range from adding more insulation between rafters or fixing up some shingles.
Alternatively: You could also add a draft guard (often used to protect windows) on top of the door itself so that when it’s closed during the winter season water won’t seep through cracks between panels or around hinges. This will help keep out drafts while still allowing light into your space.
Conclusion.
With so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to decide what type of insulation is right for you.
If you’re looking for an eco friendly solution that will save money in the long run and keep your home comfortable throughout the year, then foam is probably your best option.
However, if you’re looking for something more affordable or want better protection from extreme temperatures outside then fiberglass may be a better choice.