Thermal and acoustic insulation set in the cavity before the wall closes up. We sequence it against framing and drywall so nothing gets buried out of order and no assembly has to be opened back up for an inspector.
- Fiberglass batts
- Standard thermal and acoustic fill for stud cavities. Unfaced or kraft-faced, cut to the framing rather than compressed to fit.
- Mineral wool / rock wool
- Higher density and non-combustible. Where the assembly has to hold a fire rating or hit a real STC number.
- Rigid foam board
- Continuous insulation outboard of framing and at foundation walls. Polyiso, XPS, or EPS to whatever the spec calls out.
- Loose-fill / blown-in
- Attics, irregular cavities, and retrofit work where a batt cannot be fit cleanly around existing conditions.
- Spray foam — open cell
- Air seal and insulation in one pass, at a lower cost per inch. Common in interior partitions and sound applications.
- Spray foam — closed cell
- Higher R per inch, plus a vapor retarder and added rigidity to the assembly. Where the envelope detail calls for it.