067 - Types of Insulation: Materials, R-Values, and Assemblies

Types of insulation explained, from fiberglass batts to spray foam to rigid board to continuous insulation. This episode covers every major insulation type you need to know for the ARE exam and real-world practice. You'll learn how heat transfer works through buildings, then walk through each material one by one. Fiberglass vs mineral wool, open cell vs closed cell spray foam, EPS vs XPS vs polyiso, and why continuous insulation is the only way to solve thermal bridging. Every section connects back to how these materials behave in real wall assemblies, not just what their R-value is on a spec sheet. 📝 Key topics covered: Fiberglass insulation vs mineral wool insulation Open cell vs closed cell spray foam EPS vs XPS vs polyiso rigid board insulation Continuous insulation and thermal bridging Blown-in insulation and dense pack cellulose How insulation choice affects vapor management ⏱️ Chapters:  (0:00) Introduction (1:48) Free Study Notes (3:07) How Heat Transfer Works (6:49) Fiberglass and Mineral Wool Batts (9:51) Blown-In Insulation (12:25) Spray Foam: Open vs Closed Cell (15.28) Rigid Board Insulation (17:58) Continuous Insulation (20:51) SIPs, ICFs, Radiant Barriers (22:54) Vapor Barriers and Insulation (24:15) Common Insulation Exam Traps (26:08) ARE Study Materials (27:14) Wrap Up 📖 Read the full blog post and grab free study notes: Types of Insulation: Materials, R-Values, and Assemblies 📝 Free 2-page insulation study notes: youngarchitect.com/insulation 🎯 ARE 101 Membership (access all ARE courses) 🎯 ARE Boot Camp (10-week coaching program) 📚 Individual courses: PPD 101 (Project Planning and Design) PDD 101 (Construction Documents and Specs) Building Codes 101 Mechanical Systems 101 CDT 101 (Construction Documents Technologist) PA 101 (Programming and Analysis) CE 101 (Construction and Evaluation) PcM 101 (Practice Management) PjM 101 (Project Management) AIA Contracts 101