No one can accurately predict the future and nowhere is that true than in trying to predict the future of home insulation. The home construction industry is notoriously slow to change, but it has seen a major change in the recent past.

Typical insulation in most homes twenty years ago was the fiberglass batt. Overall, it worked well, even though there were some drawbacks.

Then came spray foam. At that time, it was the future of home insulation. It filled the need for something to meet the increasing requirements for higher R-values and better air tightness. Explaining spray foam to buyers proved easier than for other types of insulation and the energy savings were great.

Now, with the increasing drive for “green” building, more and more changes will come in the future of home insulation industry. For example, chicken feathers are being used around Britain as an insulation product.

Could that work here in the U.S.? Possibly. It could be a future of home insulation.

Billions of chicken feathers are produced in the U.S. daily. And these feathers have a remarkable property. A high content of keratin, a protein substance, make them very strong but also very light. Feathers have been shown to have excellent thermal insulation ability, are water proof, and absorb sound very well.

Most of the time, feathers are considered a waste product of the chicken industry. The huge amount of them produced regularly makes them a global problem. They can be burned or transported to landfills, but why not use them more productively?

The insulation material now made with chicken feathers looks like any other block of insulation used today. It has great insulation quality and is biodegradable when put in a landfill eventually.

And next in the future of home insulation there is insulastic insulation. This material may be the answer to two major issues we will face in the near future, if not today. One is the need to get away from our dependence on fossil fuels, and the other is the vast build-up of discarded plastic containers in oceans and landfills.

Insulastic insulation will have a durable plastic shell covering a mix of recycled plastics shredded to a small size that will have the ability to fill any space. Another quality is insulastic’s ability to be extruded into many sizes and shapes for application.

But currently, spray foam seems to be the insulation of choice. And innovations in this insulation may keep it in that place. Spray foam is not usually a do-it-yourself operation. Professional installation is best. Not just from the application aspect, but also from safety for you and your family. For the best insulation, contact Weathertight Spray Foam in Gilford, NH. It is one of the best in the area. Contact them at 603-343-3266 to schedule an appointment to discuss their services. They can help you decide not only whether you have sufficient insulation, but also the best kind to put in.