Old Things Considered - July 09

What options do I have for insulating the addition on my house -- besides the traditional fiberglass insulation commonly used in homes?  – Bill G.

Fiber glass insulation has been around since the 1930s.  It is typically used to fill in the cavity between studs during the “rough-in” phase of construction and controls both heating, cooling, and interior/exterior noise control.  To be effective, it must be “stuffed” into all of the small gaps around doors, windows, heating pipes, and duct work to reduce air leaks. However, the seal is not always as tight as it could be. A typical homeowner is quite capable of installing their own fiberglass insulation.

Another option to consider is a spray foam insulation.  This insulating product comes in a liquid form, and is sprayed into the cavities between studs using a special pressure hose.  It quickly expands into every nook and cranny in the wall cavities, creating a tight seal.  The expansion also means that this foam will overflow the edges of the stud depth and mouldings, requiring the installer to trim the excess with a special trimming knife.  The foam sticks to all surfaces and inhibits mold, and because of its very tight seal, your utility bills will be significantly lower.  However, unlike the traditional fiberglass insulation, this product requires professional installation.

Did you know . . .  ?

. . .  that the problem of domestic food preservation was not really solved until 1911?  Throughout the ages, man developed ingenious methods of preserving foods: salting, drying, pickling, fermentation and underground cellars built close to a water source were some of the most popular methods.  As early as 2000 BC, the Chinese developed the ice house, an underground storage area filled with harvested ice and snow to store and preserve their food stuffs.  The Greeks and Romans used straw to insulate the ice house.
In America, ice would be harvested from New England lakes and shipped south in straw-insulated containers for distribution by the local Ice Man.  More fortunate American ladies would have had a McCray icebox installed, featuring a convenient exterior door whereby the Ice Man could make his delivery directly from outside the home.

Back in the 11th century, the Persian scholar Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna), discovered the chemical process of steam distillation, which would eventually render the Ice Man obsolete. Frenchman Marcel Audiffren secured patents in 1895 and again in 1908 for artificial refrigeration, using sulfur dioxide.  His machines would be manufactured by General Electric, and listed around $1000 in 1911 – not at all affordable to the average Joe.  Most of the early refrigerators could also be lethal, since toxic gases were used to generate the refrigerant. It wasn’t until 1927 that General Electric would introduce the first affordable and widely available unit, the Monitor-Top, still banking in at $300.  Another milestone was the 1936 development of Freon, which eliminated the use of toxic sulfur dioxide gases. Freon remained the refrigerant of choice for 50 years, until we discovered the damage it was causing to our planet’s ozone layer. 
We realized a few more benefits with the advent of the refrigerator. Remember the metal tray and lifting mechanism on pre-plastic ice cube trays?  We can thank Guy Tinkham for this invention.  Another innovation come in the late 1920s under Clarence Birdseye, a field naturalist for the United States government. Birdseye experimented with freezing his fish at various temperatures and then assessed the taste quality.  New refrigerated train cars made conditions ripe for the commercial distribution of frozen foods, with Clarence’s company leading the way – Birdseye Foods!

- Ghislaine Darden