Q:I have an apartment building that has mold in it. I'm trying to do everything I can to increase the airflow. Sure, the tenants might have to spend a mint on heat, but if it improved the air quality, maybe it would be a good idea.

The mold problem probably has nothing to do with the insulation. Main causes would be bathrooms with no exhaust fans or windows that open. Others could be leaks around windows that allow water to enter into the walls. Bad plumbing is also a possibility. Check for leaks. If there are dryers (clothes type), are the vents discharged to the outside? All these could contribute to the problem.

Q:Our roof tile is installed on top of galvanized iron sheets. We do not have any toher form of insulation. The roof tile or tegula is quite thick.

Absolutely. You will find in the summer that your tiles will heat up from the sun and will stay hot even after dark (the steel sheets don't exactly help either). Your energy bills will go down about 60% in the summer and 20% in the winter by just installing a cheap fiberglass filling. A good example of how these tiles are effecting you house would be a stoneware cup. Pour hot water into it and place it in the microwave until it boils. Feel that the side are very hot, too hot to hold (this represents the sun heating up the tiles). Now pour out that cup and fill it with cold water (which would represent AC in your home). In about 2 or three minutes, place your finger in the stoneware cup. The water will be warm. The tiles do the same thing. The absorb and distribute heat into your home during the warm months, and will rob your home of it's heat during the winter and cool months. Just by placing insulation in your home, you stop that unwanted heat exchange with your home and the outside world.

Q:Can I install rigid insulation between roof decking and shingles on a sloped roof?

Lot of info missing to give you a good answer. Thickness of insulation. Slope of roof. But what it really comes down to is the building code in your area, contact local building inspector,

Q:Does snow on the roof help or hurt my heating bill?

It shouldn't matter. Here's why: If your attic is already well insulated and ventilated, there is insulation sitting on top of your drywall or plaster ceiling. Above that insulation is moving cold air. That air keeps your roof from rotting. The insulation creates a barrier between your living space and the moving air in the attic. You can differentiate homes with good insualtion from those without it--well insulated homes will have snow on their rooftops for a longer time. Additionally, well insulated homes are less likely to develop ice dams. So, I don't believe the snow on your roof should make any difference at all in your energy bill.

Q:What is the difference between roof and loft insulations?

Potentially that the roof itself is insulated on the underside. A loft insulation could be that the base or floor of the loft/ attic is insulated. Otherwise, I'm not sure.

Q:Help please, this home had a water pipe from meter brake in the basement as it was unoccupied/empty, the owner/builder replaced all the drywall, insulation, flooring, carpet, tile, roof, windows, hot water tank, furnace, bathroom and kitchen cabinets, new paint on all, basement ceiling was spray painted black (to hide something or to seal it?). the neighbor says the home was gutted and mold tested three times, its completely redone basically a new home inside, feedback please, it "looks" great

If everything has been replace, and fixed. I wouldn't worry. If the mold has been properly sealed and taking care of. You should be fine. But If you have any doubts trust your instance.

Q:We have plenty down at the center, so many, you can carpet a garden. So, since I'll have to tear down the roof and improve the insulation in a few months, I was thinking of adding one extra layer... of emergency blankets. Since they can reflect the sun's heat up, and the heat under it down, will they do that for a whole house? Will the plastic film cause water condensation? If you wouldn't recommend it, then what would you recommend?

They may help, but as thin as they are, installing them would be about as easy as putting socks on a rooster!

Q:i live in a tropical country and i need to insulate my roof to block off the heat from the sun...which insulation would best help me? aluminum foil with foam, real foil with foam or PE with foam? pls help...thank u so much!

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) comes in sheets and is very long lasting and safe to use - no fibers, no itchy skin, no breathing issues....this is also used to keep cold out as well as heat and is durable.

Q:Why would you not insulate between the rafters in an attic? I see a lot of houses with no insulation on the inside of the roof.

as long as the attic floor is insulated that is all you need. The insulation will keep the area below it warm. If you insulate the rafters then the attic stays even warmer while the area below not so much.

Q:what action should a plumber take?????

struggling to understand your question! are you talking about a storage tank? what is the problem with the insulation? if it is in the way move it but insulation under a tank is not a problem the tank will need to be insulated any way!