• Insulation can be one of the most important investments a property owner can make in the maintainence of a home.spiraling insulation image by jbattx from Fotolia.com
  
  Though an effective product in the construction and maintenance of modern buildings, the plastic material Lexan has applications far beyond the world of architecture. According to Purdue University, "Lexan is used in window coatings, sign coatings, bus station windows, and a wide assortment of areas where clarity and safety are a concern." Because of the material's strong insulating properties, it is used to make home insulation and beverage containers as well.
  
  

A Moldable Product

• According to the Modern Plastics website, Lexan is easy to mold. For example, when used as a home insulation, Lexan's ability to be molded to a specific shape or space can create a tighter seal, allowing less outside air to seep into the interior of the home. The site explains that it can be hot or cold formed with a high tensile strength and a lower moisture absorption.
  
  

Lexan for Glazing

• Lexan can be used in place of traditional glazing with greater insulating capabilities than glass. One product which uses Lexan for its glazing is Thermoclick, which boasts a temperature resistance ranging from -40 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. SABIC Innovative Plastics also reports that the "...amount of energy transmitted through the material per square meter and per degree temperature difference, referred to as U-Value, is only 0.25 BTU/ft2 hr °F."
  
  

Lexan for Gardeners

• Because of its superior insulating properties in combination with its transparency and tensile strength, Lexan is an ideal material for gardeners' greenhouses. According to the Hobby-Greenhouse website, the energy savings generated by creating a greenhouse from Lexan as compared to the more traditional fiberglass is significant. According to the website, "Compared to fiberglass, which has a U value of 1.56, Lexan Corrugated sheet insulates with a U value of 1.2. As an example, this means that a greenhouse located in Denver, Colorado, would save an average of 300 gallons of oil annually for each 1000 sq. ft. of glazing with Lexan Corrugated sheet over fiberglass."