Spray foam insulation r value provides the most reliable home insulating material which will ensure no moisture or cold air enters your house when you do not need it. It provides a convenient and cost effective means of conserving the warm air inside your room thereby reducing energy bills. Besides just keeping the house warm, there are additional health benefits like keeping out dangerous mold and other airborne pollutants.

Spray foam insulation r value works in a variety of ways to improve the quality of air in your room. By preventing air and moisture from infiltrating your house, it makes the home more comfortable and habitable. You will also incur less energy costs since the heated air is circulated much longer in the room without being allowed to escape.

Spray foam insulation is one of the most popular insulation type.

This product serves to reinforce the structure of the house thereby improving its structural strength. It involves one time expenditure and remains permanently on the wall or door without sagging or causing bad impression. While working to keep cold air out of your house during winter, it ensures your house is kept free of dust during summer. This means that the air conditioner in your house will operate optimally enabling you to experience the right air quality you choose.

This method of insulating houses has revolutionized home construction technology by incorporating greater use of more scientific and energy efficient initiatives. The spray has outperformed fiberglass thereby proving its superiority over this and other insulating materials and technologies. It has also proved to be cheaper than the methods previously used besides its convenience. As the name suggests this is a way of protecting the quality of air in your home which conveniently fills empty spaces by means of spraying.

Spray foam insulation r value requires no maintenance costs which adds to its cheapness. It requires no additional protection from adverse weather conditions like sun shine. The polyurethane for instance comes with a higher r value of nearly six per one inch thickness. This ensures greater thermal resistance than can be found with any other comparable material.

When you have to compare and contrast the functionality and the benefits of this insulating material, you will appreciate the advancement which it brings to the science and practice of constructing homes. It provides the most convenient means of protecting homes from the adverse effects of winter coldness or summer dryness. It allows your air conditioning system to function more efficiently and keeps your energy bills as low as possible.

R-values measure the thermal resistance of a material, and the measure is important when determining the effectiveness of the insulation of a building. Materials with higher R-values are better insulators. Materials can be compared by referring to an insulation R value chart. Be aware when referring to data that most countries use SI (metric) units for R-values, but in the US customary units are used. US R-values are about six times bigger than SI values. Local and national building regulations often define the R-value which should be aimed for in new-build housing, or in insulation upgrades on older properties.

This zone map is related to the r values chart below.

This insulation r value chart should be viewed together with the zone map above.

Thermal resistance is analogous to electrical resistance. For electricity, Ohm’s Law (V=IR) states that the voltage is equal to the current times the resistance. The equivalent statement for heat is that the temperature difference is equal to the heat flux times the thermal resistance. The heat difference across the insulator is therefore the analog of voltage, the heat flux is the analog of current, and the thermal resistance is the analog of electrical resistance.

R-value is the unit value of thermal resistance, that is the thermal resistance of one square meter of the material (or square foot in US units). To find the actual thermal resistance of an insulating barrier (e. G. A wall), divide the R-value by the area of the wall.

R-values of different materials can be combined, in a similar way to combining electrical resistances. When two resistors are connected in series, then the combined resistance is equal to the individual resistances added together. Similarly for insulators, in a multilayer installation, just add together the R-value of the different materials.

When referring to a table of R-values, be aware that in most countries the SI (or metric) unit will be used, while in the US customary units are used. In the US the units are often omitted, for example a value such as R-25 is quoted without any units. If unit conversion is needed US units are approximately six times SI units.

In many countries building regulations govern the insulation of new-build homes, or offer advice to home-owners who wish to upgrade the insulation of an older residence. The recommendations will differ from country to country, or from locality to locality in a geographically large nation such as the US.

For example the US Department of Energy have divided the country into 7 zones, and recommended the best R-values for homes based on local energy costs, and local heating and cooling needs. This data can be downloaded from the Energy Star website.

If you are building a new home or making renovations to your existing one, you will hear much about installing insulation for increased energy efficiency. Whether it is wall, ceiling or floor insulation, your decision will be based on how effectively they keep your home warm and dry. If you are looking at different materials and find it hard to choose between them, we will be looking more specifically at fiberglass insulation r values, and this might assist you in making the best decision for your needs.

The efficiency of insulation has a rating system better known as the R-value of the material. The R-value is defined as the resistance a material has to combat the flow of heat through it and effectively preventing the loss of such heat. Its abilities will be directly reflected in the price, because it requires more material to be more efficient hence the increased price.

Fiberglass Batt Insulation

There are two different types of fiberglass insulation known as rolled and batt, and they are by far the two most commonly used in homes all around the world. It comes in various R-values, lengths, widths and densities, and they can be used in just about any part of the home like attics, ceilings, walls and floors. These abilities it has to preserve heat can also differ from one manufacturer to the next, so it will be best to shop around and get quality for your money.

The competency of the material is measured as the R-value per inch, e. G. Fiberglass batt’s r-value is 3.14 – 4.30 per inch. The rolls or batt of this material come in ready made R-values to be used in different parts of the house. The value you are supposed to use for different areas of the house will differ not just from each other, but also vary according to where your home is situated and the weather conditions you will experience.

The most common guide is as follows: for ceilings or attics, use close to a R-49 which could equate to about 16 inches of fiberglass; for walls, use about R-11 to R-15, and R-25 for very cold climates in your floor or R-11 if the climate is mild. Some material can lose some of its R-value with age or some conditions like moisture, but fiberglass has been found not to absorb any moisture, therefore it will not lose its efficacy. Other benefits of this product is that it: holds its form, does not deteriorate easily and is fire resistant or even fireproof.

One of best advantages of these great fiberglass insulation R values is that it is one of the most cost effective ways to keep your home warm or cool. In addition it acts as a wonderful buffer against noise from outside sources, which is great when you live close to, or in town. Similarly, it can also be utilized to dampen noise coming from a loud teenager’s blasting stereo, definitely worth it!

Photo Credits
All photos in this page are courtesy by the following authors:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chimothy27/
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Rigid insulation r value is a material that is designed to be energy efficient by keeping cold and heat from penetrating walls. This has been found to be a great boon especially in areas where there are extremely hot or cold periods during the year. There are several different types of this type of board insulation.

Because of misrepresentation regarding this type of material, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has established a method of gauging its effectiveness. This method is called the R-value, which is the ability of its construction to resist heat. This value rating also connected to various buildings depending on local climate so may vary from one location to another.

The R-value is also given to types of materials that are not of solid construction such as fiberglass (3.2 per inch), which comes loose or in rolls, batts and blankets, Cellulose (3.2 per inch) which is a sprayed on material and Mineral Wool (3.1 per inch) which is blown into walls and ceilings. Rigid sheets are classed at 4.0 to 6.5 per inch.

The materials, that are used for the solid type of this weather resistant material, are polystyrene, compressed mineral wool, polyisocyanurate, polystyrene, and firm fiberglass. They repel water and can be obtained in various sizes and thicknesses. As a result, one will find a wide variety of their use in the construction industry.

Applications of this material, such as below grade foundations, under basement slabs, vinyl siding backing, basement walls, backup for walls and ceiling are quite common. It is used for many other purposes as well as in all types of construction. Builders have found that, by using the sheet type of this weather resistant material, they can use 2×4 rather than 2×6 studs which results in quite a savings when constructing a new building. In addition, this allows temperature resistance of the wall framing. In other words it stops heat or cold from the outside from producing temperature spots in the wall which is often evident where insulation does not cover the studs.

There are three types of this solid weather resistant material. They are Molded expanded polystyrene, made from liquid polymers, Extruded expanded polystyrene which is denser and Polyurethane foam board which is thin and is often used in small spaces. Although it provides excellent thermal resistance to roofs, foundations and walls, there are also a disadvantages to the foam board. Insects, such as carpenter ants and termites love it for nests and tunneling. However, rigid insulation r value provides great benefits in protecting all types of buildings from extreme heat or cold and is very energy efficient.

Photo Credits
All photos in this page are courtesy by the following authors:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelpecirno/2803572471/sizes/l/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/basf/

Insulation is an important aspect of the house and it should be done properly. A properly insulated house is not only energy efficient but also increases in terms of resale value. The constant heating and cooling of the house during the winter and summer means you will be paying a lot of money to the utility company. Worst thing is if your house is not properly insulated, the amount of electricity cost will be substantial at the end of every month. It’s a known fact that to reduce the heating and cooling cost, the easiest way is to add insulation.

There are certain areas of the house that may have been insulated. If you feel that the existing insulation isn’t adequate, you could add extra layer of insulation which will increase the R value. The tricky part is to figure out how much R value you will need to add on top of the existing insulation so that the combined R value is enough to curb energy loss.

The following paragraphs will tell you exactly how to find out the R value for existing insulation.

Tools You Will Need

Before starting your work, there are some tools that will come in handy for your task in figuring out the R value of existing insulation. You may not need some of these tools but it’s good to have them since you will be working in some areas of the house that have limited lighting and may be hazardous.

First of all, you certainly need a flashlight since some areas of the house such as the attic doesn’t have lighting. You also require a pair of safety glasses to protect your eyes. A ruler is an essential tool that you will need in order to measure the thickness of existing insulation. Besides, you may need a screw driver or a small crow bar in case you need to do some minor hacking.

Existing Insulation

Before doing anything yet, figure out what’s already installed in the area. Use the flashlight if the area is too dark to see. If your house is already more than 10 years old, chances are that you will find loose fiber insulation made out of fiberglass, rock wool or cellulose in most areas. Other common insulation materials that have been widely used are fiberglass batts and granules of vermiculite. These are the most common types of insulation materials that you can find in a lot of residential homes.

Measure the Thickness

Once the insulation material has been identified in a particular area, use the ruler to measure the thickness of the insulation. The R value of the existing insulation can be calculated by multiplying the thickness with a pre-determined number.

For example, if the insulation material is fiberglass batt, the R value can be obtained by multiplying the thickness in inches by 3.2. You can do the same for other types of insulation except that the pre-determined number is different for other insulation material. Use 2.7 for granule insulation and 3 for loose fiber insulation.

Wall Insulation

To find out if the wall is insulated, remove the socket cover from the interior and look through the crack to find out if there is existing insulation. If it’s too dark inside, use the flashlight. If the wall is insulated, try your best to identify the material.
Use the above calculation to determine the R value if you know what the insulation material is.

Wall Siding

To determine the R value of the existing insulation sheathing underneath the wall siding, there is no choice but to remove a small portion of the siding. For existing insulation sheathing, the R value normally ranges from 2.5 to 2.6. The insulation underneath the wall siding is a little bit tricky to check and require a flashlight to illuminate what’s in there.

Crawlspaces

The crawlspace is usually insulated with fiberglass batt. If you are unsure, you can check the floors beneath the garages or the basements. You can usually find a label that indicates the R value of the existing insulating batt. If it’s not there, do as what is mentioned in above paragraphs by taking the depth of the batt layer and multiple the number in inches by 3.2 to find out the R value.

Foam Board Insulation

Other than the above mentioned insulation materials, you may come across newer type of insulation materials such as foam board or spray foam insulation in your house. These are more effective insulation materials that offer higher r values. You can determine the R value for these types of insulation materials by multiplying the thickness by 5.

Safety Precautions

Necessary safety steps need to be observed when removing wall outlet covers. If you are not sure, it’s always a good idea to turn off the main power source.

R value is the measure of the resistance of a material to heat transfer. Specifically, the R value measures the time for heat to transfer from one side of a material to the other side. You can think of R value as a way to calculate the number of hours a square foot surface of material must be heated to change the temperature by one degree on the other side of the surface.

Example of R Value

Take for example, a piece of fiberglass insulation board which has an R value of 10. The fiberglass board must be heated for roughly 10 hours in order for the other side of the surface to change its temperature by one degree. You can say that the fiberglass board has a very good insulation. That explains the reason fiberglass board is a popular insulation material used in a lot of houses.

Additive R Value

One of the greatest things about R value is that it can be added when there are several insulation materials that are appended together. For example, if you have a wall or a roof that is composed of fiberglass boards, foam sheets and polyurethane boards that are stacked together, you will have a material with R value that is the total sum of all the R values of each individual material.

Take note that if in between these insulation materials is an air gap, you need to take into account the R value of the air gap. Air is an excellent insulator and the approximate R value for air is one per one inch of air gap thickness.

R Values for Building Materials

The building industry usually utilizes a standard R value per inch of thickness for every insulation material. However, there are cases in which some insulation materials’ R values are taken for the materials as a whole instead of based on the thickness. As a result, you need to take note of these R values when you are summing up the R values of several materials.

The best practice is to carefully check the manufacturers’ specification in terms of R values for the building materials. The R values for certain materials can be much higher or lower if they are taken based on the materials as a whole.

R Values and Energy Saving

You can say that the higher the R value of a material, the more energy efficient the material is. Material with high R value means it’s more difficult for heat transfer to occur across the material. The material will be an excellent insulator to heat.

As a result, when choosing materials for house renovation or a building project, always use materials with high R values. An R value of five to six for a material is considered a good value. In general, a completed wall or roofs will have an R value of between 20 and 25.

You will save quite an amount of heating cost if the building is constructed with high quality materials that have high R-values. Besides, the equipment used to heat the house will also work less if the amount of heat less is greatly reduced and that will translate to significant of dollars saved in the long run.

R Value Alternative

An alternative to R value is the U value. The U value is the inverse of the R value. Some building materials such as windows use a U-value instead of R value. As a result, the higher the U value for a material, the less energy efficient the material is. A material with high U value means heat can easily transfer across it and the material is a poor insulator.

Some building elements such as the double glazed windows have U value of between 0.40 and 0.30. When translated to R value, that is the equivalent to an R value of 2 ½ and 31/3 respectively.

Future R Values

Rising energy cost has pushed manufactures to create building materials with higher R values. In recent years, the building industry has invested a lot of money into the research and development of more energy efficient building materials. As a result, sophisticated buildings materials with extremely high R values and yet durable as well as light weight are invented.

One such material is the silica aerogel insulation material with an R value of 10. The silica aerogel is not only light weight but also durable and is extremely cost effective. Other improved materials are the polyurethane foams which can provide an R value of 10.
In short, future building materials will push towards having higher R value of at least 30 to 40 per inch per thickness. When these individual materials are assembled together, the total R value achievable will be over 60 or more.

R value is an important part of all the insulation materials. The R value is usually expressed in terms of the thickness of the materials. Each insulation material has it advantages and disadvantages and is best used in certain areas of the house. For example, the foam insulation is generally used to fill tight spaces where other insulation materials are difficult to be applied.

The following paragraphs will explain in details the popular insulation materials and their respective R values.

Concrete Insulation

Recently the heat-treated concrete insulating blocks have become a highly popular insulating material for most of the building projects. The high demand for the concrete insulation is due to the high R value offered by the block. The concrete block not only acts as an extremely good insulator but is also highly durable and strong.

The concrete block mostly consists of polystyrene or polyurethane foam which give relatively high R value. In terms of R value, the concrete alone offers an R value of one point per inch thickness while the polystyrene gives 2 units of R-value per inch thickness.

The high efficiency of the concrete block is due to its interior which makes up as much as 80% of air. Moreover, air is difficult to flow between blocks due to the fact that these blocks are joined with mortar.

Expanding Foam Insulation

Expanding foam or spray foam insulation is a highly popular insulating material used in most households. This type of insulation is extremely efficient and easy to use as it’s meant for tight spaces where other insulation materials cannot be applied. Spray foam insulation can fill the smallest spaces in your house and is highly suitable for areas with lots of nooks and crannies.

The material makes up the foam can be from a lot of materials but the most popular material is phenolic or polyurethane. Foam insulation offers high R value and it can provide as much as 6 units to sometimes even 8 units per inch.

The downside to spray foam insulation is that it’s relatively expensive and special tools are needed to inject the foam.

Fiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass insulation is another popular insulation material due to fact that it’s low cost and is easy to carry and install. It usually comes in rolls and has a variety of sizes, normally 16 to 24 inches wide. Fiberglass insulation is generally used to fit between the studs of exterior walls.

Rolls fiberglass insulation is the most used insulation material in the US and they are made from strings of material that are bound together which makes the rolls fiberglass extremely strong and long lasting.

Besides, the R value of rolls fiberglass or batt insulation sits between 3 to 6 units per inch. To prevent moisture from seeping into the fiberglass rolls or batts, the fiberglass is usually covered with sheets to keep the moisture out. As a result, fiberglass rolls usually come with two forms, faced and unfaced. The faced fiberglass is the recommended one you should be using.

Rigid Foam Insulation

Rigid foam insulation is used heavily in most domestic houses especially when insulating the roof, floor, walls and the basement. Rigid foam insulation is made from polystyrene and is molded into durable and hard board that resembles sheets of plywood. They come in a variety of thickness which provides a range of R values that come from 4 to 5 per inch.

Rigid foam insulation boards are highly durable and they are usually coated with a vapor barrier to keep moisture out. These boards are relatively cheap and easy to maintain. They can be easily installed on your own to save installation cost.

Foil Insulation

Foil insulation is getting very popular in recent years due to its lightweight features and they are easily cut and installed on your own. Foil insulation is also referred to as reflective insulation and they are extremely useful against radiant heat. You can find foil insulation being used to cover the front of most foam insulation panels.

The advantage of foil insulation is its lightweight features and durability. It offers relatively high R value, usually in the range of 3 to 6 based on its material coating. The disadvantage to foil insulation is that it conducts electricity easily. As a result, foil insulation is usually kept away from wires and anything that conducts electricity.