When choosing insulation for your home, you need to understand its R-value. An R-value is a measure of thermal resistance: it indicates an insulation’s capability to resist heat flow, and how well it will heat and cool your house. The higher an insulation’s rating, the more effective it is.An R-value is contingent on the type of insulation, its thickness, and its compactness. How effective your insulation's resistance to heat flow is will also depend on how and where it is installed. A wall or ceiling’s overall R-value will be slightly different from the insulation’s R-value, since some heat flows around the insulation through the studs and joists. That’s why it is important to correctly install your insulation to attain its maximum R-value.Here are some other things you should know about R-values:
Different types of insulation vary in thickness, but those of the same R-value should insulate your home equally.
On average, the recommended R-value for basement insulation is R-12.
The R-value of blown-in cellulose house insulation is 3.70 per inch; the R-value of expanded polystyrene house insulation is 4.00 per inch, and fiberglass house insulation is 3.14.
Compressed insulation does not afford its full rated R-value.
An inch of insulation is equivalent to 30 inches of concrete.
The average R-value for house insulation changes depending on weather and temperature.
The R-value in house insulation is considerably lower if your home has air or moisture/water leaks.
When determining the R-value of a multi-layered installation, you must add the values of each layer. Installing extra insulation in your home will enhance the R-value and the resistance to heat flow.
The U.S. Department of Energy can help you choose the right insulation R-values for your home. Simply select your zone, heating system and where you plan to insulate and look for the matching R-value range.Air Assurance is proud to serve the residents of Oklahoma. We are happy to answer your questions concerning insulation and provide free estimates to you if you are interested in better insulating your home. We are always ready to provide the information you need to take better control of your home comfort.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.