What is R Value?
R-Value is the measurement of how well a product resists conductive heat flow. If you’ve read our blog on the various sorts of heat flow, you’ll know that conduction is one of the 3 ways the warmth is often transferred (the other two are convection and radiation). Simply put, R-Value may be a term the development industry uses to elucidate how well a cloth prevents heat from passing through a given material. the upper the R-Value, the greater the resistance and better thermal insulating power. But maybe a higher or lower R-Value is better when it involves energy efficiency?
Each part of your home’s building structure has different R Values, and when aiming for better energy efficiency, it’s more worthwhile to think about the effective R-Value of the whole assembly.
For example, when insulating an attic, an efficient R-value will take into consideration not only the insulation materials, but the roofing, flooring, and other components that will affect the general performance.
Why Is R-Value Important? How Does It Affect Energy Efficiency?
When it involves keeping your home warm and your energy bills manageable throughout the year, knowing the R-Value of products you select to place in your home and their cumulative effect on energy efficiency can assist you to save an excellent deal of cash within the short and future.
Whether adding to your home insulation or completely replacing it, insulating your home properly will greatly improve your overall energy savings. The 2 biggest reasons why homes are energy inefficient are due to heat loss and warmth infiltration. During the winter months, a leaky home with insufficient insulation loses heat because the warm air touches cool exterior surfaces; this process reverses within the summer months. This energy loss puts an enormous strain on your HVAC system when it must run constantly to stay up to the temperature assail the thermostat, which results in huge utility bills.
So Which is Better? A High R Value or a Low One?
Deciding if a better or lower R-Value is best for your home’s needs is all about context. Three main factors affect the type of R-Value you would possibly want to extend the energy efficiency of your home:
Climate: In Southern Ontario, our temperatures are often +30 within the summer and -30 within the winter – which may be a huge difference! This suggests that we’d like greater insulating power than someone during a more temperate climate, like British Columbia.
Construction materials and style: Where you set your insulation, how, and when your home was built are getting to affect the alternatives you create in R-Value. A century home and a replacement build are getting to have different concerns due to their architecture, materials, and therefore the different elements of a home, like cathedral ceilings, basements, walkouts, etc.
Your method for heating and cooling: With numerous options on the marketplace for heating and cooling your home, it’s important to require into consideration how they’ll make a difference in your insulation decisions.
Should I Use the Same R-Value Throughout my Home?
With numerous different products on the market, it’s tricky to understand which should be used where, but there are some general rules of thumb that will help guide you. It’s more efficient to use a better R Value rated product within the upper levels of your home, like the attic and in rooms with particularly high ceilings – this is sensible if you think that heat tends to rise. we would like to stay a lid on that! Conversely, a lower R Value rated product might work better within the basement, crawl space, or in wood-frame walls.
How Do You Increase R-Value?
There is a variety of the way to extend the R-Value of your home:
Insulate: While insulation is often added anywhere in your home, the simplest place you’ll put insulation is within the attic. Different insulation materials offer different R Values, and an inspection of your attic can help determine if you would like all-new products or an easy top-up.
Beyond R-Value: the opposite thing you’ll do to extend the energy efficiency of your home and make your R Values simpler is by reducing air leaks in your home. These improvements will help make it easier for your insulation to figure effectively.
Upping Your R-Value
Choose insulation. The foremost common sorts of insulation on the market today are fiberglass batting, cellulose (paper fiber) and foam board. Foam boards provide higher R-values but tend to cost quite a bit more.
Aim for top standards. Generally speaking, walls should be R-19 and therefore the roof should be R-30 or R-40, Jeff says. you’ll kick that up and draw a bead on standards set by the Passive House Institute US — R-30 walls and an R-60 roof.
Think beyond R-value. As you explore ways to tighten your home and stop heat transfer of all types, improve the building envelope with safer siding and better roofing which will prevent convection and radiation.
How Eco Spray Can Help You Increase Your Energy Efficiency
At Eco Spray Insulation, the question of whether a better or lower R-Value is best depends on the house and its needs – but when it involves different types of insulation, we unequivocally believe that spray foam offers our customers the simplest in home insulation and R Values.
Choosing spray foam insulation not only gives you a number of the simplest R-Values on the market, but greatly helps improve your home’s overall effective R-Value by offering superior air and sound sealing, moisture resistance, and pest protection. EcoSpray’s confidence in spray foam comes from years of safe, stress-free installations, and our workmanship comes guaranteed.
If you’ve got any questions on what R-Value is best for your home or our overall process, insulation products, then give us a call! Our professional, friendly teams are happy to assist you to identify whether a better or lower R-Value is best for your home.
