Home Insulation R Value

Insulation level are specified by r value.
Home insulation r value. Any insulation that carries a higher r value is going to be more effective than that with a lower r value but the truth is that a higher r value is not always required for every home. R value is the measurement of insulation s ability to resist heat flow. The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home. When building a new home this type of insulation can also help reduce construction time and the number of.
In such cases where r value is assigned this may decrease the r value requirement for batt insulation. However foam insulation has higher r values and forms an air barrier which can eliminate some of the other costs and tasks associated with weatherizing a home such as caulking applying housewrap and vapor barrier and taping joints. The r value per inch for different types of insulation varies depending on the. Foam plastic insulation on the interior of the building envelope must adhere to the requirements of protection of foamed plastics as per 9 10 17 10 of the national building code of canada.
The insulation must achieve a minimum r value of 1 0 in zones 1 to 7 and a minimum r value of 2 0 in zone 8. Duct wrap is covered so if you re looking at insulation with an r value of 38 from company a and insulation with an r value of 38 from company b you ll know the two products offer the same level of insulation. There are three types of r value to be mindful of. The r value of some insulations also depends on temperature aging and moisture accumulation.
While there are additional considerations such as venting and moisture problems to take into account when you insulate under floors the united states department of energy recommends an r 25 rating in cold climates and an r 11 in warmer parts of the country. Installing more insulation in your home increases the r value and the resistance to heat flow. Almost all insulation products have to tell you their r value pipe and duct insulation are the only exceptions. When calculating the r value of a multilayered installation add the r values of the individual layers.
The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Measures insulation s resistance to heat flow out of the. The higher the r value the greater the insulation performance. R value ranges from 1 5 to 7 and the higher the insulation s r value the better that product is at insulating your home.
Know exactly how much you need with our project calculators. R value measures how well certain building insulation materials can resist heat. The insulation must be water resistant and be continuous from the adjacent finished ground level to a depth of 300mm or for at least the full depth of the vertical edge of the concrete slab on ground.