If you’ve ever renovated a house, then you’ve probably seen the sheets of pink insulation sitting in the walls, just below the drywall. Other than it looking like cotton candy, there is a good chance that you don’t know too much about it. The one thing that you need to know before you speak to a Miami insulation company, is the R-Value of the product that you wish to use.
What is the R- Value? Tips from your Miami Insulation Company
The thing about insulation is that the effectiveness of it is expressed by what is known as the R-value. This is a measurement of the material’s resistance to the flow of heat, and with a higher R-value comes better functionality. To put it in simpler terms, a higher R-Value means better insulation per inch of thickness.
Figuring out How Much You Need
So, how much insulation is enough? How do you know when your area is properly insulated? There are three different areas that you should consider when you are installing insulation, and these areas are as follows:
Walls – Wall insulation in a residence is going to be limited by the width of the studs, and with that being the case, different materials are going to provide a higher or a lower R-value. Fiberglass, for example, at least in high density ranges from R-11 to R-15. If you want to take it up a notch and use spray foam insulation which has a value of R-15 to R-28, all depending on what you’re using.
Attics – Once again, you have a space where the size of the insulation you can use is limited severely by the boards, and so you might need to consider something that has a slightly higher R-Value. If you are in a warmer climate, it is recommended that you use something around R-38, but colder climates can call for something along the lines of R-49.
Floors – Your floor will need to have additional considerations, for example, venting and moisture issues. The US Department of Energy has stated that a rating of R-25 will be more suitable for colder climates while R-11 could be suitable for warmer areas, such as Florida.
Method of Installation
Something important to keep in mind is that the R-value per inch differs depending upon how it was installed, and the Department of Energy recommends that certain guidelines be followed, and as such they have furnishes recommendations for R-Values based on the costs for the following:
- Heating
- Cooling
- Area Climate
It is possible to increase the R-Value of your insulation by increasing the thickness. For example, if you were to double the thickness of fiberglass batting, you will increase it two fold. You can also increase the R-value slightly by adding other insulation types, such as sheetrock or siding. The difference in value is negligible, but it does exist.
A Final Look at the R-Value
In essence, the R-value of the insulation is a measure on how well it can reduce the rate of heat flow under specified testing conditions. Insulation almost always uses conduction to impede heat flow, but heat loss is definitely reduced by all three transfer types including:
- Conduction
- Convection
- Radiation
In an uninsulated space heat loss occurs through natural convection as a result of changes in air density and temperature. Porous insulations solve this problem by trapping air, ensuring that convective heat loss becomes a non-issue. There are definitely many other conditions that need to be taken into account, but when it comes right down to it, you need to make sure that you find a professional to complete the installation for you. This is absolutely essential, as you will discover, and we’re definitely up to the task. That being said, if you’re moving into a new home, or if you need to remodel your existing one, it would be a good idea for you to start with the three areas that we mentioned above.
Call us, your insulation contractor in Miami to get the job done for you, and make sure that your home is ready to face any weather conditions that it comes across – it all comes down to insulation.
