What is the R-Value of Your Insulation?

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R Value

Insulating your home can make a huge difference in your energy bills throughout the year. This is why our contractors will take the time to explain the benefits of different types of insulation and how they can impact different parts of your home. One of the terms they’ll say often during these discussions is “R-value”. It’s important to understand what this means in relation to insulation so you can better decide which material you want to have installed in your home.

What You Need to Consider

R-value is a rating for how well a material can resist heat flow. The letter “r” stands for resistance and the value will vary based on the material and how well it insulates. When shopping for insulation, you’ll notice most numbers are given per inch, so the thicker the material is, the better R-value you’ll end up with. Some of the most common insulation materials and their R-values can be found below.

Fiberglass Batts (per inch) 2.9 – 3.8
Fiberglass Loose (per inch) 2.2 – 2.9
Stone Wool Batts (per inch) 3.3 – 4.2
Cellulose Loose (per inch) 3.1 – 3.8
Polyurethane Foam (per inch) 5.6 – 8.0
Cotton Batts (per inch) 3.0 – 3.7
Polyisocyanurate Foam (per inch) 5.6 – 8.0

As you can see, some insulation materials are better at insulating than others. Although those may cost more, it may end up being worth it if you’ll be able to buy fewer materials to achieve the R-value you desire.

How Does R-Value Affect Your Energy Bill?

When it comes to making your home energy-efficient, insulation can play a major role. That’s because insulation stops or slows down heat transfer so your home isn’t losing the air that helps make you feel comfortable. The higher the insulation’s R-value is, the better it will be at stopping the heat from transferring from room-to-room.

While a high R-value is a great way to help improve your home’s energy efficiency, it’s also important to seal holes, close gaps, and invest in radiant heat barriers to maximize your efforts. All of these will work together to reduce your energy bills and keep you comfortable no matter what the weather outside is like.

How You Can Get it Better in Your Home?

Achieving a higher R-value may seem like a big feat to take on initially. However, it’s important to note that any improvement you make will help with the overall goal of making your home more energy-efficient. As you make more improvements, you’ll notice the temperature in your home stays comfortable for longer, noise transfer between rooms is dampened, and you save money on your energy bills. Some of the top ways to improve your R-value over time can be found below.

Add or Replace Insulation
Add Weather Stripping Around Doors
Seal Trim Around Windows
Invest in a Smart Thermometer
Seal Holes and Gaps
Install Radiant Barriers

If you’re not sure where to get started, then you can benefit from having an energy audit done. This can show you where you’re losing the most energy and what can make the biggest difference right now. However, you can also do an audit yourself by looking around your house. This should begin by looking at windows or doors to see if there are any drafts coming through. Next, you’ll want to take a look at the insulation you have and determine if it’s the right kind and if there is enough of it.

Climate and the Rating Differences?

The insulation levels and necessary R-value you need to achieve to have a comfortable home will depend on the climate you live in. This is because homes that are in cold climates require much higher R-values than those in climates that are mostly warm throughout the year. An example of this would be a home located in a cold climate needing attic insulation with a value of R-49 while a home in a warm climate would need attic insulation with an R-value of 38.

How Action 1 Insulation Can Help You

Our team at Action 1 Insulation is proud to help homeowners improve their energy efficiency so they save money and do something good for the earth. If you have questions about what your target R-value should be or if you need to have new insulation installed, we can help. Our contractors have years of experience with energy auditing and installing insulation, so they are the knowledgeable experts you can trust. They’ll discuss your options, give you honest advice, and work with you to create a plan that works best for you.

We recognize that every home and every homeowner is different, which is why our service is customized for each individual. You can trust us to make sure your needs are met and make energy-efficiency in your home our top priority. We look forward to helping you improve your home so you can look forward to lower energy bills each year.