How R Value Affects Heating and Cooling

R-value i a term tht u commonly hear ut f th mouths f Palm Beach Gardens HVA
contractors! " #ht i it$ e%actly& 'ell$ R-value i a measure f insulation(s a)ility t resist heat
travelin* thru*h it! +echnically$ it i calculated ) ta,in* th ratio f th tem-erature difference .r
n insulator vr th heat flu% thru*h it! But ll u rll nd t remem)er i th hi*her th R-value$
th )ttr th insulation #or,s!
+h R-value i de-endent n th insulatin* material$ #ll it thic,ness nd density! "m
materials r sim-ly mr resistant t tem-eratures thn others$ #hi.h i #h insulation huld l#
) -urchased )ased n it R-value$ rthr thn it thic,ness r #ei*ht!
An insulation(s effectiveness l de-ends n th location it i installed! /f insulation i com-ressed$ it
R-value m ) lo#ered 0unless it i s-ecifically desi*ned t #ithstand -ressure1! 2ayerin* heavy
insulation n to- f li*hter insulation .n .u com-ression$ .n #ed*in* )lan,ets 0or )atts1 int
narro# cavities! 3ne%-ected moisture .n su)stantially lo#er th R-value #ll ) #ei*hin* d#n
th insulation$ leavin* *a-s nd )are s-ots! 4r thi reason$ it(s im-ortant t -ro-erly install ur
insulation t achieve th ma%imum thermal resistance!
+h R-value f n insulatin* material i 5r inch f thic,ness! "no# h n R-value f R-6!7 5r inch
f thic,ness$ #hil )aled stra# *enerally h n R-value f 6!8! 2oose-fill insulation 0such fi)er*lass
r cellulose1 uull h n R-value ran*in* frm R-9!7 t :!8! Ri*id insulation 0such -lastic foam1
.n run frm R-:!8 t ;!7 r hi*her! Aero*el h n R-value f )ut R-67!7$ nd vacuum insulated
-anels to- th list #ith n astonishin* R-value f R-:7!7 0or hi*her1 5r inch f thic,ness!
'hn calculatin* R-value fr vrl layers f insulation$ u sim-ly add thir R-values to*ether! 4r
e%am-le$ n inch f loose-fill fi)er*lass h n R-value f R-9!8! +# inches #uld hv n R-value f
R-8!7$ assumin* it # -ro-erly installed nd uncom-ressed!
4or more heatin* and coolin* ti-s$ chec, this #e)site out!