NW JACKSONVILLE Blog

Insulation 101 - Understanding R-Value in Insulation

What is R-Value?

Insulation is installed throughout a building to help regulate temperature and improve climate control capabilities. In order to accomplish this goal, the material needs to be able to effectively reduce the rate of heat transfer, which is how easily heat can move through a structure.

If the insulation in your home isn’t properly maintained, many important factors may go unnoticed. The insulation may have been poorly insulated, recently damaged, or even simply deteriorated. This can lead to irregular temperatures and discomfort from drafts or cold spots.

To determine how effectively your insulation is able to slow heat transfer, your insulation can be measured by its R-value. Also referred to as resistance value, this is a numerical measurement of your material’s ability to reduce the rate at which heat enters or escapes your home. If the insulation has a higher R-value, this generally means it’s going to be better at maintaining a comfortable home.

When you don't regularly inspect your insulation to find deterioration or damage, this can decrease the R-value. Here are a few common warning signs that can indicate the resistance of your home's material isn't performing at its best:

• One room or a side of the house that is cold or hot compared to other areas
• Drafts or cold spots
• Poor indoor air quality
• Higher energy bills and maintenance fees

Recognizing the signs early on helps you to take action as soon as possible, keeping your home safe and comfortable. Unfortunately, many homeowners may ignore these conditions as “typical” seasonal changes or extreme weather. Instead of writing off these warning signs, reduce discomfort and improve your savings by regularly evaluating and updating the insulation and air sealing in your home.

What is My Insulation’s R-Value?

There are many different types of insulation and ways to install them. Each has a different R-value per inch of depth. For example, you may be most familiar with fiberglass insulation, which is often dyed pink; this can be installed in batt form or as a loose-fill material. While loose-fill fiberglass is typically around R-2.7, fiberglass batts can range from R-3.1 to R-3.7.

If fiberglass batts have a higher R-value, doesn’t that mean you should choose them over the loose-fill alternative? Not exactly. While a higher R-value typically means less material needs to be installed, that doesn’t mean all materials with a lower value aren’t beneficial to the comfort and safety of your home. Instead, these products often have their own benefits that make them more advantageous in certain areas of a building.

When you’re making a decision between different insulation options, these additional factors can contribute to a comfortable home alongside the material’s R-value. Take the difference between closed-cell spray foam and blown-in cellulose. Closed-cell spray foam has one of the highest R-values out of your options, with an average of R-6.9 per inch. Meanwhile, blown-in cellulose has an average of R-3.4. While closed-cell spray foam can be applied in between beams, ceiling joists, and even on the roof of some buildings, cellulose works better in between floor joists and inside walls. Having both of these types of insulation installed throughout a structure is important to maintaining a healthy home.

Carefully Improving The R-Value of Your Insulation

R-value doesn’t stay the same throughout the lifespan of your insulation. As the material deteriorates, so does the resistance value, which is how you can measure the reduction in efficiency.

While there are types of insulation that are made to last for up to 15 years, there are plenty of variables that can increase the rate of deterioration. Leaks from the roof or foundation are some of the most significant contributors to your insulation’s reduced lifespan.

Having your material regularly evaluated by local professionals can help to locate insulation that may be deteriorated or damaged before it begins to put your household's safety and air quality at risk. The team inspects the area and R-value to look out for significant reductions that could harm your environment. At Koala Insulation of Northwest Jacksonville, our experts can help you and your household better understand your home's unique needs that influence what R-value is necessary.

Our evaluations take a closer look at the insulation and air sealing in your home to determine the current condition and locate potential problems such as signs of mold, pest infestation, and other hazards. Koala Insulation has a thorough process to remove old material, clean and prepare the area, and add new insulation to restore the appropriate R-value.

Your Home’s Unique Insulation Needs

You may be wondering why there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to R-value measurements. This is because your house will have different needs from every other building in your state, city, and even neighborhood! In addition to having a better understanding of the insulation materials that are in your home, it's important to have some background knowledge of the unique requirements of your structure.

These criteria can be impacted by many different factors; experts take into account everything from your climate zone to the regular habits of your household. On top of that, each area in a building that needs insulation will have different requirements as well.

Here is where the importance of calculating your home’s current R-value comes in. The required R-value isn’t typically a simple DIY project that you can calculate if you’re unfamiliar with your home. While there are regional guidelines and estimates from industry leaders like the Department of Energy, these don't provide the same specialization that an in-depth evaluation of your personal environment would accomplish.

When your home was first constructed, a professional filled the space per building codes, most likely hitting the basic requirements. This took into account industry regulations, regional standards, climate conditions, and national recommendations. Each room in the house can have different R-value needs and different deterioration rates, even within your walls and under crawl spaces.

Having the help of an insulation technician can provide the necessary insight to bring your R-value up to what you need to be comfortable, especially if you haven’t had your insulation updated in a few years or, worst case scenario in newer homes, since construction. This perspective can provide you with more information while also saving you money in the long run by cutting out energy waste and improving energy efficiency.

Learn More About Insulation Fundamentals in Northwest Jax

What are the important facts you need to know about insulation without getting overwhelmed with details? R-value may seem like an extra-credit topic, but learning the basics can save you time and money in the long run. When you have an understanding of the early warning signs linked to deteriorated insulation, your household has the opportunity to make informed decisions quickly.

Contact your local industry experts at Koala Insulation of Northwest Jacksonville today to schedule your free evaluation.