Purpose of Insulation
Whether in summer or winter heat flows from warmer to cooler areas until there is no longer a difference in temperature. In a building or home during the winter, heat heat flows directly from all heated living spaces to adjacent unheated attics, garages, basements, and ultimately to the outdoors. During summer season, heat flows from the outdoors to the interior of a building. The purpose of insulation is obviously to provide resistance to this heat flow, either from indoors or out, and lower heating and cooling costs. Properly insulating your home not only reduces heating and cooling costs, but also improves comfort.
R Value
An insulating material’s resistance to conductive heat flow is measured or rated in terms of its thermal resistance or R-value -- the higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness. The R-value depends on the type of insulation, its thickness, and its density. The R-value of most insulation materials also depends on temperature, aging, and moisture accumulation.
Installing more insulation in your home increases the R-value and the resistance to heat flow. In general, increased insulation thickness will increase the R-value.
The effectiveness of an insulation material’s resistance to heat flow also depends on how and where the insulation is installed. The overall R-value of a wall or ceiling will be somewhat different from the R-value of the insulation itself because heat flows more readily through studs, joists, and other building materials, in a phenomenon known as thermal bridging. In addition, insulation that fills building cavities reduces airflow or leakage and saves energy.
What to Choose
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Lon Anderson
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