Recommended R Rating For Wall Insulation
See the department of energy s doe ranges for recommended levels of insulation below.
Recommended r rating for wall insulation. The r value per inch for different types of insulation varies depending on the. R stands for thermal resistance. For example a wall with 3 fiberglass batting r value of 10 8 11 9 may have an overall r value of nearly 14 because of siding sheathing and drywall. An r value is a rating which measures how well insulation can resist heat flow.
In most wall applications you will use r 13 or r 15 kraft faced fiberglass insulation rolls for these two by four stud walls. Note from this. A 12 inch thick fiberglass blanket rated at r 4 is enough to reach the recommended insulation level of r 48 for attics located in zone 4. Insulation is rated in two ways r value and u value.
While rated differently these two types of insulation are close enough in thickness that they can both fit into modern two by four wall systems. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. Insulation level are specified by r value. R value level depends on a number of things such as the type of material its density and thickness.
The r value is a calculation which measures the flow of heat through an insulation product or its. How to achieve r 21 in a 2x4 wall. Fiberglass is usually installed between studs joists and rafters in unfinished walls floors and ceilings. For example insulation that is compressed will not provide its full rated r value.
However it offers relatively low r values spanning r 3 1 to r 4 3 per inch. The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and. Typical recommendations for exterior walls are r 13 to r 23 while r 30 r 38 and r 49 are common for ceilings and attic spaces. 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.
The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Along with knowing the r value of a particular insulation it is also important to calculate the r value of a total system. These r values are a sum meaning this should be the total r value once you add up the entire depth of insulation.