What Are Insulation R-Values?

What Are Insulation R-Values?

A well-built home has stylish features and high quality construction. Construction components should offer maximum insulation from nature’s elements. Though we live in a very agreeable climate, a well-insulated Pasadena home will still save you hundreds of dollars in heating and cooling costs. A well-insulated home will not only keep the elements out, it keeps your air conditioned or heated air inside of your home. The more air you keep from escaping, the lower your energy bills will be.

When imagining insulation, most people think of the large rolls of fiberglass that line our attics and walls. These fiberglass rolls are rated with insulation R-values. Insulation R-value is the thermal resistance a product offers. Essentially, the higher the R-value, the more effective the product is in insulating your home. Those fiberglass rolls of insulation can come with R-values as low as 6 and as high as 38. When an attic calls for insulation with an R-value of 60, one simply lays one row on top of another row.

There are a number of products that come rated with insulation R-values. Again, most people think of the rolled insulation, but windows, doors, siding, rigid insulation and other building materials all come with assigned insulation R-values. So, the next time you are shopping for doors, and comparing one over the other, keep in mind the price may be affected by the insulation R-value.

It is almost universally agreed that your attic should have insulation in it. The amount of air that escapes from your attic is staggering, even with insulation. Often, an older home’s insulation loses much of its original R-value. In the Pasadena area, it is suggested a home has an attic R-value between 30 to 60.

Installing insulation can be a difficult job for some. Working in a hot attic, or other confined space, may prove impossible. If you are ready to take control of your home’s R-value, and need some helpful folks to take a look, please contact us at Air-Tro, Inc.. We offer free estimates by our well trained staff of professionals.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Pasadena, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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