The optimal R-value for most homes is 30, but you can go as high as 38 if you live in a tropical climate. Anything higher than 38 indicates an over-insulated space. While you might think that too much insulation can't be bad, there are some significant consequences to consider.
It is possible to over-insulate your house so much that it can't breathe. The whole point of home insulation is to tightly seal your home's interior. But if it becomes too tightly sealed with too many layers of insulation, moisture can get trapped inside those layers. That's when mold starts to grow.
Of course you know the higher the value, the slower the heat transfer. So no, even a 1000 R-Value won't be ``too hot'' in summer, but because such insulation is usually water and vapour-proof, you may find yourself sweating more.
Preferred wall insulation is R-24, because conductive heat transfer does not favor a direction. Convective heat rises, but heat conduction simply goes through solid objects: walls, floors, ceilings.
However, it is possible to have too much insulation. If there is too much insulation, and it comes in contact with the roof sheeting, it can block air circulation, which can lead to condensation, mould and mildew.
The optimal R-value for most homes is 30, but you can go as high as 38 if you live in a tropical climate. Anything higher than 38 indicates an over-insulated space.
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.
If we wish to label the strength of the association, for absolute values of r, 0-0.19 is regarded as very weak, 0.2-0.39 as weak, 0.40-0.59 as moderate, 0.6-0.79 as strong and 0.8-1 as very strong correlation, but these are rather arbitrary limits, and the context of the results should be considered.
Fiberglass and rock wool batts—2x4 walls can hold R-13 or R-15 batts; 2x6 walls can have R-19 or R-21 products. Generally, batt insulation is the least expensive wall insulation material but requires careful installation for effective performance (see page 4).
If your attic has little or no existing insulation, you'll want to install an R-38 rated material. If your attic has 2-3″ of existing insulation, you'll want to install an R-30 to achieve a total of R-38. If your attic has 5-6″ of existing insulation, you'll want to install an R-19 to achieve a total of R-38.
R-Value is a measure of insulation's ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the R-Value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
Sleeping Pad Warmth
A sleeping pad's insulation is crucial to a warm night's sleep because you lose body heat to the cold ground beneath you. To counteract this, pads use a variety of materials and construction techniques to prevent heat loss.
When blown-in insulation settles, your attic loses insulation performance. Settling compromises the R-value of your insulation.
As a general guideline, it's advisable to install double layers of thermal insulation throughout your house. Nevertheless, this may not be feasible in all areas due to space limitations. Typically, it's not practical to add two layers of insulation within the walls of your home.
Can I put plywood over insulation in the attic? Yes you can install plywood subflooring directly over the floor joists and insulation on your floor. You need to install rigid insulation boards on top of the attic flooring joists and then install plywood over the top.
While an increase in assumed framing factor from 15% to 25% can reduce the calculated overall R-value of a wood-frame wall by more than 10%, the effect on steel is even more dramatic (see Figure 1).
When comparing R13 to R15, insulation designated as R15 performs better at reducing heat loss than R13. R-values are generally cumulative, meaning that you can stack two layers of R6 insulation boards to achieve R12.
Insulation to Use
For 2x4 walls, use R-13 or R-15 insulation. For 2x6 walls, use R-19 or R-21 insulation.
ABOUT INSULATION
The thermal barrier of a home should consist of a continuous layer of insulation on all sides—including the lowest floor, the exterior walls, and the ceiling or roof. Doubling the thickness of insulation will double the insulation's R-value, cutting heat loss in half.
In other fields, the standards for a good R-squared reading can be much higher, such as 0.9 or above. In finance, an R-squared above 0.7 would generally be seen as showing a high level of correlation, whereas a measure below 0.4 would show a low correlation.
The relationship between two variables is generally considered strong when their r value is larger than 0.7. The correlation r measures the strength of the linear relationship between two quantitative variables. Pearson r: r is always a number between -1 and 1.
In fact, adding too much insulation to your walls can lead to problems such as poor ventilation, mould growth, and condensation. This is because thicker insulation can block airflow and trap moisture, leading to indoor air quality issues and even structural damage.
Thermablok® Aerogel is a revolutionary advancement in thermal technology offering the thinnest insulation available to prevent thermal and cold bridging. Classed as a Super Insulation, Aerogel has the highest insulation value of any known material with the lowest thermal conductivity value of any solid (0.015W/mK).
Exterior Garage Walls
Typically these will be constructed from standard 2-by-4 studs which will define the amount of insulation that you can have installed. You should be targeting an R-Value of R-13 or R-15 in these areas to properly maximize your insulation in this application.