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.
Insulation to Use
For 2x4 walls, use R-13 or R-15 insulation. For 2x6 walls, use R-19 or R-21 insulation.
Standard Load Capacity Estimates
In general, a 2×4 made from pine (a softwood) and graded for construction can typically support a vertical load of around 300 to 500 pounds. This estimate assumes that the 2×4 is placed on its edge, and the weight is distributed evenly.
Excellent Thermal Performance Owens Corning™ R-15 EcoTouch® insulation is specifically engineered to solve the efficiency problems of exterior 2x4 walls. “High density” means more fibers per square inch. It delivers a higher R-value per square inch in less space than standard insulation products.
R19 is fine for walls. Just remember that fiberglass wont do a thing to stop cold air--and even that air flowing thru it will also reduce its R value. What you need to do is get out the caulk gun and sprayfoam to seal all gaps and cracks allowing the cold air in first.
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.
A well-built staggered stud wall increases the sound damping of a wall. Basically, this involves staggering 2x4 boards along alternate edges of the top and bottom frame. In existing walls, this includes the addition of furring strips to bring the outside frame to 2x6.
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.
One effective option for soundproof insulation for stud walls is to use an acoustic insulation roll. These rolls are made from materials such as fibreglass, rockwool, or recycled materials, and are designed to absorb sound waves and reduce the transmission of noise.
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.
A double 2x4 of #2 hemlock, commonly called hemfir, carrying a span of 4′ with an unknown tributary area fails at about 360 pounds per linear foot. These two boards can carry so much weight because they are so short. By contrast, if the doubled 2x4's spanned 8′, they could barely carry 40 pounds per linear foot.
As a rule of thumb, pictures that weigh less than 5 pounds can be hung with hanging strips, adhesive wall hooks or mounting tape.
Typical interior walls are framed with 2x4s. This makes walls about 4½ inches thick (3½ inches of wood covered on both sides by ½-inch-thick drywall).
R19 is 6.5″ thick whereas R21 is 5.5″ thick. Thinner by one inch and yet 2 points higher in R value. The common explanation as to why this is so, is that the R21 insulation is said to be “more dense”.
Key Differences: Thermal Resistance: R-21 polyiso boards offer higher thermal resistance compared to R-19, which makes them more effective at reducing heat transfer in colder climates. Thickness: Both R-19 and R-21 polyiso boards are compact by offering high R-values per inch.
Faced insulation is better at preventing moisture damage; however, it can't be layered like unfaced insulation. For this reason, unfaced insulation is better for keeping your house warm in the winter. It also offers better sound protection.
Stapling on the inside of studs is preferred by many drywallers because it leaves the edges of the framing members easier to locate. However, your local building codes may require you to overlap the flanges and staple them to the edges of the framing members.
Metal battons are then affixed to the inside of any external solid walls to accommodate insulation board. A suitable air gap (approx. 1″) is left between the insulation material and the exterior walls to allow the walls to 'breathe' and to ensure damp or condensation does not build up on the inside of the property.
Thermal lining paper is among the cheapest ways to insulate internal walls. This thick, insulating wallpaper can be easily applied directly to walls, making it a quick and straightforward solution. Costing around £10 per square metre, it effectively reduces heat loss and is perfect for smaller DIY projects.
Insulation for 2x4 Walls
In most wall applications, you will use R-13 or R-15 kraft-faced fiberglass insulation rolls for these two-by-four stud walls. 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.
R19 insulation typically costs more than R15 because of its superior performance.
For walls, r13 insulation is a good choice in most instances, and because your basement is below the ground, there's some natural protection from the earth around it.
Investing your budget into the decoupling framework is a far more cost-effective way to soundproof your stud wall. The saving is made by only using a single layer of acoustic plasterboard over the top. This massively reduces your spending while also giving you excellent soundproofing.
The Higher R-Value the Better The higher the number the better job the insulation will do at keeping heat and sound in or out of your home. Cellulouse Insulation has a R-value rating of 3.6-4.0 cubic inches, which is one of the highest ratings in the industry.
There are many different types of insulation but the best for absorbing sound in our experience is acoustic mineral wool.