Residential Spray Foam Insulation - Full R-value

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If residential spray foam insulation is a possibility for insulating your home, make sure you know all of its advantages. There are a number of different options for residential insulation and spray foam is not as well-known as it should be. When you look at all the different products available for residential insulation, and how they work, you will notice that most popular does not necessarily mean the best. Indeed, residential spray foam insulation, because it is a relatively new form of insulation, is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when homeowners think of insulation, but many experts and homeowners who have used residential spray foam insulation agree, it outperforms most other commonly available home insulation products.

However, being a new technology is not the main reason that residential spray foam insulation is not as well-known as other types of insulation. The main reason has to do with how insulation is rated, which in turn is related to how well insulation stops heat from transferring from one side of the insulation to the other. An R-value is assigned to all residential insulation and it relates to the insulation’s ability to stop heat transfer; the higher the R-value the better the insulation is at stopping heat transfer. R-30 insulation stops more heat than R-20 insulation.

What most homeowners don’t realize is that R-value is measured under ideal conditions with insulation that is perfectly installed. R-value also does not take into consideration the heat conductivity of other parts of a home that are not covered by insulation. The discrepancy between the real world and the R-value rating world results in R-15 residential spray foam insulation insulating a home better than R-30 fibreglass batt insulation, the pink stuff, which happens to be the most popular home insulation.

What is it about the real world that brings out such a difference in house insulation products and their corresponding R-values? Unfortunately, the real world isn’t perfect. For example, fibreglass batt insulation is designed to fit between the ceiling joists and wall studs of a home. Any space covered by the insulation enjoys the insulating capacity of that insulation. Unless you cover the wall studs and ceiling joists with the insulation, heat will be conducted through them, which reduces the overall R-value of the insulation. Covering ceiling studs with fibreglass batts likely means almost doubling the amount of insulation needed.

Another problem with many types of residential insulation is improper installation or gaps that the insulation is not designed to cover. While fibreglass batts and rigid foam board insulation fit very well between studs and joists, if they are not properly installed, there will be gaps in the insulation. Also, it is not easy for batts or rigid insulation to cover corners, joints and hard to reach areas, leaving more gaps. Gaps in home insulation are like open windows; air and heat pass freely through as if there was no insulation at all. The R-value of insulation does not account for any gaps that inevitably form with some residential insulation. The effective R-value of insulation is reduced by gaps in the insulation.

The R-value of residential spray foam insulation is not compromised by heat transfer through the home’s support structure or gaps in the insulation. As it is applied, spray foam insulation expands to cover every gap. It can also be sprayed into difficult to reach areas and over studs and joists. The result is that residential spray foam insulation is one of the very few home insulation materials that can deliver the R-value for which it is rated, regardless of the condition.

There are other factors that can reduce the effective R-value of residential insulation. Many insulating materials, include fibreglass batts and sprayed cellulose fill are affected by moisture. Even slight amounts of moisture, like that found in very humid air, can reduce the R-value of these materials. Ceilings and walls, where most insulation is used, are also vulnerable to moisture leaks. Residential foam board and spray foam insulation are not affected by moisture. Indeed, spray foam insulation, because it expands to fill gaps, will actually seal small leaks in a home’s ceiling and walls.

Every homeowner should research the best insulation for his or her house and requirements. However, it’s important to know that the most popular insulation is not always the best and only residential spray foam insulation delivers the R-value for which it is rated.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Air Seal Insulators are residential spray foam insulation experts. Contact Air Seal today and start getting full R-value from your home insulation.

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