Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Insulation’ Category

How is Insulation Efficiency Rated?

Tuesday, December 10th, 2013

Insulation can help you make the most of your heating and cooling systems. Most people think that insulation works best in the winter, when it retains heat to keep your home warm. They thus tend to discard it out of hand, since our Florida winters are very warm. But insulation is equally effective during our hot summers, when it helps your home cool. Insulation is formed by numerous different kinds of material, making it hard for laymen to understand which one is the best. Luckily, a common rating system allows you to measure different types of insulation against a common standard. How is insulation efficiency rated?

The common measuring system is known as the R-value, which is determined by dividing the thickness of the material by its thermal conductivity (or ability to conduct heat). An easier barometer of insulation’s R-value is to compare the temperature on one side of the material with the temperature on the other side. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation works and the more effectively it can insulate your home.

Here in Florida, you want to look for insulation with a rating of no lower than R30 for your attic and R25 for your walls. The attic is usually the more important area to insulate, since heat escapes through the ceiling. Anything up to R60 is recommended, and the higher the R-value, the more efficiently your home will stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

If you’re looking to add insulation to your Gainesville, FL home, or perhaps replace your existing insulation with something more efficient, then it pays to contact experts to help. Here at Touchstone Heating & Air, our experts can advise you on the kind of insulation that is right for your home. Give us a call to set up a consultation today. You’ll be glad that you did!

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