Getting your head around insulation can be tricky, especially if it’s not something you’ve researched before. Understanding a little about how it works and the terminology involved will help you to choose the right insulation options for your home or workplace. How does insulation work? In your home, insulation aims to provide resistance to heat flow – thereby lowering your heating and cooling costs. Good insulation can mean reduced energy bills and increased comfort. Insulation materials function by slowing the conductive heat flow and (to some extent) the convective heat flow. All insulation materials can be rated in terms of their thermal resistance or R Value. What is an R Value? An R value relates to an insulating material’s resistance to conductive heat flow. The higher the R value, the more effective the material will be for insulation. So remember, the higher the R value, the higher the resistance and therefore the better the rate of thermal insulation the material offers. R value can depend on a variety of factors including: The type of insulation The thickness of the material The density of the material Sometimes, the R value of an insulating material can depend on temperature, age and the … Continue reading What Do the R Values in Insulation Mean?