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Table of Insulation Material R-Values & Other Properties InteriorAPedia © Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com

• Insulation materials R-values, rates of heat loss or gain, flame spread, toxicity, durability
• What insulation "R" values should be used in a building insulation?

This article provides a Table of Insulation Values and Properties for Various Insulation Materials useful in procedures to measure or calculate heat loss in a building, defines thermal terms like BTU and calorie, provides measures of heat transmission in materials, building insulation design data, and heat loss in a building. Photograph at page top © 2007 Daniel Friedman.

Formula-R and Owens Corning which may be visible in this photograph of pink Styrofoam insulation boards are registered trademarks of Owens Corning and were photographed at a Home Depot (R) building supply center. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Table of Characteristics of Various Insulating Materials: fiberglass, mineral wool, cellulose, foam insulating board, UFFI, vermiculite, others

1. R-Value is expressed as rate of heat loss per hour per square foot per inch of thickness of material per deg. F - see "R" value definition at Definitions of R K U values
2. Insulation density is expressed in pounds per cubic foot of material
3. Permeability is expressed as the water vapor permeability of the material per inch of thickness. These numbers are most useful to compare one insulating material to another.
4. Absorption is the tendency of the insulation to absorb water in percent by weight. This is important for assessing the risk of mold in some materials
5. Flame Spread is a measure of fire resistance of the material. Use these numbers to compare one insulating material to another.
6. Smoke is a measure of fire safety - that is, the relative amount of smoke produced if the insulation is exposed to flame or combustion
7. Toxicity is a measure of fire safety - that is, toxins given off if the insulation is exposed to flame or combustion.
8. Polystyrene may be in molded or extruded forms and like some other plastic or foam insulations may be in open or closed cell form. (Closed cell foams are more moisture resistant).

More Reading About Building Insulation

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

• Asbestos pipe insulation in buildings
• Brick "Insulation" in Building Walls
• Heat Loss Calculations, Insulation Properties, Definitions of R, K, U values, Insulation Design
• How to Choose an Air Conditioner - BTU Chart
• How to Detect and Correct Attic Condensation & Prevent Ice Dam Leaks in Buildings
• How to Inspect Building Interiors and Building Insulation/Ventilation list of articles about building insulation inspection, defects, design, and ventilation requirements
• Insulation Materials as Indicators of Building Age
• Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Fiberglass in Indoor Air, HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
• Insulation Identification Photographs - Cellulose insulation photos, Mineral wool insulation photos, rock wool insulation photos, cotton insulation photos, balsam wool insulation photos
• Insulation Identification Photographs - Vermiculite insulation photos
• LP or Natural Gas Pressures & BTUH per Cubic Foot
• Insulation Properties, Table of R-Values, density, moisture permeability, fire safety, aging effects on various insulation materials
• Mold in Fiberglass in Insulation
• Radiant Heat Floor Mistakes to Avoid
• Rated Cooling Capacity - How to Determine Air Conditioning Equipment Rated Cooling Capacity
• Un-Vented Roof Solutions - How to Prevent Attic Condensation, Ice Dam Leaks, Roof Mold, & Roof Structural Damage in Buildings with Un-vented Roof Cavities
• Vermiculite Building Insulation & Asbestos

Technical Reviewers

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.

• Daniel Friedman - InspectAPedia.com ^TM Website Author/Editor
• Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution.

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

Use the links at the left of each page or these links just below to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

How to Calculate Heat Loss in a Building
  Definition of BTU BTUH Calorie
  How to measure heat movement through a wall
  How to measure building insulation
  How leaky is the building
  Priorities for building energy efficiency
  Radiant Heat Floor Mistakes to Avoid
  Calculate the R U & K values
  Calculate Heat Loss Per Hour
  How to use a free home energy audit
  Design Temperature for Buildings
  Definition of "degree day"
  Definition of Tons of cooling capacity
INSULATION INSPECTIONS
  Types of Building Insulation
   Balsam Wool Batt Insulation
   Cotton Insulating Batts
   Cellulose loose fill insulation
   Fiberglass Insulation
   Mineral Wool/Rock Wool Insulation
   Building Insulation Concerns
   FIBERGLASS HAZARDS
   Recognizing Fiberglass Insulation
   Recognizing Fiberglass Duct Insulation
   Lab Identification of Fiberglass
   Fiberglass Fragment Hazards
   Fiberglass Detection in Building Air
   Mold in Fiberglass Insulation
   Mold in Foam Insulation
   Actual mold growth in insulation
   Moldy insulation may look clean
   Why does mold grow in fiberglass?
   When to test insulation for mold
How to Calculate Heat Loss in a Building
Table of Properties of Insulating Materials

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