First Time Home Buyer Series: What is R Value?

R value measures how well a building material can resist heat. The higher the R value, the less the material allows conduction or the flow of heat. In addition to traditional blanket insulation, this measurement can apply to virtually any material: windows, sheetrock, plywood, adobe, straw bales, brick, concrete, for example. High R value materials can greatly affect heating and cooling costs. However, there are other ways that heat flows as well that R value does not measure: convection, radiation and air infiltration. These need to be taken into consideration as well when insulating a home. #Rvalue #insulation #energyefficiency #heatconduction #buildingmaterials #howtoinsulate #insulatedhome