R-value calculating methods covered in latest e-book

by nithya_caleb | August 31, 2020 10:21 am

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It is an easy mistake to make. For example, when one comes across the R 13 + 7.5 ci wall insulation requirement in the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) commercial provisions, it can be tempting to just add the two R-values and install R-20.5 rated insulation in the cavity with the assumption being that the same performance can be achieved with fewer steps. However, by employing just R-20.5 cavity insulation, one would be accepting a 16 percent decrease in thermal performance in a wood-framed wall, or a 40 percent decrease in a steel stud wall, when compared to the energy code requirement.

Continuous insulation (ci) and cavity insulation products are both sold with R-value ratings, but the way these two products are used in wall construction means they do not have the same effectiveness. Cavity insulation is interrupted by framing members, which let heat through the insulation layer. On the other hand, ci, as the name suggests, is uninterrupted (except at fasteners and service openings, as defined by IECC). So a layer of cavity insulation is less effective than a layer of ci of the same R-value.

The real math problem of determining a wall assembly’s overall R-value is not nearly so simple as just adding the nominal R-values of the different insulation components (e.g. R 13 + 7.5 ci = R 20.5). Depending on whether wood or steel framing is being employed, different procedures for calculating the assembly R-value of a wall are laid out in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE’s) 2017 ASHRAE Handbook–Fundamentals and IECC. This article discusses both the methods.

An article in our newest, sponsored e-book, Specifying Polyiso Insulation, discusses the different procedures for calculating the assembly R-value of a wall. To get your copy of this free, downloadable resource in either pdf or digital edition, visit www.constructionspecifier.com/ebook/pima-specifying-polyiso-insulation-e-book[2].

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/r-value-calculating-methods-covered-in-latest-e-book/

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