Table of Characteristics of Various Insulating Materials

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

Because no amount of insulation can keep a drafty building warm, also review ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES. See BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION for a discussion of measuring air leakage in buildings. Also see HEAT LOSS INDICATORS (where is the building losing heat during the heating season, or gaining un-wanted heat during the cooling season), and see HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION for a guide to calculating heat loss (or gain) rates for buildings and building insulation.

Table of Insulation & Other Building Material Properties

Insulation or other BuildingMaterial 9 R-Value1 Density2 Perm3 Absorption4

FlameSpread5

Smoke6 Toxicity7 AgingEffects

Air, 3/4" 0.87Need citation, does not consider internal convection effects

Air Krete®26

also see Concrete, Insulating, below

3.92.07 lbs/cuFt26

0.1457 in/sec coefficient, or 0.3407 in/sec flow rate at 68 degF H2O27

026 026 no

Cementious foam insulation, fireproof, non-toxic, non-shrinking, also used for acoustical sound proofing; MgO cement (Magnesium Oxide); 6 mil poly vapor barrier required

Balsam Wool insulation 2 - 3.5 Spills out of wall or roof insulation if facing is cut

Brick 0.218 See Brick Nogging.

Brick facing, 1" 0.11 [Need citation]

Building paper, red rosin paper

0.06 [Need citation]

Cardboard as insulation 3 - 421

Ceiling Panels, suspended or drop ceilings

0.4 - 6

varies widely by material

See CEILINGS, DROP or SUSPENDED PANEL

Cellulose Insulation R-Values by type

Cellulose insulation loose fill 3.1 - 3.820,24 2.2-3.0 High 5-20% 15-40 0-45 CO 0-20% settlement, corrodes metal, mold resistant

Cellulose insulation, spray-on (wet spray)

2.8 - 3.520,24

Cementious Foam 0.35 - 0.6921

Cement asbestos wall shingles


Concrete Insulating R-values by type

Concrete, uninsulated 0.0818 - 0.312517 Typical residential weight concrete 8" wall = R 2.5

Concrete-insulated 0.85 - 1.2 12-88 Varies Varies 0 0 0 Insulated forms available

Concrete, air entrained 3.9021

Air Krete®26

also ThermalKrete and similar air-entraned MgO Products

3.9026 2.07 lbs/cuFt26

0.1457 in/sec coefficient, or 0.3407 in/sec flow rate at 68 degF H2O27

026 026 no

Cementious foam insulation, fireproof, non-toxic, non-shrinking, also used for acoustical sound proofing; MgO cement (Magnesium Oxide); 6 mil poly vapor barrier required

Concrete block, 4-inch hollow core

1.11 [need citation]





Concrete block, lightweight 8-inch

2.2

Carpeting with fiber padding 2.08 [need citation]

Carpeting with foam padding 1.23 [need citation]

Cotton Insulation R-Values by type

Cotton insulation 0.5 .25-10

Cotton Batts 3.722 "blue jean" insulation batts fireproofed with boric acid

Dirt or Soil0.25 - 10.80 typical at 20% moisture

Depends on soil properties: density, moisture content, moisture movementSee R-Value of Earth

Drywall, 1/2-inch 0.45 [need citation]

Drywall, 3/4-inch 0.56 [need citation]

Fiberboard insulating boards 2.8 Questionable data, Some sources claim 2.64

Fibergoard nail base, 1/2-inch 1.14 Highly questionable [need citation]

Fiberglass Insulation R-Values by type

Fiberglass chopped, loose fill 2.5 - 3.720

Fiberglass chopped/blown insulation

3.6 - 4.4 1006" = about R-22. Installers say expanding fiberglass assists in sealing air leaks

Fiberglass batt insulation 3.1 - 4.320 .6 - 1.2 100 1% 15-20 0-20Fumes from paper,binders

May collect debris/allergens/moldAlso see INSULATION CHOICES

Fiberglass, batts, hight density 3.6 - 521

Fiberglass panel, rigid (fiberglass "boards")

2.521 e.g. used in HVAC ductwork or air handlers.

Fiberglass, spray-on 3.7 - 2.920

Flooring, sheet resilient floors, linoleum, or tiles


Glass 0.1418

Gypsum board 0.6 Drywall

Home®Foam25

Spray or pour

3.921 0.51 lbs/ft3

Insulthane 100, See Plastic, foamed insulation belowHome Foam? should not be installed within 2" / 50mm of heat emitting devices producing temperatures in excess of 200deg.

Icynene Foam Insulation R-Values

Icynene® Foam-poured insulation

or pour fill insulation

423 .5-2 10 low low lowFire safety: may not be left exposed in living area; very good air bypass leak sealing properties

Icynene® Foam-sprayed insulation

3.6 - 3.7 23 .5-2 10 low low lowFire safety: may not be left exposed in living area; very good air bypass leak sealing properties

Mineral Wool insulation(Rock Wool)

3.2 - 3.720 1.5-2.5 100 2% 0 0 0 May collect debris/allergens/mold

Perlite insulation 2.5 - 3.720 2-11 High 0 0 0 0

Plywood, A/C 1.4 Questionable, [need citation]

Phenolic Foam Insulation R-Values

Phenolic foam spray insulation 4.8 - 721

Phenolic foam insulation

Phenolic rigid panel

8.34.4 - 8.220

4 - 521

Corrosion problems when in contact with steel roofing & moisture; very good air bypass leak sealing properties

Plaster, 1/2" lightweight 0.32 [Need citation]

Plastic, foamed: Home Foam25

low-density3.921 0.51 lbs/ft3

Water-blown

Unidentified ingredients 25

Spray or pour application see HomeFoam® above.

Polyethylene foam 321

Polyisocyanurate Foam Insulation R-Values

Polyisocyanurate spray, poured, or board insulation

4.3 - 8.321

5.5 - 6.2 to 7.04 - 8.0

2 2-3 0 25 55-200 CO Closed cell, HCFC or CFC gases; 0-12% shrinkage, Fire safety: may not be left exposed in living area; thermal drift with aging; foil faced improves performance to R7-8.; very good air bypass leak sealing properties

Also see INSULATION CHOICES

Polyisocyanurate foam board, foil faced

6.821 - initial, pentane expanded5.521 - aged 5 to 10 years

Rigid panel insulation board with foil facing both sides, edges exposed

Polyisocyanurate composite insulation

2.8(5.8-6.2)

2.0 2-3

Closed cell

Foil faced21

See POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM INSULATION

Polystyrene Foam Insulation R-Values

Polystyrene peanuts for building insulation

not recom-mended

5-25+ 10-400Not recommended for building insulation, may be serious fires hazard.

Polystyrene loose fill beads for building or window-wall insulation

2.3 5-25+ 10-400 Static charge makes particles hard to control

Polystyrene board or beadboard 8 MEPS insulation

molded EPS low density

3.6 - 5.0

3.8521

0.8-2.0 1.2-3.0 0.7-4% 5-25 10-400 CODegrades in sunlight (UV); R-value varies by board densityAlso see INSULATION CHOICES

Polystyrene Expanded (EPS) insulation

low-density

3.853.9 - 4.420

3.6 - 4.721

See POLYSTYRENE FOAM INSULATION

Also see INSULATION CHOICES

Polystyrene board, extruded expanded high-density (XPS)

Molded

5 - 5.421

4.221

Polystyrene board 5 1.5 1.2-3.0

Closed cell

See POLYSTYRENE FOAM INSULATION

Polyisocyanurate / Polyurethane Foam Insulation R-Values

Polyisocyanurate / Polyurethane

5.6 - 7.020

Polyurethane spray - closed cell foam insulation.

Thanks to Thanks to Andrew Cole for correcting our data on this product.

5.0 - 6.8

5.5 - 6.521

Initial 7.14Aged 6.8

2.0 2-3 0 30-50 155-200 CO

Closed cell;0-12% shrinkage, Fire safety: may not be left exposed in living area. Initial R of 7.14 declines to 6.8 after several months of curing; very good air bypass leak sealing properties

Polyurethane foam insulation rigid panels

7-821 - Initial6.25 - aged 5 to 10 years

CHC/HCFC expanded foam

Polyurethane foam insulation rigid panels

6.821 - Initial5.5 - aged 5 to 10 years

Pentane expanded foam

Polyurethane spray insulation - open cell insulation

3.621 - 7 (est)Expands & seals more than closed-cell; lower cost; pourable-version available for building retrofit; See URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing

Reflective insulation 2 - 1720 Need details of products in this range

Rock Wool Batts

Slag wool Batts

3 - 3.8520 See Mineral Wool

Rock Wool, Slag wool Loose Fill insulation R-value

2.5 - 3.720

Roofing: Asphalt shingles 0.44

Roofing: built-up 3/8" thick plies

0.33

Roofing: wood shingles 0.94[Need citation; wood shingles on walls - see below at "wood"]

Silica Aerogel 10

Snow 1

Straw Bale 1.45 STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION

Stucco, conventional plaster/cement

0.20

Tectum™ insulated roof panels

2.0Tectum: a patented cementitious wood fiber EPS-core insulating roof deck tile, plank, or panel of several thicknesses.

Thinsulate 5.75 Clothing insulation, not used in buildings

Vacuum Powder Insulation 25 - 3020

Vacum powder insulated panels

20 - 10020 U.S. DOE. Others cite R-30 - R-50.

Vermiculite insulation2.1319 - 3.02.10 - 3.720 4-10 High 0 0 0

0 (may contain asbestos)

May contain asbestos, virtually always installed as loose-fill. Some sources cite R=2.08

Urea Formaldehyde UFFI Foam Insulation R-Values & Properties

Urea Formaldehyde Foam Panels or in-wall spray

4 - 4.621 Formaldehyde outgassing concerns, especially new, possibly

UFFI insulation(Urea Formaldehyde Foam)

4.2

5.2521

0.6-0.9 4.5-100 18% 0-25 0-300 (may outgas formal-dehyde)

1-4% shrinkage, Fire safety: may not be left exposed in living area; on aging, leaves significant air bypass leaks at shrinkage points

Wood, Hardwood, Softwood Insulation R-Values

Wood R-ValuesLog wall R-Values vary16

1.01 - 1.41 (softwoods)0.71 (hardwoods)

The R-value of wood varies by wood density, species, moisture content.

Wood door, solid, per inch 1.56 Varies by species, no authoritative source.

Wood, soft 1.25 Questionable, [need citation]

Wood Flooring, assume 3/4" hardwood


Wood sheathing panels (Plywood,OSB)


Wood shingle siding, single course


Wood siding, 1/2-inch clapboard or shiplap


Notes to the Table of Building Insulation Properties

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 For some building materials (such as sheet flooring) we give an R-value for a specfic thickness other than the standard 1".

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).

Polystyrene also is referred to as molded expanded polystyrene (MEPS), expanded polystyrene (EPS), and extruded polystyrene (XPS) - the most common foam board insulation product. MEPS & XPS are used in insulated structural panels and in insulating concrete forms (ICFs).

9. Links to details: Insulation product names in the first table column include links to articles that help identify and provide the properties of each insulating material listed. 10. Open vs. closed cell: Foam insulation densities vary among closed-cell vs open cell forms. Open cell foams are typically about 1/2 lb/cubic foot; Closed cell foams are more dense and rigid,

typically about 2 lb/cu. ft. 11. C or Thermal conductance of these materials is the reciprocal of the R-value. C is known only when the k, the thermal conductivity of a material is known. k is the heat transmitted through a 1-

inch thickness of homogenous material per square foot per hour when there is 1 degree of temperature change. k= (BTU * inch) / sq.ft. * hour * degF. 12. Air film: This table of R-values does not consider the insulating characteristic of the air film on each side of a surface nor the effects of wind on the air film or on the material itself. Some of these

materials are more resistant to wind-caused heat transmission than others. 13. Moisture: Closed cell foams resist moisture uptake (good) but if construction is improper they can trap moisture (bad) leading to rot or mold problems in other building materials.

14. Insects: Exterior foam board on foundations can ease attack by wood destroying insects. 15. Fire & smoke: Foam insulation products present fire-smoke hazards and usually they must be protected with a fire barrier (usually 1/2" drywall). 16. R-Values for wooden log walls given by the U.S. DOE are in error except for square log walls. D-logs and round logs that are given a nominal log thickness, say 6" logs are calculated by DOE

as having an R-value of just over 8. This is incorrect for non-square logs because the cross section of the log is 6" only at the log's widest point. A correct assessment of the R-value of a wooden log wall needs to be calculated based on the average wall thickness, considering the variation in thicknesses over the curvature of the logs. Therefore the DOE's value is on the "high" end of the R-value of a log wall.

17. R-Values of uninsulated concrete: Concrete Homes Magazine web search 5/18/2010 18. R-Value for concrete, glass, other materials, Wikipedia web search 5/18/2010 citing Ristinen, Robert A., and Jack J. Kraushaar. Energy and the Environment. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley

& Sons, Inc., 2006. 19. E-Star Colorado. Energy Saving Calculations. Energy Living Alliance, 2008. Web 05/18/2010 20. U.S. Department of Energy, DOE Handbook, see http://buildingsdatabook.eren.doe.gov/TableView.aspx?table=5.1.3 18 May 2010. The DOE in turn cited these sources

o ASHRAE, 1997 ASHRAE Handbook: Fundamentals, p. 24-4, 22-5

o DOE, Insulation Fact Sheet, Jan. 1988, p. 6

o Journal of Thermal Insulation, 1987, p. 81-95

o ORNL, ORNL/SUB/88-SA835/1, 1990

o ORNL, Science and Technology for a Sustainable Energy Future, Mar. 1995, p. 17

o ORNL for vacuum insulation panel 21. Wikipedia, web search 5/18/2010 R-Values per Inch 22. EcoHaus UltraTouch cotton insulation batts batts http://www.ecohaus.com/C-121/ultratouch+batts Web search 5/18/2010 23. Icynene product information see http://www.icynene.com/icynene-insulation/ - Web search 5/18/2010 24. ICC Legacy Report ER-2833 - Cocoon Thermal and Sound Insulation Products, ICC Evaluation Services, Inc., Website: icc-es.org - Web search 5/18/2010 25. HomeFoam®, Home Insulation Corp. - see http://www.homefoam.ca/articles/Why_HF.htm - Web search 5/18/2010

Home Foam® does not contain formaldehyde, fibrous particulate, HFCs1, CFCs2 or HCFCs3 and is a zero-ODP4 product. The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) advises that even sensitive individuals may take occupancy just 24 hours after application is complete.

26. Air Krete®, Air Krete Inc., P.O. Box 380, Weedsport NY 13166-0380 Keene Christopher, Principal Telephone: (315) 834- 6609, Retrieved 05 Dec 2010, AirKrete® Green Insulation Specifications, original source: http://www.airkrete.com/ Specifications for AirKrete® can be found at http://www.airkrete.com/pdf/072101specification.pdf

27. AirKrete® Water Permeability Coefficient, 03/02/2005, letter provided by AirKrete, retrieved 05 Dec 2010, original source: http://www.airkrete.com/testResults_files/PermRating.pdf

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Table of Characteristics of Various Insulating Materials