The “R Value” of your house is the indication whether your house is properly insulated or not. This is a very important concern when deciding on homes for sale in Castle Rock CO . Virtually all the materials that are used in your house have the ability to transfer heat from the hotter side to the cooler side. Heat is gently transferred by one or more of three methods:
Conduction: conduction is the direct flow of heat through a material. If you hold a metal spoon over a flame, you will soon feel the heat in the handle as heat is conducted through the spoon. Heat and always moves from the hotter part of the spoon to the cooler part.
Convection: conviction is the transmission of heat without a gas or liquid. For instance, if you hold your hand over a flame, you will feel the heat. Convection heat normally flows upwards though it can sometimes flow sideways.
Radiation: causes heat loss by the movement of electromagnetic waves through space. For instance, if you stand in the direct sun, you will soon begin to feel the heat of the sun’s rays regardless of how cold it is.
“R Value” of your house represents the ability of the insulation in your house to resist this heat transfer. Many insulation products work by trapping pockets of air between layers of fiber. Air is a good insulator against conduction but is not effective against radiation and as soon as it has reached the limit of heat absorption, the heat is transferred through the wall. You must have noticed that in summer, hours after the sun has set, the walls of your house are still hot to the touch. This is because the walls have observed heat and radiating it into your house. The reverse happens in winter and as a result, you have to pay higher cooling bills in summer and higher heating bills in winter.
Because insulating material is rated in terms of R-Value, the higher the value, the greater the effectiveness of the insulation. It depends on the type of the material, the thickness and density. If there are multiple layers of different material, the R-Value of each layer is calculated. On ceilings, floors and walls, it also depends on how and where the insulation is installed. Insulation which is compressed for some reason will not deliver its full R-Value. This may either be because the denser insulation has been added on top of thinner insulation or the insulation has been compressed into a smaller space.
The insulation placed between joists or rafters does not retard heat flow through the joists or rafters themselves. This is known as thermal bridging and is the reason why the R-Value of a wall or a floor or a ceiling can differ from the R-Value of the insulation material that is used. Similarly metal frames facilitate greater heat transfer than wooden frames and metal frames which are insulated can have an R-Value that is half that of the insulating material.
In these times, when energy conservation is all-important, you should have a proper idea about the R-Value of your house. Not only will you reduce energy consumption but you will also have the not inconsiderable benefit of lower heating and cooling bills.
“R Value” should be important to every home buyer. So regardless if you are looking at real estate in Castle Rock Colorado Sedalia CO or Cherry Hills Colorado find out the “R Value” of your home before buying it.
