Whether you are heating or cooling your home in the Fresno area, the quantity and quality of the insulation in the walls, floors and ceilings will heavily influence the amount you pay for conditioning your home. To keep your utility bills reasonable, you should make sure that the insulation in your home meets the minimum insulation R-value for the local climate.
R-Value Overview
The insulation R-Value rates a material’s resistance to the flow, or conduction, of heat through its structure. A material with a higher R-value offers more protection against conductive heat losses than a material with a lower insulation R-value. The total amount of insulation recommended for your home depends on the climate. In the Fresno area, these are the minimum recommended insulation amounts for the different parts of your home:
- Attic: The attic floor should have a minimum of R-30 installed, up to a maximum of R-60. This can be done in several layers, using a combination of blown-in insulation, loose-fill, sprayed foam or fiberglass insulation.
- Walls: External walls should have a minimum of R-13, which is the current standard for walls with two-by-four framing. If your home has two-by-six walls, you may want to consider using R-19 or R-21 insulation. Fiberglass batts should be used for new construction, and blown-in insulation can be easily added to existing walls without the need for major remodeling.
- Floors: Any floors over unheated space should receive at least R-19 insulation, up to R-25.
- Ceilings: Ceilings underneath unconditioned space, such as cathedral ceilings, should have at least R-30 insulation installed, or up to R-60 for the best results.
- Siding: If the siding is replaced, foam insulation rated R-5 or higher should be used between the wall and the new siding.
If you would like more information about insulation R-value and how it relates to your home’s heating and cooling systems, contact our professional HVAC technicians at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning today. We have served Fresno and the surrounding area for nearly 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about insulation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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