Does wood framing provide good insulation for houses? Is it necessary to add insulation to thick laminated beams?
The R-value of wood is about R1 per inch of thickness. Compare this to the most common insulation products fiberglass, cellulose, or open-cell spray-foam insulation, which all have R-values of roughly R3 to R4 per inch!
The framing in most new houses comprises about 30% of the wall surface area, and when you account for the lower R-value of wood (about 1/3 that of the wall insulation) the "effective R-value" of the wall assembly is also reduced by roughly 30%.
So, the standard R13 wall insulation really performs closer to R9 to R10 when you consider all the framing in the wall assembly.
Many builders now use insulated sheathing to help add "continuous insulation" to the exterior side of the wall assembly, which helps reduce the heat loss/gain through the wood. This loss/gain through framing is referred to as "thermal bridging" and it's something most people are completely unaware of!
#blowerdoor
#insulation
#ductwork
#newhome
#newhomeconstruction
#energyaudit
#thermalimaging
#airtightness
#airsealing
#kentucky
#indiana
#buildingscience
Is Wood A Good Insulator? #construction #insulation #energyefficiency For Country: United States. City: Escondido, Fargo, Gilbert, Newark, Providence
