R Value For Concrete Basement Walls
The value of basement insulation in cold climates if you had a 20 x 30 6m x 9m basement with concrete or concrete block walls your heat loss could easily be over 1 million btus per day through the walls.
R value for concrete basement walls. The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home. In climate 4c the 2012 irc requires a minimum of r 15 for basement walls assuming that we are talking about continuous rigid foam or spray foam insulation the best approach. Depending on the density of the blocks an 8 inch thick block wall without any other type of. Typical residential weight concrete 8 wall r 2 5.
Generally zones 1 and 2 cover the southern states which suggest no necessary values to r 10 for basement walls. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Zones 3 and 4 include the midwest and northern regions requiring r 10 to r 19 values.
0 13 0 64 30. For example if you have a type of insulation that has an r value of r 5 per inch of thickness you will need a depth of 6 inches of this insulation installed in your attic to reach r 30 if you live in zones 2 or 3. The r value of an uninsulated 8 inch thick basement wall built using normal weight concrete is 1 35 based on data from the 1993 american society of heating refrigeration and air conditioning engineers handbook. You can install more insulation than that if you want to.
It s up to you to decide the r value of your insulation. Concrete block makes a cost effective and structurally sound wall but it has little thermal resistance. These r values are a sum meaning this should be the total r value once you add up the entire depth of insulation. In one step epitome foundation composite walls incorporate r16 5 insulation vapor barrier top plate and stud framing within a 9 high durable basement wall structure.
That s a minimum r value. Concrete sand gravel aggregate. Extremely northern regions and high elevations are zone 5 requiring r 15 to r 19 values.