In the US, buildings account for 68% of total electricity consumption. If you’re building a home, the trend is to “go green.”
Going green or making your home more energy efficient is good for the environment as well as your pocketbook.
Are you in a home that you’d like to make more energy-efficient? One way to do that is to improve your home’s R-value.
How do you do that? Find out more in this helpful guide on how to increase your home’s R-value.
What Is R-Value?
Are you wondering if your home or building is well insulated? To find out your home’s R-value, you need to know the type and brand of insulation or types of windows used in your home.
The R-value measures the flow of heat into and out of a house or building. When trying to heat or cool your home, you want your home to have a higher R-value. That means the insulation or windows are effective in keeping the heat in or out, depending on the time of year.
How Does R-Value Work?
The R stands for resistance. How resistant are your home’s windows and insulation to heat flow?
If the R-value is high, the resistance is good. It is successful in keeping heat from leaving during the winter and getting in during the summer.
Boost Your R-Value
How do you boost your home’s R-value? Make your home more energy-efficient by making a few changes.
Thicker Insulation
One way is to increase the thickness of your home’s insulation. Thicker insulation will block the flow of heat.
Don’t use loose-fill insulation because its R-value doesn’t increase with its thickness.
Get New Windows
Are you losing heat through your windows? It might be time to replace them with new, energy-efficient windows that have a higher R-value.
Windows are often the “weakest link” when it comes to keeping the heat in during the winter months and out during the summer.
Look for windows with double-glazed low-E window constructed with insulation between the two panes of glass.
An experienced window contractor can show you how different window and window treatment options can increase your home’s R-value.
Energy-Efficient Window Treatments
If you don’t have it in your budget to change the windows in your home, another option is to look for energy-efficient window treatments.
Consider insulated Roman shades, double-cell blackout shades, double light-filtering shades, or shutters to keep heat in and decrease energy bills. Aluminum blinds have the lowest R-value, but they still help to reduce heat loss.
Improving Your R-Value Rating
Now that you know how to improve your home’s R-value, what changes are you going to make to your home? You’ll reduce your utility costs and improve comfort.
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