Questions& answers about the Insulation R values of various materials:

This article series provides a Table of Insulation Values and Properties for Various Insulation Materials useful in procedures to measure or calculate heat loss in a building, defines thermal terms like BTU and calorie, provides measures of heat transmission in materials, building insulation design data, and heat loss in a building.

Q&A on Characteristics of Various Insulating Materials:

These FAQs about the insulating values or R-values and other properties of all sorts of insulating and other materials were posted originally at INSULATION R-VALUES & PROPERTIES - be sure to see the data there.

On 2022-01-26 1 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator (mod) - Comparing the R-values of soil and sand.

@Gary,

Thanks for a helpful question: Comparing the R-values of soil and sand.

From the tables above on this page, using the CTRL-F feature of our browser, and searching for sand and then for soil

we can find the R-values of each of those.

The lowest estimated R-value for sand (per inch) was R 0.13

The lowest estimated R-value for soil (per inch) was R 0.25

But that is nowhere near a useful answer.

Just consider that variations in the water content of sand or soil will completely change (and drastically-lower) the R-value of either soil or sand. You could argue that soil retains water more-easily than sand, but now we've fallen into a speculative abyss at the bottom of which our guesses can only echo with so much possible variation that it'd be more accurate to say they are probably wrong.

Bottom line: if your soil or sand is wet, it's R-value will be nil. That dominates the difference between the two.

On 2022-01-26 by Gary

Sand vs soil as insulation next to house. Which is better.

On 2021-10-20 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - R-value of slate

@Ed Reid,

The R-value of slate is about 0.05 or so low as to be negligible.

Slate, like other Stone materials has high thermal conductivity.

You can see similar values for concrete in the table above on this page.

On 2021-10-20 by Ed Reid

Hello I am looking for the R-value of 5/16" slate which I plan to use in a floor project over 1/2" concrete board (R-value .39).

On 2021-07-30 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Tim,

be careful about taking my advice or anybody else's "online" - I have a very incomplete picture of your building and situation;

But sure, Hi-R foil faced foam is sold at Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, and other building suppliers;

I'm unclear why we'd use 3 layers of drywall.

On 2021-07-30 15 by Tim

@inspectapedia.com.moderator, The 2 layers of drywall come from the demolition of existing wall, this is a bathroom remodel and the {hottest wall} facing east in the AZ. heat. I have thought about 1 1/2" foam board because I will need to frame wall with 2"X2" boards, for space saving, is this a better choice and does Homeless Depot carry it?

On 2021-07-29 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - R-value of foil faced drywall or gypsum board;

@Tim,

Thanks for a helpful question: the R-value of foil faced drywall or gypsum board;

You'll see in the table above on this page that 1/2" drywall has an R-value of 0.45;

The addition of foil to the drywall does not increase its R-value one iota.

Consider that

R-value is measuring, or describing, in essence, resistance to heat transfer through a material

Foil or metal is a great heat conductor; so adding it to drywall doesn't improve the drywall's R-value.

Foil facing does, however add a reflective barrier that has its own effect on heat transfer, and

Foil facing also adds excellent moisture resistance

so there are good reasons to like that for installation in a basement;

Your addition of an air space improves the wall's resistance to heat loss too, within some constraints (too much space = air circulation = heat transfer)

Tell us: why are you adding two additional layers of drywall on your wall for a total of 1 1l2?

Why not 1" Hi-R foil faced foam board covered by drywall?

On 2021-07-29 by Tim

What is the r-value of 1/2" foil faced drywall? And then I will use 3/8" air space and 2 more 1/2" board, behind the finished 1/2 board, on a 4X8X16 inch block wall.

On 2021-04-18 by danjoefriedman (mod) - R value of a block wall filled with concrete & perlite?

@Michael Restivo,

Please see the detailed R-value examples given in the table above on this page beginning at

MASONRY brick, block, concrete https://inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php#Mason

where you'll find a list of R-values for various hollow-core and filled or partly-filled concrete block walls.

You an add to that typical R-values for 1/2" foam board varying by type of board used. We give the range of those above in a series table starting at

FOAM INSULATION Icynene, Phenolic https://inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php#Icynene

On 2021-04-18 by Michael Restivo

What would a Wall consisting of 6" block filled half solid concrete and half perlite with 1/2" insulation board attached on both sides, then sheetrock on one side and cedar siding on other ? Thanks

On 2021-02-03 02:15:01.580773 by danjoefriedman (mod) - Do people still use ASBESTOS INSULATION?

No, Phil

Although the original asbestosis prohibitions have been relaxed in many regards there's no company making a typical consumer products such as insulation who would use asbestos

On 2021-02-03 by Phil

Do people still use ASBESTOS INSULATION?
There are so many alternatives that have much less potential health issues.

The cost of removing asbestos and the different regulations for removal procedures and certified disposal sights, etc. etc. seems to be a direct indicator that using an alternative like rock-wool would be a much more suitable choice, if the end user/house owner does not want to use fiberglass insulation.

Rock-wool (a.k.a. mineral wool) has a (little) high R-value than fiberglass, is moisture resistant, will not mold/mildew, and is basically fireproof.

A great alternative. When the building has to be remodelled, or demolitioned, there is no extra EPA requirements for removing and no special disposal sights requiired - in the long run it may be much more healthy and cost effective.

On 2021-01-24 by danjoefriedman (mod) - citation of sources for R-values of drywall

re-posting

Shaun said:
A citation for drywall R-values

Moderator reply: thanks Shaun, I did some digging to find a live citation for the one you suggested. Hyphen Solutions hyphensolutions[dot]com is not an original source nor authority but rather in turn was citing Coloradoenergy [dot] org whose information is cited on the page above along with some additional research on drywall R-values that I’ve added.


Thank you very much for the reminder and the suggestion.

On 2020-07-13 - by (mod) - Properties of Intumescent paints: R-values of paint are not meaningful

Re-posting from private email

Properties of Intumescent paints: R-values of paint are not meaningful

2020/07/10 Anonymous asked: I was curious if you have ever evaluated intumescent paints?

I had paid for a study and after taking my money they said they could not do materials under 1 inch in thickness. I have patented this material and have been recognized as energy star partner.

Moderator reply:

I have not made that study and opine that it'd probably be the wrong one to attempt.

The people you paid ought to have known at the outset that a coat of paint is going to be much less than an inch in thickness.

In a general sense as building insulation, paints do not have any useful nor quantifiable "R" value. Intumescent paints do affect the properties of a charred surface, thus reducing fire damage or the rate of fire damage. But good grief, nobody is going to set their building on fire in order to achieve an improvement in "R" value.

Intumescent paints are intended to slow the response of a material to heat in order to improve fire resistance. Examples of pertinent research describe the properties of intumescent coating.

Oliveira, R. B. R. S., A. L. Moreno Junior, and L. C. M. Vieira. "Intumescent paint as fire protection coating." Revista IBRACON de Estruturas e Materiais 10, no. 1 (2017): 220-231.

Junior, Moreno. "Intumescent Paint As Fire Protection Coating." Revista IBRACON de Estruturas e Materiais (2017).

Otáhal, R., D. Veselý, J. Násadová, V. Zíma, P. Němec, and P. Kalenda. "Intumescent coatings based on an organic‐inorganic hybrid resin and the effect of mineral fibres on fire‐resistant properties of intumescent coatings." Pigment & Resin Technology (2011).

Excerpt: Findings
It was shown that a silicone‐epoxy hybrid resin is suitable for applications in the field of intumescent coatings. Intumescent coatings based on this resin form a thermally stable thin ceramic‐like layer, which improves the thermal insulation properties of the char. Mineral fibres reinforced the char structure and thus improved fire‐resistant properties of intumescent coating before as well as after the salt spray test. Mineral fibres also improved anticorrosion properties.

Reti, C., M. Casetta, S. Duquesne, S. Bourbigot, and R. Delobel. "Flammability properties of intumescent PLA including starch and lignin." Polymers for Advanced Technologies 19, no. 6 (2008): 628-635.

Wang, L. L., Y. C. Wang, and G. Q. Li. "Experimental study of hydrothermal aging effects on insulative properties of intumescent coating for steel elements." Fire safety journal 55 (2013): 168-181.

On 2020-07-07 - by (mod) -

D

Thank you for the comment; we have added a number of polycarbonate sheeting R-values (not per-inch but for various designs, layers, and sheet thickness in mm) from several greenhouse design sources - now found in the alphabetical R-value tables above under

Polycarbonate.

Thanks for the suggestion. We welcome your comments or critique. Working together makes us smarter.

On 2020-07-07 by D

You don't have polycaronate sheeting. c'mon

On 2020-06-22 by Anonymous

What would be my over all R rating for a wall with 1/4" panel + R 13 insulation + 1/2" osb + wrap + double 4" siding?

On 2020-03-25 - by (mod) -

Sure, Dan, R 1.14 PER INCH so dividing that by 4 = about R 0.2

see details at HARDBOARD R-VALUES https://inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php#Hardboard

On 2020-03-25 by Dan Perfitt

could you tell me the r-value rating of 1/4 inch masonite?

On 2020-01-22 - by (mod) -

Dave

I don't think that's a great solution; while a reflective barrier gives some help against heat loss, sand is a pretty good conductor.

Insulation is pretty inexpensive, perhaps not much more expensive than sand. Sand in most areas costs between $300. US and $1000 US per yard - that's 27 cubic feet, or if we spread it out to 3 1/2" thick for comparison, that's roughly 100 sq.ft. thus $3./sqft. (if I did the math right)

Fiberglass insulation 3 1/2" batts cost about $12 to $16. / sq, ft,

On 2020-01-22 by Dave

Our cottage has solid 2ft thick external walls to two sides of our main bedroom and living room. I want to insulate these walls as they are so cold to the touch but I don't have the money to buy off the shelf items, we also don't want to loose too much space.

I have an idea to batten the walls and then after gluing silver foil to the one side of plasterboard screw that to the battens. I would leave a gap at the top of the board to pour dry sand between the battens to fill the gap behind the boards.

Does any of this make sense to you, would it be worthwhile? Together with this in the bedroom we are filling the floor rafter space with insulation and putting sheet boarding over the floorboards.

On 2019-12-07 - by (mod) -

Mick

To have room for a detailed reply I repeat your question and answer it near the end of the article above on this page. Please take a look and let me know if you have more questions.

On 2019-12-04 by Mick Noteboom

What would be the percentage of heat loss reduction if we add an R 18 to an R 3 roof.

Question: what is the percent heat loss reduction when we increase R-Value

2019/12/05 Mick Noteboom said:

What would be the percentage of heat loss reduction if we add an R 18 to an R 3 roof.

Reply:

Thanks for an interesting question, Mick. I offer two different answers:

1. Calculate percent improvement in R-Value:

R3 + R18 = R21 total Roof R-Value. I calculate insulation resistance to heat loss or "R" percentage improvement always as relative to the original number.

The increase = R21 - R3 = exactly 18 - the value by which you are increasing the R-value.

The percentage increase ( % increase ) = Increase ÷ Original Number × 100.

18 / 3 = 6 x 100 = 600% increase in R-value.

However moving right along to viewpoint #2

Watch out: in my opinion increasing R-value to reduce the rate of heat loss in a roof is entirely and only theoretical. The actual change in rate of heat loss through the roof will be (most-likely) a lower percentage as heat loss is affected by

• Heat transmission by conduction or transmission (U-Values) through framing (rafters) which interrupt the insulating blanket (for a roof insulated between rafters).

At HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION we note that

The heat loss by conduction to the building exterior is not a fixed rate. Rather the heat loss rate increases exponentially as the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors increases. The greater the temperature difference across the roof the greater the rate of heat loss. Higher temperatures indoors OR lower temperatures outdoors increase the rate heat loss through conduction.

U-values measure the thermal transmittance of heat in or out of a building and combines heat movement by all principles that are occurring at a building: radiation, convection, and conduction.

So you can see that "U" values are more complex but really more complete than "R" values.

• Heat loss through air leaks or exfiltration or infiltration. The more air leakage there is the greater the rate of heat loss.

Both of those factors mean that a 600% improvement in or reduction in heat loss rate by improved R-value will not be likely to give an actual 600% net improvement.

The most-insulated roof structure I've built combined insulation of the space between rafters with a layer of high-R foil-faced foam board on the underside of the rafters. This latter detail reduce the conduction losses and also allowed us to assure that there was no air leakage into the roof cavity (this was a cathedral ceiling roof).

It is helpful to understand R-value, K-value, and U-value as various ways of describing heat loss or gain.

We define R-values at R-VALUE inspectapedia.com/heat/HVAC_Definitions.php#RValue

R values and heat loss: The "R" value of a material is its resistance to heat flow through the material. When buying various insulation materials you will almost always see an "R" value quoted for the material. In general, higher "R" means more resistance to heat loss and therefore lower heating or cooling bills for the building.

Mathematically, "R" is simply the reciprocal of the two measures discussed in more detail below:

U - the measure of heat transfer (the ability of a substance to conduct heat) discussed above and also at "U"

K - the coefficient of heat transmission discussed at "K"

"K" (R = 1/K)

or

"U" ( R_{(whole building)} = 1/U)

Heat transfer rates through a roof (or walls or floors) are usually calculated and expressed in U-Values - detailed at U-VALUE inspectapedia.com/heat/HVAC_Definitions.php#UValue

where we define U-Values:

U-value measures the ability to transfer heat, an inverse condition, to heat movement resistance, or in other words, or U-value measures the ability of a substance to allow the transfer of heat

Bottom line: find and fix un-wanted air leaks from the occupied space into the attic or into the roof cavity.

More scary heat loss calculations:

Fourier's Law gives us the rate of heat loss through conduction:

Q = U x A x ΔT

where

U = thermal conductance, BTU / (ft²) (Fº)(hr)

A = surface area of object, ft²

ΔT = temperature difference (T1 -T2), Fº

So you can actually calculate "U" for your specific roof, but with the warnings I gave that this is still only theoretical since the true heat loss or gain is affected by air leaks and other factors.

Question: calculate the R-rating of a wall assembly

2019/11/04 Anonymous said:

What is the R rating of a wall with 1/2” lap siding over 3/4” shiplap on a 2x4 wall with 3/4” ship lap on the inside?

Reply:

Anon

We need to add up all of the wall components (and of course we're ignoring any effects of air leakage)

If your wood siding is plywood you can see R-values in the table above

at PLYWOOD R VALUES

With a 2x4 wall you have 3 1/2" in the wall cavity that can be insulated. What's in your wall? Air, fiberglass, something else?

We cannot calculate the R-value of a wall assembly until we know the complete list of all of the components that comprise the wall, and their individual dimensions and also the actual wall construction and dimensions including where there are air spaces.

Watch out: it's also a little dangerous to just add up the R-value of the wall components to claim you then know the wall's resistance to heat loss. For example, to those R-values I would add the value of air spaces in the construction but I would deduct for those same air spaces if they are not sealed and protected from in-wall-cavity convection currents that can actually pump heat between the hot and cold side of such a wall.

Air leakage in a wall construction can also quickly overcome any advantage of the wall's insulating value.

 

On 2019-07-13 by (mod) - What is the R rating of a wall with 1/2” lap siding over 3/4” shiplap on a 2x4 wall with 3/4” ship lap on the inside?

Anon

We need to add up all of the wall components (and of course we're ignoring any effects of air leakage)

If your wood siding is plywood you can see R-values in the table above
https://inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php#Plywood

With a 2x4 wall you have 3 1/2" in the wall cavity that can be insulated. What's in your wall? Air, fiberglass, something else?

On 2019-07-12 by Anonymous

What is the R rating of a wall with 1/2” lap siding over 3/4” shiplap on a 2x4 wall with 3/4” ship lap on the inside?

On 2019-05-21 by (mod) -

please take a look at the article I suggested, where you'll find more detail,

and I would certainly welcome any follow-up questions.

On 2019-05-20 by Anonymous

Thanks for the answer

On 2019-05-20 by (mod) - surface texture affects radiant heat transmission up from a floor?

Howard I have not seen research arguing that surface texture affects radiant heat transmission up from a floor; rather it's the thermal conductivity of the material that's critical. For example hard materials like concrete conduct heat while soft materials like carpeting tend to act as an insulator.

The maximum heat output from a radiant heated floor will come from avoiding carpeting. While wood floors over radiant (common) have some worries (gaps) those are also common.

I agree that a very rough subfloor covered over by finish flooring might have a slightly higher "R" value - heat transmission resistance - as an artifact of microscopic pockets of air trapped, say, between wood fibres. But I doubt it's measurable.

See details at RADIANT SLAB FLOORING CHOICES https://inspectapedia.com/Energy/Radiant_Slab_Flooring.php

On 2019-05-20 by Howard Hilliard - subfloor for radiant heat systems?

What kind of subfloor do you recommend?

I'm putting down a subfloor and then hardwood over radiant heating. What is the best heat conducting material? I heard that rough surfaces absorb heat.

On 2019-05-19 by (mod) -

Thank you for the nice comment. We work hard to provide researched, unbiased information so I'm particularly grateful when a reader finds the data useful. Working together, researching, arguing, criticizing, improves our mutual information exchange.

On 2019-05-18 by Anonymous

Thanks so much for that perspective. Very much appreciated. Amazing site and amazing service you provide to people seeking guidance across a broad spectrum of issues. Many thanks....

On 2019-05-16 by (mod) - monitor the framing for water intrusion.

You will have trouble monitoring ANY enclosed cavity with ANY insulation batts in place or even without insulation, as water can run down the exterior wall or stud sides and not show up with a moisture meter until conditions are severe.

Search InspectApedia.com for MOISTURE METER TEST for some real-world examples of just that problem.

That said, foil-faced insulation will foul up an electronic moisture meter that might otherwise be able to "see" more-deeply into the wall cavity than a pin type meter.

On 2019-05-12 by Anonymous

I am going to replace insulation on a exterior basement wall that is above grade. The wall is poured cement to about 36 inches off the floor and then framed with 2”x4”s to the rim joist. I will be placing R-19 batting around the rim joist and R-13 in the wall cavities.

One contractor has proposed using Kraft backed R-13 bats in the cavities while another recommends unfaced R-13 covered by a foil vapor barrier stapled to the studs. I would like to be able to monitor the framing for water intrusion. What’s your best recommendation?

On 2019-03-04 by (mod) -

Alex

Just how good R-50 is depends on where you live. But in most environments, even northern Minnesota where it was recently more than 20-below zero F, that's a lot of R-value - well insulated.

Remember that the devil is in the details: air leaks will overcome even high-R insulation values.

On 2019-02-28 by Alex

Is R50 considered to be a superior thermal insulation value? What is the current average R value as applied to typical commercial and residential buildings?

On 2018-06-27 by (mod) - Polystyrene R values

I don't understand the "how good" question. R-values are a measure of insulating value -

Details about polystyrene are at POLYSTYRENE https://inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php#Styrene

and also appear at several entries in the tables above on this page.

NO insulation is very effective if it is not properly-installed to avoid air leaks.

On 2018-06-27 13:09:48.110673 by Richard

How good is EPS insulation foam board expanded polystyrene R-value. 6.65. For a ceiling in a block building . 2” thick

On 2018-06-24 00:14:03.557662 by (mod) -

interesting idea. I'll do some research and report back here

but it would help me find useful data if I knew the form in which your LDPE and HDPE are to be used. Empty plastic bottles containing dead sealed air space might provide some insulation but scraps of polyethylene piping would be IMO impractical in an insulation re-use application.

HDPE has a thermal conductivity of 0.48 W/(m*K) 3.33 BTU*in/(hr*ft²*ºF) - http://www.substech.com/

The R-value of polyethylene sheeting at the usual thicknesses found in construction (4 mil or 6 mil) would have no meaningful R-value.

For such materials if there is any insulating value at all it would be the consequence of creating a still air barrier.

On 2018-06-23 by Kirk Rensmeyer

I know LDPE and HDPE aren't standard construction materials; but I was hoping you had R values for various thicknesses standard minimum thickness and up. My reason, in case you are wondering, is that I want to try and recycle some and use it for an underhouse insulator (China has stopped taking our recycled plastic). I'm stuck with a load of plastic!
Thanks.

On 2018-05-31 by (mod) - insulation value of soil

Cindy

Before choosing a kind of insulation we to know where the insulation is going to be placed, and what kinds are already present in the building.

more important is your need to set priorities of what actions should be taken to save energy or cut your Heating & Cooling costs. Insulation may not even be the first or most important thing to address.

See these 2 articles first

https://inspectapedia.com/insulation/Heat_Loss_Priorities.php

https://inspectapedia.com/heat/Energy_Cost_Reduction_Priorities.php

On 2018-05-30 by Cindy

House was built in 1954. Electric bill is horrendous. How can I know I am going to be using the right insulation?

The insulating value of soil or dirt or backfill previously discussed here has been moved to a new article found at SOIL R-VALUES

Question:

(Oct 26, 2011) MBM said:

Is there a field test for soil R-value? For example, bury a 100W bulb in a 1 gallon can and monitor the ground temperature one foot away, to the side or above depending on situation? In that instance the volume being heated goes up as the cube of the distance, making the math trickier than I can handle.

Reply:

The insulating value of soil or dirt or backfill previously discussed here has been moved to a new article found at SOIL R-VALUES

(Nov 1, 2011) Darrel said:

The R value of soil varies significantly depending on the type of soil, density and moisture content. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research Lab has done a great amount of research and have identified three classes of soils; silts and clay, sands and gravels and peat. The thermal conductivity, the reciprocal of the R value, for these soils in a thawed state, frozen state and varying moisture content, can be found in UFC 3-310-06, Figures 2.1 thru 2.6.

Question: what is the R-value of vinyl film?

4/15/2015 gliebrock@cladrex.com said:

What is the R factor for vinyl film laminated to steel or aluminum sheet metals. Vinyl film if PVC and .008 inches thick. Metal is .024 inches thick.

Reply:

Thanks for the interesting question about the R_value of vinyl film, GlieBrock. I don't know the precise figure but am doing some further research. I would expect that the R-value of 0.008 in of vinyl is infintesimally small and would be overwhelmed by even the most modest occurrence of other heat loss or gain factors such as air movement or sun vs shade exposure.

Even vinyl siding, around 1/16" (0.175")to 3/32" (0.093") in thickness, hollow-backed, is rated only at about 0.61 (Coloradoenergy.org and other sources). Your thickness is 1/10 of that, putting the "R" value in the ballpark of R=0.06 for 0.008" of vinyl. Reflective properties and the effects of the air film may be more important.

A vinyl "curtain" (aluminized polyester laminated vinyl) 4.5 mil in thickness is rated at R 2.15 by the U. Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Handbook. Unclear was whether that figure considered air film effects or other effects. Given the siding R-value (for a much thicker material) I'm doubtful of this UGA value - or we may have misunderstood its context.

Looking at vinyl window films added to improve building energy performance, the improvements are more due to sunlight filtering and reflection than to the thickness of the material as an insulation itself. There the chief beneficial effect of the thin vinyl window film is its lowering of convection currents through the window glass and improvements in emissivity by changing the window's (or other surface's) emissivity by changing its reflective properties.

Consistent with this view, Steve DeBusk, writing on low-e glass vs window films at Buildings.com, states:

U-value and emissivity values vary for standard window films, depending on the type of film, with emissivity values ranging from 0.70 to 0.81, which means that 19 to 30% of the room’s heat is reflected back into the room in the winter to help reduce heating costs.

On 2018-02-20 23:40:22.487269 by (mod) -

Sean that's not a term I've heard, seen, nor been able to find.

On 2018-02-20 16:20:33.015947 by sean

what are insulationermaters

On 2017-12-11 19:10:15.078576 by Hendrick

Building a new home in Springdale, AR

On 2017-12-11 14:31:14.308610 by Jeff Thies

@Tim C,
Your point about convection in wall cavities is a good one.

I don't have exact values, but from my experiments in solar and retrofit storm windows, I have found that around 1/2" is about optimum for plain air in vertical or angled spaces. R value for larger air gaps falls rapidly. Even horizontal air gaps underperform.

Note that R values for fiberglass wall insulation deteriorates under extreme temperature differences. This is due to convection, dense pack cellulose does not suffer.

On 2017-07-28 20:59:49.628726 by (mod) -

Interesting question, Robert.

Of course the vulnerability of insulation to vibration depends on
- insulation materials themselves
- location
- level of vibration or disturbance or perhaps distance from the source

I suspect that buildings feel vibration from the sources you cite and that loose fill insulation may settle but only very slightly in response. Bottom line: I did not find research that would claim a significant reduction in R-value of building insulation due to vibration-induced settlement in general

There are problems with improperly-installed loose-fill insulation settlement in vertical cavities that may leave voids at the cavity top - though the worst insulation gaps I found were at the sides and across the top of shrunken UFFI - not an insulation issue but a mix issue.

I did not find insulation among the top concerns in texts discussing the effects of vibration on buildings, but there has been some good research that included that material.

McElroy, David L., David W. Yarbrough, and Ronald S. Graves. "Thickness and density of loose-fill insulations after installation in residential attics." In Thermal insulation: Materials and systems. ASTM International, 1987.
Abstract:
Limited information exists on the extent of settling of loose-fill attic insulations as a function of time after installation. This study reports thickness and density measurements in attics immediately after installation and periodically for two years following. Installations of fiberglass A, rock wool, fiberglass B, perlite, and cellulose in 44 attics in Ohio, Washington, and Tennessee were examined periodically.

The thickness, t, at fixed locations was measured using probes, rulers attached to ceiling joists, and polystyrene floats guided by rulers. The density, ρ, was determined using a cylindrical cutter to define a specimen of known volume that was weighed on site. The observed values of t and ρ were correlated with time after installation, and manufacturers' descriptions of products including thermal resistance expectations.

As part of the analysis of cellulosic insulation behavior, a series of laboratory tests of the blower-cyclone-shaker technique were conducted, and the findings from these tests are reported.

Yarbrough, D. W., J. H. Wright, D. L. McElroy, and T. F. Scanlan. "Settling of loose-fill insulations due to vibration." In Thermal Insulation, Materials, and Systems for Energy Conservation in the'80s. ASTM International, 1983.
Abstract:
Vibration and impact testing of loose-fill cellulosic, fiberglass, and rock wool insulations has been carried out to provide a data base for settled density tests. The ratio of final density to initial density for the three materials has been determined for repeated 19-mm (0.75-in.) drops, repeated 152-mm (6.0-in.) drops, and vibrations at frequencies from 10 to 60 Hz with displacements from 0.1 mm (0.004 in.) to 6.35 mm (0.25 in.). Repeated 19-mm or 152-mm drops increased the density ratio for rock wool insulation specimens the most, while the cellulosic insulation specimens were affected the least. Density ratios after 200 19-mm drops averaged 1.75 for loose-fill rock wool, 1.45 for loose-fill fiberglass, and 1.27 for loose-fill cellulosic insulations.

Vibration tests for 7200 s at 0.1-mm displacement and 15 Hertz produced negligible changes in the densities of all three loose-fill insulations. An 1800-s vibration test at 2.5 mm (0.1 in.) and 10 Hz resulted in average density ratios of 1.05, 1.11, and 1.18 for specimens of loose-fill cellulosic, rock wool, and fiberglass insulations, respectively. Changes in either frequency of vibration, displacement, or test duration can be used to achieve a wide range of laboratory results. Efforts to correlate laboratory results with in situ density measurements are presented.

and earlier

Yarbrough, D. W., and J. H. Wright. Effect of vibrations on the density of loose-fill insulations. No. ORNL/Sub-7715/3. Tennessee Technological Univ., Cookeville (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 1981.

On 2017-07-28 11:32:24.334206 by Rpbert

I am wondering how some of the insulation will hold up to vibration and shaking. If the insulation crumbles, compresses, absorbs water, or settles, then its insulative value will diminish, even drastically in some cases. The shaking or vibration can come from more common sources like building live loads, or near by transportation traffic, or heavy machinery. Less common, but still of concern would be earthquakes. I believe they call this friability?

It would seem important to include the material/product settlement over time due to friability, moisture absorption, vibrations, etc. The more difficult and costly it would be to access and replace the insulation, the more important it would be to avoid insulation compromised by these factors. I believe aerogels and AirKrete as well as others are susceptible to this settlement/creep and loss of R-value.

On 2017-07-21 16:57:49.399232 by (mod) -

Use of Scoria or Lava Rock in earthbag house construction: air leaks? R-values?

Interesting question, Ken.

Lava rock or "Scoria" is indeed a lightweight insulating stone material that has been discussed for use in an insulated earthbag house design.

Geiger writes that some DIY homeowners using lava rock in earthbag fill homes claim an R-value similar to straw bale (STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION at inspectapedia.com/structure/Straw_Bale_Construction.php ) that in turn have been compared with SUPER HI-R INSULATION homes inspectapedia.com/Energy/Super_High_R_Value_Insulation.php

Like that author I'm not confident about the air leakage problem in that approach unless there are enough earthbags that there is no appreciable air leakage.

I'd not know how to rate the R-value of Scoria or lava rock if the installation allows air leakage around the individual rock fragments. Larger pieces probably means more air leakage.

Malik also discusses use of lava rock in earthbag homes in a research report but I did not see evidence that that author had objective measurement data of air leaks nor R-values in volcanic rock, scoria, or lava-rock earthbag construction.

See

Malik, Awais. "Design, Analysis and Testing of the $300 House using Earth-bag Construction Techniques." [PDF] Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth Research Report (2012), retrieved 2017/07/21, original source: buildsimple.org/resources/AwaisMalik_ResearchReport.pdf

Owen Geiger, Insulated Earthbag Houses, (2009), published at several website, retrieved 2017/07/21, original source: www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles/insulated.htm

Hunter, Kaki, and Donald Kiffmeyer. Earthbag building: the tools, tricks and techniques. New society publishers, 2009.

On 2017-07-20 22:39:00.257718 by Ken

How about lava rock. Used in earthbag house as bag fill.

On 2016-12-12 19:54:31.203774 by Carlis

What is the R-value of
Thermal Insulating Mgo Fiberglass Acoustic Ceiling Tiles with foil back

On 2016-04-19 13:15:49.548625 by (mod) -

Anon: leaving the studs in contact straight through a wall provides a sound transmission path. See

https://inspectapedia.com/BestPractices/Sound_Control_in_Buildings.php

and other articles in that series on noise control, found by searching InspectApedia.com for NOISE CONTROL IN BUILDINGS

On 2016-04-19 11:22:47.332890 by Anonymous

I am going to construct a wall to reduce if not eliminate the sound coming from the other room. I will be using wooden stud 50mm x 100mm and gypsum board sidings plus insulation board to complete the stud wall. The insulation boards are placed / inserted within the vertical wooden studs which means the insulation boards are not continuous along the walls. My question is, is this okay? do you have a list of noise reduction coefficient (nrc) for wood studs.

On 2016-02-24 22:05:47.264054 by (mod) -

Thank you Tim, I will be glad to add those comments to the article above. Source citations would be a helpful addition.

Daniel

On 2016-01-10 21:03:37.933914 by Tim C

Regarding the questions in the comments column for air film R-values: the R-0.68 interior film is for a normal pane of glass that is 20f, with a room temperature of 70f, in reasonably still air (below 5mph), and considers both convection and radiation. (similar performance is seen with 90f glass and 75f room temperature, so separate winter/summer values aren't typically used)

The R-0.17 exterior film assumes a 15mph wind; it's a pretty pessimistic assumption for the typical single family home.

The R-0.97 wall cavity does consider convection (it would be quite a bit higher if it did not), but it does indeed assume the cavity is sealed and does not have air flowing through it.

...

Continue reading at INSULATION R-VALUES & PROPERTIES - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see

HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION

INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

PERM RATINGS of BUILDING MATERIALS

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