Insulation R values Facts and Myths

"R" values, Heat Gain, Thermal Transfer, what it all means:

All the materials that are used in the construction of your home or business absorb and transfer Heat.
80% - 95 % of this heat is transferred, and ALWAYS from the warmer side to the cooler side by one or more of the following ways.

1. * CONDUCTION:
Conduction is direct heat flow through matter (molecular motion). An example of conduction, if you lay one end of a butter knife on the burner of your stove, the heat travels by conduction through the metal to the other end that you are holding and it soon becomes too hot to hold. Heat is always conducted from warm to cold never from cold to warm.
See an illustration of Conduction of heat (new window opens)

2.* CONVECTION is the transport of heat within a gas or liquid.
Example-hold your hand above the stove burner and you soon feel the heat being emitted and transferred thru the air upward. Natural convection heat flow is largely upward, somewhat sideways, not downwards.

3.* RADIATION is the transmission of electromagnetic rays through space. Example-Walk outside and stand in the direct sun, regardless of how cold it is out you soon feel the warm glow of the radiant waves from the sun.

Now that you understand how heat is transferred,
How do we stop this transfer?
Up till now, we have used (mass) insulation such as Fiberglass, Cellulose, Styrofoam, etc. to slow down and resist ("R value") the heat transfer by way of conduction only.
Mass insulation does nothing for the heat transfer by way of radiation.
" R values " are nothing more than a materials ability to "resist" the conduction of heat flow thru a solid. This conduction of heat transfer is between 5 % - 7 % of the total heat transfer into / out of a structure.
That leaves between 93 % and 95 % of the total heat transfer to be dealt with, mostly by your air conditioner and heater.

Mass insulation products work by trying to " trap " the heat in air pockets contained between the fibers in the product. Air is a good insulator against conduction but cannot stop radiant heat and once the insulation becomes saturated with all the heat it can absorb it then transfers it on through the wall.
Summer heat increases interior temperatures and winter heat loss results in higher heating bills.

Ever notice in the summer, the sun has been down for awhile and you touch the interior side of an outside wall, the sun has been down for hours but the wall is still Hot! That's because the wall has been absorbing heat all day and is emitting it into your home. The reverse happens in winter, the wall you spend a fortune on heating up transfers that heat to the outside.
Your power company loves it and your heating/cooling system works trying to cope with the heat that is being radiated into or out of your home.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee which is the technology laboratory managed for the U.S. Department of Energy, took homes in Miami Fl, Phoenix AZ and Atlanta GA which were single-story, single-family detached houses constructed between 1960 and 1970 and ranging between 1,120 square feet to1,585 square feet in size. Their uninsulated exterior walls were constructed of concrete block, and the uninsulated interior walls between the living spaces and garages were constructed of wood-framed drywall.
They insulated the walls and applied stucco as follows,

"We used inch-thick extruded polystyrene foam insulation boards for this site-fabricated exterior insulation system. The insulation was installed by attaching 1.5-inch thick furring strips to the exterior walls, installing the insulation boards between the strips, with a second layer of insulation boards over the furring strips, attaching a wire lath, and finally, applying stucco. After the stucco had dried, it was painted a light color.
Total retrofit costs ranged from $3,610 to $4,550 per house, averaging $3.34 per square foot of exterior wall area to be covered with insulation."

The Results?   "In all cases, insulating the walls resulted in a much lower rate of heat transfer through the walls when the outdoor temperature exceeded the indoor temperature, but the added insulation also increased the retention of heat generated within the house when the outdoor temperature fell below the indoor temperature. In some locations--particularly in Miami--the addition of wall insulation actually increased the cooling load during the spring and fall."

Note:"A lower RATE of transfer", not a reduction in the total amount,
"The added insulation Increased the retention of heat"
This was After adding two full inches of foam to the block walls, stucco, and two coats of paint!

The choice is yours, spend appx $4,000 and "Slow down the heat" or you can try,

The Hy-Tech  Solution:
Hy-Tech Insulating Additive for Paint A blend of insulating ceramics that you mix into paint giving that paint unique energy savings properties that resist and reflect heat while dissipating it.
Hy-Tech Insulating ceramics resist the radiated heat, reducing the load on your existing fiberglass insulation, reducing your energy costs, and all for a LOT LESS than $4,000.

We Supply the Solutions
You Just Need to Apply Them