Spray Foam Vs Batt Insulation R Value

Homes generally try and reach an r value of 38 with their insulation.

Spray foam vs batt insulation r value.

Closed cell spray foam insulation. Spray foam insulation offers more r value per inch of thickness than most other insulation products. As a benchmark one inch of solid wood has an r value of 1. In comparison an inch of blown fiberglass insulation has an r value of 3 1 3 4 and.

It also takes a lot of energy to manufacture making it less environmentally friendly compared to spray foam. It has a lower r value per inch than closed cell foam and is vapor permeable. If you re replacing r value with r value it s the most expensive product duffy admits. This is the comparison on spray foam vs batts.

Fiberglass batt insulation is priced by the roll or by the square foot. For example roll insulation suitable for 2 4 wall and ceiling cavities is about 0 35 to 0 40 per square foot. Batt insulation does not have as high of an r value compared to spray foam. Foam insulation vs standard insulations over the past 50 years when you thought of insulation it was a no brainer the only considerations were do i use fiberglass or cellulose and what r value did i need in my walls and attic.

The r value of spray foam insulation is approximately 6 per inch so those using spray foam as their insulator will need about 6 3 inches of thickness to reach r 38. The common denominator among varieties of insulation is the r value. If it gets wet r value will be decreased. Another advantage to spray foam insulation from a pest control perspective is its resilience to pests especially rats and mice.

The r value is r 3 5 to r 3 6 per inch so filling a 2 4 cavity yields about an r 13. A higher r value prevents more heat from escaping through the insulation. I ve seen countless homeowners have to completely clean out and re insulate their attics after having a rodent problem. Spray foam eliminates this possibility.

Saves energy operating costs. But if you re looking to replace insulation air barrier water resistant barrier and vapor barrier with one product spray foam tends to be about 10 percent to 15 percent less expensive. R value is a measurement of thermal resistance and measures the ability of heat to transfer from one side of an object to another. Open cell spray foam insulation averages between 0 45 and 0 80 per board foot closed cell spray foam insulation averages between 1 and 2 per board foot total cost including installation averages between 3 95 and 7 20 per board foot depending on the quality of the insulation you choose.

Habitat for humanity s study on spray foam.