The type of insulation your home needs depends on several factors, such as your local climate, the types of materials used to construct your house, and your monthly utility bills. With Arizona’s extreme temperatures, proper insulation may save 40% to 60% on your monthly utility bills. In other words, it’s worth the effort to ensure your home has the proper level of insulation.
R-Values
The U.S. Department of Energy and the International Energy Conservation publish climate zone guidelines and codes for the most effective levels of insulation for each of the geographic areas of the United States. These recommendations are made in the form of R-values, which are measures of the effectiveness of any insulating material for its resistance to transferal of heat. Climate zones are calculated at the county level for each state and territory.
As R-values go higher, so does the insulating material’s ability to resist heat transfer, which makes the higher R-values more desirable in terms of insulating effectiveness. For Arizona, Maricopa and Pima counties are both coded as 2B. Climate zone 2B is designated as “Hot Dry” with guidelines provided for appropriate levels of insulation for floors, attics, rooms with cathedral ceilings, and wood frame walls.
Attic Insulation
For the Valley of the Sun, if your home has blanket-type insulation rolls, they should be at least 12 inches (R38 to R39) thick in your attic, although 15 or 20 inches (R49 to R60) would be even better. Anything less than 12 inches means that you’re probably letting warm or cool air escape and wasting money on your monthly energy bills.
Wall Insulation
Wall insulation should completely insulate wall spaces as there’s really no way to overstuff the insulation between walls. Insulation should go literally from floor to ceiling, with no missing areas or gaps in the wall coverage. All wrap insulation should fit snugly around the ductwork, all plumbing fixtures and piping, the electrical boxes, and all wiring or cabling which runs through the walls. For uninsulated wood-frame walls, the minimum level should be R13.
Call Cool Blew
For answers to your questions or to schedule a service call, call your local experts at Cool Blew. Our heating and cooling professionals can help you determine if you have sufficient insulation. Call us today at 623-872-2900.
