R VALUE and wall assembles

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Carie Penabad

October 06, 2020 20:36

Dear All,

Would air gaps and insulation thickness be the critical components for increasing the R Value of a given wall assembly?  

For instance, when comparing a 12" poured concrete wall with a composite wall assembly that includes (from outside to inside) Brick veneer, air gap, CMU and insulation........the second assembly would have the greater R value.........

or are air gaps only more critical when considering the acoustical properties of a wall?

Thank you,

CP

 

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  Elizabeth Meyer October 09, 2020 13:41

  Air gaps are a critical component to the cavity wall assembly when they are the appropriate thickness for the climate/project conditions. If the air gap is too big or small, it becomes less effective or even detrimental. In order for the R-value to accurately reflect the thermal properties of the assembly, all components must be considered. The component that contributes to increasing R-value would be insulation in most cases. A caveat: there is such a thing as over insulating.

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