Does foam board have an R-value?

Foam board insulation R-value varies based on type but is anywhere from 3.6 per inch of insulation thickness to 8.0. The types of foam board insulation include polyurethane, polyisocyanurate, extruded polystyrene foam, and expanded polystyrene foam.

Can foam board be used as insulation?

Foam board can be used to insulate any exposed cavity in your home from the top to the bottom, and even the walls if you are remodeling and the drywall is down. It can also be installed in the open cavities of your pole barn.

What is the R-value of 1/2 foam board?

STYROFOAM extruded polystyrene insulation is rated at an R-value of 5.0 per inch at 75°F.

What is the R factor of 2 inch foam board?

With an R-value of 13.1 for a 2" thick sheet only two 2" sheets are required to achieve R-25. 2. Extruded polystyrene or XPS (foam is usually pink or blue) XPS has an R-value of 5 per inch of thickness requiring 5" of insulation to achieve R-25.

What is the R-value of rigid foam board?

Extruded polystyrene: Extruded polystyrene (XPS) rigid foam is usually blue or pink in color, with a smooth plastic surface. XPS panels typically aren't faced with other material. The R-value is about R-5.

Why R-value is Important for Foam Board Insulation

What is the thinnest insulation with the highest R-value?

Aerogel insulation offers the highest R-value of any insulating material at less weight and thickness—ideal for construction, refineries, pipelines, and thin-gap thermal barriers.

What is the difference between pink and blue foam board?

Both are manufactured using the same process and contain similar chemical components. The two products also have the same insulating power. However, blue foam boards are manufactured by Dow Chemical Co. whereas the pink foam boards are manufactured by Owens Corning company.

Is foam sheet a good insulator?

Sheet foam provides better insulation and takes up less space than traditional fiberglass, and is much better at blocking air transfer when installed properly. The insulate properties of an inch thick foam sheet can be up to 3 times greater than other insulates of the same thickness.

What is the R-value of Dow Styrofoam?

STYROFOAM extruded polystyrene insulation is rated at an R-value of 5.0 per inch at 75°F.

Does foam board insulation need a vapor barrier?

Foam insulation usually does not require a vapor barrier. For some foam insulation types, such as closed-cell spray foam and foam board insulation, the insulation itself stops the movement of most water vapor.

What is the R-value of 1 inch foam?

Closed-cell spray foam has a far better R-value per inch than other, less effective insulations like cellulose, fiberglass, or even open-cell foam. All these have R-values ranging from R-3.2 to R-3.8 per inch. The R-value of closed-cell foam is R-6.5-7 per inch.

How thick is r30 rigid insulation?

Typical R-30 fiberglass insulation is 10-inches-thick. Prior to buying fiberglass insulation, it is important to measure the joint spacing you are working with. Note that the actual space between the framing members will be less than 16 or 24 inches, but the foam batts can easily be stuffed between these lengths.

Can you leave foam board insulation exposed?

Tests have shown that these laminated boards can withstand UV ray damage for a reasonably long time. That said, it's still advisable to cover any foam board insulation exposed to the Sun within 30-60 days at the most. On most projects, that's more than enough time to finish the exterior walls.

Does foam board block heat?

Foam Board or Rigid Foam

They provide good thermal resistance (up to 2 times greater than most other insulating materials of the same thickness), and reduce heat conduction through structural elements, like wood and steel studs.

Does foam board insulation mold?

Foam building insulation, in both spray foam and foam board products, is resistant to mold growth but as we will explain here it is not absolutely mold-roof, and on occasion we do find mold growth on the surface of even closed-cell foam, in open-celled foam (rare), and on th surface of EPS and other foam insulating ...

How thick should foam board insulation be?

Most panels range between 3/8″ and 2.5″ in thickness, though other dimensions and thicknesses are usually available through custom order.

Is foam a good insulator for cold?

Generally all commercial coolers use the same method of insulation: foam between the inner and outer walls. Foam is a good insulator for two reasons.

What is the most effective insulation material?

Fiberglass Insulation. Fiberglass is the most common insulation used in modern times. Because of how it is made, by effectively weaving fine strands of glass into an insulation material, fiberglass is able to minimize heat transfer.

What is XPS foam board?

Expanded Polystyrene, referred to as XPS, is a closed cell insulation product commonly used in remodeling and new construction applications. Due to the manufacturing process, XPS insulation is typically available only in standard dimension square or rectangular boards.

What is the difference between Styrofoam and foam board?

The major difference between Styrofoam and EPS foam blocks is that Styrofoam is made from extruded polystyrene (XPS) while EPS foam blocks are made of expanded polystyrene.

What is blue foam used for?

Blue Foam. Also sold as buoyancy billet, blue foam is a closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam normally used for constructing floating structures. As a prototyping material, blue foam is an easily shapable rigid foam useful for exploring complex shapes and forms.

What type of insulation has the lowest R-value?

Here are the most common insulation materials listed in order of lowest to highest R-value: Cellulose: Loose-fill cellulose is rated between R-3.2 and R-3.9 per inch, making it one of the least efficient insulation materials available.

What building material has the highest R-value?

Vacuum insulated panels have the highest R-value, approximately R-45 (in U.S. units) per inch; aerogel has the next highest R-value (about R-10 to R-30 per inch), followed by polyurethane (PUR) and phenolic foam insulations with R-7 per inch.

Which insulation has best R-value?

In the construction industry, how well a particular type of insulation resists the flow of heat is represented by a value called “R.” Among insulation types, rigid foam panels have the highest R-value per inch.