01/27/2023
F.A.Q. and the R-value Fairy Tale
Q: What is Prodex HighR?
A: Prodex HighR is a extremely durable and incredibly effective multilayer reflective insulation with a polyethylene core that blocks 97% of radiant energy.
Q: What kind of energy savings can I expect from Prodex HighR?
A: Prodex HighR Reduces Energy Consumption by up to 40%.
Q: Can it be installed in damp areas such as basements, garages or in the crawlspace?
A: Yes Prodex HighR is a Waterproof, Non Absorbent material that is Resistant to Moisture, Mold, Fungus and Mildew.
Q: Is Prodex HighR a fire hazard?
A: No Prodex HighR is A1/Class 1 Fire Rated.
Q: Does Prodex HighR help with outside noise?
A: Yea Prodex HighR Provides 19 DB sound of dampening.
Q: Will bugs and rodents use it for nesting?
A: No Prodex HighR is Resistant to Nesting Insects, Birds and Rodents.
Q: Are there any discounts or incentives installing Prodex HighR?
A: Yes: Prodex HighR is Eligible for $1200 Federal Tax Credit.
Q: What is the R-value of Prodex HighR?
A: Well, thats a tough one because Prodex HighR reflects 97% of radiant heat and doesn't absorb it like traditional insulation. The R-value test method was developed in the 1940's and is inherently flawed and outdated. It measures how much heat can be absorbed before heat loss occurs but it doesn't take into account real world conditions such as moisture or wind/air pe*******on. This is all explained in the article below called The R-value Fairy Tale. So when asked the R-value of Prodex HighR? A: Technically Zero, however the Florida Solar Energy Center did a study and said "With properly installed radiant insulation, the effect on the AVOIDED cooling load (demand) is more than 3 times as great. Therefore, radiant barrier insulation has an effective R-value greater than R-30."
R-value Fairy Tale:
The Myth of Insulation Values.
David B. South • Published on Nov 2, 2010 • The President’s Sphere
R-value
The R-value is a modern fairy tale. It’s a fairy tale that has been so touted to the American consumer that it now has a chiseled in-stone status. But the saddest part of this fairy tale is that the R-value by itself is almost a worthless number.
It is impossible to define an insulation with a single number. To do so, we must know more. So why do we allow the R-value fairy tale to perpetuate? I don’t know. I don’t know if anybody knows. What we do know is that the R-value fairy tale obviously favors fiber insulation.
Consider the R-value of an insulation after it has been submersed in water or as a 20 mile-per-hour wind blows through it. In either of these scenarios, the R-value of fiber insulations goes to zero. But those same conditions barely affect solid insulations. That’s why I believe that R-value numbers are misleading, meaningless numbers unless we know other characteristics.
In all probability, no one would ever buy a piece of property knowing only one of its dimensions. Suppose someone offered a property for $10,000 and told you it was a seven. You would instantly wonder what that number referred to: Seven acres? Seven square feet? Seven miles square? What? You would also want to know the property’s location: In a swamp? On a mountain? In downtown Dallas? In other words, one number cannot accurately describe anything, and that includes the value of an insulation.
Nevertheless we have Code bodies mandating R-values of 20s or 30s or 40s. But a fiber insulation with an R-value of 25 placed in an improperly sealed house will allow wind to blow through it as if there were no insulation. Maybe the R-value is accurate when the material is lab tested. But a lab environment may not even remotely duplicate conditions in the real world.
Consequently, we must start asking for some additional dimensions to our insulation. We need to know its resistance to air pe*******on, to free water, and to v***r drive. We must begin demanding the R-value of an insulating material after it is subjected to real world conditions.
As it is currently used, an R-value is a number that is supposed to indicate a material’s ability to resist heat loss. It is derived by taking the k-value of a product and dividing it into the number one. The k-value is the actualmeasurement of heat transferred through a specific material.
Test To Determine an R-value.
The test used to produce the k-value is an ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) test. This ASTM test was designed by a committee to give us measurement values that — they hoped — would be meaningful. Unfortunately, the test was designed with a flaw or bias. Because of the way it’s designed, the test favors fiber insulations: fiberglass, rock wool and cellulose fiber. Very little input went into the test for solid insulations, such as foam glass, cork, expanded polystyrene or urethane foam.
Nor does the test account for air movement (wind) or any amount of moisture (water v***r). In other words, the test used to create the R-value is a test in non-real-world conditions. For instance, fiberglass is generally assigned an R-value of approximately 3.5. It will only achieve that R-value if tested in an absolute zero wind and zero moisture environment. Zero wind and zero moisture are not real-world. Our houses leak air, all our buildings leak air, and they often leak water. Water v***r from the atmosphere, showers, cooking, breathing, etc. constantly moves back and forth through walls and ceilings. If an attic is not properly ventilated, water v***r from inside a house will very quickly semi-saturate the insulation above the ceilings. Even small amounts of moisture will cause a dramatic drop in a fiber insulation’s R-value — as much as 50 percent or more.
Thanks for reading and if you want to save money with a truly Green, Energy Star Rated product check out SolarBlockade.com and click, message or call 404-450-9218 for a free estimate.
