R-Value Recommendations
Figure 1 shows which building spaces should be insulated. Use the form below to get recommendations for your situation. If you need to determine the ZIP code for a city click here.
More Information on R-Value
About This Fact Sheet
The DOE Insulation Fact Sheet offers helpful advice on insulating your existing house and supplies information you need to know if you are building a new home. It is available in PDF Version also.
The insulation levels recommended in this Fact Sheet were chosen based on a life-cycle cost analysis. This analysis includes many assumptions about system efficiencies, and what rate of return you would like to earn on your investment. If you want to find out more about how the recommended insulation levels were chosen, please see the Supporting Documentation.
2002 Addendum to Supporting DocumentationSupporting Documentation
Prepared by
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6283
managed by
UT-Battelle LLC
for the
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725
for
The Building Technology Program
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585-0121
Remember to buy the insulation based on the recommended R-value, and to check the product label to determine the insulation's proper thickness.
For more information:
Contact the facility manager for Building Envelope Research:
Andre O. Desjarlais
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P. O. Box 2008, MS 6070
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6070
E-mail: desjarlaisa@ornl.gov
Where to Insulate
Figure 2. Insulation Recommendations for New Wood-Framed Houses
Figure 3. Insulation Recommendations for Existing Wood-Framed Houses
