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.

R-Value Recommendation Form:

House Status:

Fuel Type:

House Location
(First Three Digits of ZIP Code):

This calculation is no longer being used.

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 Documentation
Supporting 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

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy