The minimum insulation r value recommended by the department of energy for horizontal below grade surfaces in cold climates is r 10 to r 15.
R value of concrete wall below grade.
In addition to r value stability rigid foam insulations differ in their rates of moisture absorption and their ability to dry.
The r value listed by pca for a normal weight 144 pcf 6 inch concrete wall is 1 23 and includes inside and outside air film resistances which contribute to overall thermal resistance.
Ensure minimal long term moisture absorption.
Other engineering sources cite the r value of earth as about r 0 25 per inch or double our calculation.
R 0 125 per inch for soil sounds pretty reasonable if we assume about 20 moisture content and if we consider for comparison or a sanity check that the r value of uninsulated concrete is about r 0 8 inch.
The reason that it is important to make a good estimate for the current r value for uninsulated spaces is that small changes in r values result in large changes in heat loss when the total r value is low.
By doubling the thickness of the wall to 16 inches the r value only increases by 0 50.
Concrete block makes a cost effective and structurally sound wall but it has little thermal resistance.
Call pca at 847 966 6200 ext.
Concrete block wall with perlite in cavities r 2 9.
And sheath it with 1 3cm sheets of thermax and 1 3cm sheetrock the total r value would be 14 75.
The r value of an uninsulated 8 inch thick basement wall built using normal weight concrete is 1 35 based on data from the 1993 american society of heating refrigeration and air conditioning engineers handbook.
By comparison most xps warranties typically cover only up to 90 percent of the published r value to account for the r value degradation that occurs in the field.
Depending on the density of the blocks an 8 inch thick block wall without any other type of.