Roller Shutter Repairs

Many times as you begin your search to replace windows, entry doors or garage doors in your home you run across the term “R Value.” If you are not familiar with building material terminology or work at a home improvement store you tend to disregard the information. What you are overlooking is actually a very valuable piece of information.

Let’s take a look at a practical example. You are shopping for a new garage door. There are many different styles and configurations to choose from and at this point you are probably comparing prices. You have narrowed your search down to two insulated garage doors. One is a little less expensive and has an R Value of 6.62 and the other is a little more expensive and has an R value of 11.40. How do you know which one to choose? Without knowing the importance of the term R Value many consumers would lean towards the less option.

Basically the R Value indicates the effectiveness of the insulation. The higher the R value is the better the insulation properties and the greater the resistance is to heat flow. More simply put the R value tells you how well it will help during the winter months in keeping the heat inside and in the summer months keeping the heat outside thus determining how much money you will save in heating and air conditioning costs.

By choosing the more expensive insulated door with a higher R value you may have to spend more money on the front end but over the years will be saving money that you would have lost in heating and cooling if you were to have purchased a door product with a lower R value.

That being said there are some determining factors as to how the R value is calculated. As you can see from the example above there are two different values. You may be wondering why the R values aren’t the same if both garage doors are insulated. Remember not all insulation is equal and they each have a distinctive resistance to heat flow. In order to calculate the R value you need to take in to account the type of insulation used, including the material, thickness and density.

Next time you are searching for product make sure to not only compare prices but also R values. A certified dealer at a home improvement store will be able to answer any questions you may have concerning R values.

Being a homeowner for 14+ years, Jonathon tries to spread his knowledge about issues he has encountered. In a previous life, he sold garage doors to contractors but now prefers a less stressful life by working from home.