In order for you to determine whether you are over or under insulating your pre-engineered steel buildings, it is important that you understand the terminologies used in the word of insulation. There are three ratings used for estimating heat loss: the R-Value, the U-Value, and the k-Value.

The last post talked about the R-Value, which measures the ability of a material to resist heat flow – the higher the R-Value, the better thermal efficiency. Now, let’s talk about the U-Value.

The U-Value is the rating used to measure the heat flow through a complete building component, e.g. the roof, the walls, or a window. U-Values determine how much heat is transmitted. This means that the lower the U-Value, the higher the insulation value.

U-Values are relevant in both warm and cold climates. For those living in mostly warm weather, the U-Value measures how long the insides of a building can be kept cold. Good U-Values are important measures for determining the sufficient amount of energy needed to keep the indoor temperature comfortable.

Using steel building components that have low U-Values offer a number of advantages. First, it saves you a lot of money because of reduced energy consumption, which in turn helps preserve the environment. Second, good U-Values create comfortable indoor temperature. This is important in maintaining good health for the building occupants.

For external walls and roofs, a U-Value of less than 0.2 is already a good rating. This value can be achieved by installing a thermal insulation with a thickness of about 20 centimeters or more. For windows, a U-Value is less than 1.0 is considered good.

Manufacturers of pre-engineered steel buildings and accessories should know the R-Values and U-Values of their products. If you looking for building components that provide good insulation, just remember these:

The higher the R-Value, the better
The lower the U-Value, the better.