Concrete masonry homes are less expensive to heat and cool than insulated wood frame homes. Much of this energy efficiency is attributed to the mass of a concrete wall. In Florida, a concrete wall takes advantage of differences in night and day temperature by responding to changes very slowly. As a result, less energy is required to maintain a comfortable constant temperature inside your home. It may take 4 to 8 hours for a temperature change to migrate through the mass of an insulated concrete block wall and only about 1 hour for an insulated wood frame wall. For example, a wood frame construction in Tampa, FL must have three times the R-Value than is required for a masonry home.
Masonry Walls have built-in insulation
Reduce heat gain and loss with mass
Small portion of overall load - 7% (see pie chart)
Masonry Wall with an R-4 added insulation is equivalent to an R-13 frame wall
Invested energy dollars are better spent on higher load areas in the structure such as roof systems, windows, infiltration, and mechanical systems
Solution
AA2 Vapor Shield Hi-Perm Reflective Insulation achieves an R-4.1 on 3/4" furring, and R-5.1 on 1 1/2" furring (see Specification Sheet for additional information)
VR Plus Shield Hi-Perm Reflective Insulation achieves an R-5.0 on 7/8" furring, and R-7.0 on 1-1/2 " or 1-5/8" furring for higher requirements (see Specification Sheet for additional information)
M-Shield Reflective Insulation is paperless (no food for mold); ideal for green building
Achieves R-value requirement at lowest cost
Safe for the Environment - no ozone or greenhouse gases
Stable R-value - no gases to leak out or mass to hold moisture
Meets Florida Energy Code, and helps you qualify for various Green Building Certification program requirements
Compliant with local, regional and national code requirements