A wall assembly in Florida requires R-13 insulation. The contractor installs 3.5-inch thick fiberglass batts with R-11 value. What additional insulation is needed to meet the requirement?
Correct Answer
D) R-2 continuous insulation
The installed R-11 batts need an additional R-2 to reach the required R-13 total. This can be achieved with continuous insulation such as rigid foam board to minimize thermal bridging through the framing.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
The calculation is straightforward: Required R-value (R-13) minus installed R-value (R-11) equals additional insulation needed (R-2). The contractor must add R-2 continuous insulation, typically rigid foam board, to achieve the total R-13 requirement. Continuous insulation also helps reduce thermal bridging through the wall framing members, improving overall thermal performance of the wall assembly.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: R-6 continuous insulation
R-6 continuous insulation would exceed the requirement. Adding R-6 to the existing R-11 batts would result in R-17 total insulation, which is 4 R-values more than the required R-13. This represents unnecessary material cost and potential construction complications.
Option B: R-13 continuous insulation
R-13 continuous insulation would double the required insulation value. Combined with the existing R-11 batts, this would create R-24 total insulation, far exceeding the R-13 requirement and representing significant material waste and cost overrun.
Option C: No additional insulation needed
Additional insulation is definitely needed since the installed R-11 batts fall short of the R-13 requirement by 2 R-values. The wall assembly would not meet Florida's energy code requirements without the additional insulation.
Memory Technique
Remember 'R-equired minus R-eceived equals R-emaining' - subtract what you have from what you need to find the gap.
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