Insulation Capabilities of Carpet

Have you tested your carpet? Did you check its R-Value? No! Get it tested or get it confirmed by the dealer for R- Value determines the insulation capabilities of the carpet. Providing Insulation is one of the important feature of the carpet. Carpets of different thickness and the carpets of different fibers have different R- value.

Carpet is the most versatile flooring choice and accounts for more than half of all flooring purchases made each year. The popularity of the carpet as the most popular flooring item is due its functionality. It has many advantages as compared to other flooring items. Apart from other things carpet has a thermal value that adds warmth to the room. It also acts as good sound insulator too.

Carpet prevents the heat loss by providing insulation. It is the thickness that determines the insulation level of the carpet. More thick is the carpet, better the insulation is. Since carpet is a good insulator, it increases thermal comfort at a given room temperature by, reducing the loss of body heat, reducing drafts, and buffering humidity. For hard flooring it is required to heat the room to 23°-24° C, while only 20°C is needed with carpeting. This saves the the energy by 9% to 13%. Carpet contributes to the R-value of a home, adding to its energy efficiency.

R-value is directly proportional to the total thickness of the carpet rather than the type of fiber content. If the R value of the carpet is not provided, it is suggested that by multiplying the total carpet thickness measured in inches by a factor of 2.6 to approximate the carpet's R-value.

The insulation value of the carpet is higher than the other flooring items. The table below testifies the fact:


Comparison of R-Value of the carpet made up of different materials

Material	Thickness (in.)	Weight oz/sq yd	Density lbs/cubic ft.	R -Value
Prime Polyurethane	0.4	10.3	2.2	1.61
Slab Rubber	0.23	62	---	0.62
Waffled Sponge Rubber	0.43	49.2	---	0.78
Hair & Jute Coated	0.44	52.6	---	1.71
Bonded Polyurethane	0.5	---	4	2.09

A room that is well carpeted not only promotes thermal comfort but also saves energy. It also contributes to the environment by reducing the green house gases emissions which are a major cause of climate change