what is the point of using high R value insulation in your building if the wood studs throughout have a poor R value.

Question

Wouldn’t your insulation effectively work like Swiss cheese?

Edit: while I have your attention, would you bother insulating a detached building that is NOT temperature controlled 24/7 like a house? It’s a hobby workshop. My thought process is that the insulation would only be paying it self off in the winter + while I’m in it + after whatever amount of energy I would have spent heating it WITH insulation. To me it just seems like the break even would be sooo far in the future…

Edit Edit: I’m not so concerned about the summer. I have a couple ceiling fans and a few attic/gable fans that help dissipate heat.

In: 0

Answer 1

Not a specific answer to your question, but you might find it interesting.

https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/the-diminishing-returns-of-adding-more-insulation/

Answer 2

The studs are better insulators than the empty space, so if you add insulation you increase the overall insulation value of the wall.

> Edit:

If you insulate a detached building without heat or AC, the insulation will reduce the rate at which the temperature inside the building changes. This generally doesn’t have much of an effect during winter as the daytime/night temps aren’t that different, but it can make a bigger difference in summer.