Feeling Lost in the Cold When It Comes to R-Value, U-Value, and U-Factor?
You’re not alone. Thermal performance metrics can sound like alphabet soup—but understanding them is key to choosing the right insulated door.
In this quick and simple explainer, we’ll break it all down using something familiar: a winter jacket. From how individual door parts resist heat flow to how the full assembly performs in harsh conditions, you’ll walk away knowing exactly what these values mean—and why they matter.
Video Transcript
When it comes to insulated doors, there’s a lot to talk about. R-value, U-value and U-factor. If you’re having trouble wrapping your head around these concepts, you’re not the only one who feels left out in the cold. Here’s a super easy way to warm up those thermal performance metrics.
We’ll start with values, R-value and U-value.
Think of this jacket as an insulated door. There it is just hanging there. The jacket by itself represents R-value. R-value is the estimated value of how one door part, or in this case, the jacket can resist heat flow.
Then there’s U value.
U-value focuses on heat transfer or how quickly you get cold in the jacket when you’re standing out in the elements. Technically speaking, U-value is the inverse of R-value. That really means it’s the same thing just expressed differently. It shows the calculation of the rate of thermal transfer through that single point of the door or jacket as this case may be. But here’s the kicker. U-value doesn’t include anything else you’re wearing, so the U-value stays the same even if you’re not wearing a hat, gloves, or boots.
With that being said, you might as well be wearing flip flops and shorts with the jacket when you’re out in a blizzard because U-value is all about the jacket and only the jacket.
Now, let’s talk about U-factor.
Here’s a great way to remember this. U-factor factors in everything you’re wearing when you’re outside, not just the jacket, but the hat, gloves, boots your entire outfit head to toe. When thinking in terms of the insulated door, U-factor is the tested rate of heat transfer of the entire door assembly, including the bottom bar, slats, guides, et cetera.
If your insulated door has a low U-factor, you could count on exceptional thermal performance and optimal energy efficiency.
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