Insulation·rigid polyurethane 30mm
rigid polyurethane · 30mm
R 1.3
U 0.678 W/m²·K

rigid polyurethane, 30 mm — R 1.3

30 mm divided by a conductivity of 0.023 gives an R-value of 1.3. The U-value is 0.678, so a square metre leaks 13.57 W across a 20-degree difference.

Standards it meets

Not up to any of them yet

Material
rigid polyurethane
Thickness
30 mm
Thermal conductivity
0.023 W/m·K
Thermal resistance
1.3 m²·K/W
U-value
0.678 W/m²·K
Heat lost per square metre
13.57 W
As concrete
2.09 m

Thickness for the same performance

This is the number that shows what insulation is worth. Matching 100 mm of XPS with concrete alone would take 5.7 metres of it. No one builds a wall like that — which is why a concrete building only gets warm once a thin layer of insulation is added.

  • vacuum panel9 mm
  • phenolic foam26 mm
  • extruded polystyrene37 mm
  • graphite EPS40 mm
  • white EPS47 mm
  • glass wool48 mm
  • mineral wool52 mm
  • cellulose55 mm
  • timber170 mm
  • plasterboard235 mm
  • concrete2087 mm

Nearby cells

rigid polyurethane 20mm
R 0.87
rigid polyurethane 50mm
R 2.17
phenolic foam 30mm
R 1.5
extruded polystyrene 30mm
R 1.07

Same material, other thicknesses

rigid polyurethane 10mm
R 0.43
rigid polyurethane 20mm
R 0.87
rigid polyurethane 30mm
R 1.3
rigid polyurethane 50mm
R 2.17
rigid polyurethane 70mm
R 3.04
rigid polyurethane 100mm
R 4.35
rigid polyurethane 120mm
R 5.22
rigid polyurethane 150mm
R 6.52
rigid polyurethane 200mm
R 8.7
rigid polyurethane 250mm
R 10.87
rigid polyurethane 300mm
R 13.04
rigid polyurethane 400mm
R 17.39

Same thickness, other materials

vacuum panel 30mm
R 4.29
phenolic foam 30mm
R 1.5
rigid polyurethane 30mm
R 1.3
extruded polystyrene 30mm
R 1.07
graphite EPS 30mm
R 0.97
white EPS 30mm
R 0.83
glass wool 30mm
R 0.81
mineral wool 30mm
R 0.75
cellulose 30mm
R 0.71
timber 30mm
R 0.23
plasterboard 30mm
R 0.17
concrete 30mm
R 0.02

How to read this

  • Thermal resistance is the thickness in metres divided by the conductivity. Bigger is better.
  • The U-value adds 0.17 of surface resistance and then flips the total. Smaller is better.
  • Resistances add across layers, so a whole wall is the sum of its parts.
  • Conductivity varies by product; the values here are typical for the material.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What is the R-value of 30 mm of rigid polyurethane?

1.3 — 30 mm in metres divided by a conductivity of 0.023.

Q. And the U-value?

0.678. That is 1.47 — the resistance plus 0.17 of surface — turned upside down, and a square metre leaks 13.57 W across 20 degrees.

Q. How much concrete would match it?

2.09 metres.

Q. Which standards does it meet?

At 0.678 it does not clear any of them yet.