Francesco Zinghinì
Author and curator of InsulationCalcs.
Author and curator · InsulationCalcs
Francesco Zinghinì is the author and curator of InsulationCalcs. This is a truthful role: I am not a licensed insulation contractor, a building-science professional, a certified energy auditor or any trade professional, and I do not claim any such credential.
My relevant, verifiable competence is building deterministic online calculators (open-source Python projects) and electronic-engineering training (Systems Theory, Sapienza University of Rome) — which gives genuine rigor on the thermal-resistance arithmetic. The R-value / U-value model is the exact electrical-thermal analogy: thermal resistance in series like resistors, heat flow like current, U = 1/R like conductance. Every formula on this site shows its basis, every convention is cited under Sources, and every calculator is numerically self-checked against known values (see Methodology).
Everything here follows one rule: the tools must stay correct with no ongoing maintenance. That is why every cost tool works only on the quantities you measure and the prices you enter from your own quotes and bills — the site keeps no material or labor price list, no regional cost database and no live rates that would silently go stale. The only baked-in numbers are stable identities (R adds in series, U = 1/R, required thickness = R ÷ R/inch, board-feet = area × thickness, ceil for whole bags/bundles/sheets/sets) and clearly labeled industry planning typicals (R/inch by material, IECC climate-zone target R, coverage-per-bag and set yields, waste %) you can adjust to your own project.
Insulation is a real spend, so every cost tool is framed as a planning estimate, not a bid; every quantity tool reminds you to confirm coverage-per-bag, R/inch and set yield on your product and order a little extra for framing, gaps and settling; and the reference tools note their values are labeled typicals, not a certified design — follow the data sheet and local energy code. The aim is a neutral, free, no-signup reference you can use to sanity-check a contractor’s numbers — nothing that pretends to replace a professional install, an engineer or an energy auditor.
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Reach me through the contact page.