Acoustic Insulation

Airtightness Products

Aluminium Foil

Batt Insulation

Batt insulation is available unfaced or with a facing already attached. The facing material is generally a vapor retarder that helps resist the movement of moisture vapour to cold surfaces where it can condense.

If you're using unfaced batts, simply press the batt into the cavity. Make sure that the batt completely fills the cavity, but don't shove it in. Compressing batts will increase thermal conductivity.

Blanket Insulation

The most common and widely available type of insulation; it comes in the form of rolls. It consists of flexible fibers, most commonly fiberglass. You also can find rolls made from mineral (rock and slag) wool, plastic fibers, and natural fibers, such as cotton and sheep's wool.

Rolls are available in widths suited to standard spacing of wall studs, and attic or floor joists.

Cost:
Blanket insulation and installation usually costs less than other types of insulation.

Installation:
The maximum thermal performance of blanket insulation depends heavily on proper installation. Therefore, it's best to have a certified insulation installer do it. If you want to install the insulation yourself, carefully follow instructions and the necessary safety precautions. The insulation's manufacturer may offer instructions. You may also need to check Part L of the Building Regulations.

Cavity Closer

There are two types: Checked Fit (walls with a returning inside leaf and Flange Fit - (for walls without the need to return the blockwork).

Cavity Wall Injection

The average home loses more than 40% of its heat through the loft space and walls. Of this heat, more is lost through the walls than anything else – approximately 33% in an un-insulated home. Cavity wall insulation is one of the most cost-effective and energy efficiency measures in the home.

If you are concerned about heat loss in your home, a simple survey can be carried out by an insulation consultant who will ascertain where the heat is being lost. 

 Adding cavity wall insulation by injection can usually be done in a half of a day. A series of holes will be drilled into the exterior walls of a property, based on a standard pattern that is known to the installer. The holes are generally drilled along the top of the wall and then underneath any windows or obstructions. The holes created are only about 1 inch across and are positioned around specific joints in the brick work so that when they are being rendered (filled up) there will be no obvious scars. Next the insulating material will be injected into the wall through an air pressured hose.

There are several types of insulation an installer may use:

Blown Mineral Wool - The mineral wool used for cavity wall insulation consists of mechanically granulated spun glass or rock wool, treated with a binder or water repellent during manufacture. Once installed, this type of insulation will most likely last the properties lifetime.

E.P.S Beads - These small Polystyrene beads are produced to a specified size and density which remains unaltered during the installation process. They are combined with a binding agent at the time of injection, so that once injected they set to a water resistant, insulating mass.

Dry Lining

Exterior Wall Insulation

External insulation involves fixing insulating materials such as mineral wool or expanded polystyrene slabs to the outer surface of the wall. The insulation is then covered with a special render to provide weather resistance. A steel or fibreglass mesh is embedded in this render to provide strength and impact resistance.

External wall insulation systems are protected with a weatherproof finish, usually a render, but can comprise brick slips, tiles and decorative boards. Insulating render can also be an advantage in certain locations.

The use of external, rather than internal insulation offers a number of practical advantages:

• There is little or no disturbance to the occupants and the possible additional cost of temporary re-housing is avoided.
• The problems of insulating around or behind internal fittings eg. in kitchens and bathrooms, but also cupboards, shelves, power points etc are avoided.
• Potential cold bridges at all internal/external wall and ceiling junctions are reduced.
• In a complex building, it is easier to ensure that the whole of the external surface is insulated, thus increasing thermal efficiency.

Foam Spray Insulation

Spray foam can be used as an insulating and air sealing product for residential wall and ceiling cavities. The insulation is sprayed, via special equipment, into wall cavities and expands to fill all the nooks and crannies in a wall cavity. Excess foam is scraped off the studs to form a uniform wall cavity. Spray foam insulation makes it easy to completely fill wall cavities with insulation and to perform air sealing in the same step.

There are two types of spray foam: Open-cell and Closed cell. The advantages of closed-cell foam compared to open-cell foam include its strength, lower U-value, and its greater resistance to the leakage of air or water vapor. The disadvantage of the closed-cell foam is that it is denser, requires more material, and therefore, is more expensive. The choice of foam can also be based on the requirements for the other performance or application specific characteristics such as strength, vapor control, available space, etc.

Sprayed foam insulation is applied as a liquid through a nozzle into wall, ceiling, and floor cavities where it expands to fill every nook and cranny. Because it expands into tight areas, sprayed foam is ideal for insulating steel framing and around outlets. By acting as a wind and air barrier, it often eliminates the need for separate air-tightness detailing which can increase energy efficiency and allow downsizing of the heating and cooling system equipment. Sprayed foam insulation does not shrink, sag, settle, or biodegrade.

This type of procedure needs to be carried out by a professional.

Insulation and Timber Composite

Rigid Board Insulation

Rigid board finds its application in roofs, ceilings, foundations, floors, around pipes and tanks; apart from being used between studs on interior and concrete walls. The U-value of the insulation differs according to the thermal resistance of different materials. Polystyrene, polyisocyanurate or polyiso, and polyurethane are the common materials used for rigid foam board insulation. Here is a brief information on each of these materials and installing foam board insulation.

Polystyrene
Molded expanded polystyrene foam board (MEPS) is a closed cell material, commonly known as beadboard. It requires extreme heat and pressure to be molded into sheets.

Polyurethane
Similar to polyisocyanurate or polyiso foam board, Polyurethane (PUR) foam board is also a closed-cell insulation material which contains the HCFC low-conductivity gas in its cells. These boards are also available in liquid sprayed foam and rigid foam board. Using metal foil facings or reflective foil; the U value can be sustained for a longer period of time, allowing maximum retention of heat. Plaster board bonding can further enhance the quality and strength of polyurethane foam board.

Polyisocyanurate
Polyisocyanurate (PIR) is produced by the same manufacturing process as that used in the manufacture of polyurethane (PUR) but different ratios of the components are used. As a result, isocyanurate is formed which gives the material greater heat stability. Polyisocyanurate (PIR) is similar to polyurethane but can contain long strand glass fibres within the PIR core which is formulated to give off less dense smoke in fire.

Cost:
Rigid foam board insulation, although a bit costlier than other types of insulation is ideal for places which lack in space. Its low thermal consuctivity values make it more efficient for home improvement, than its other counterparts, which have the same thickness.

Installation:
The maximum thermal performance or U-value of blanket insulation depends heavily on proper installation. Therefore, it's best to have a certified insulation installer do it. If you want to install the insulation yourself, carefully follow instructions and the necessary safety precautions. The insulation's manufacturer may offer instructions. You may also need to check Part L of the Building Regulations.