You’ve probably heard about ‘insulation’, not least in winter when you’re wrapped up in lots of layers in an attempt to keep warm. Did you know that insulation comes in multiple different forms and each of these types have different properties. It is also possible to make your home more eco-friendly by opting for the right insulation, which cut down on those high heating bills!
Glass Wool Insulation
If you have ever had your loft insulated, you know that this is the go-to insulation. This is made up of spun glass fibres meshed together into a soft “batt”, similar to a cotton wool ball. This is the cheapest option and is popular with builders for lofts, stud walls and fitting between floor joists because it can be used to fill awkward gaps and spaces. It is one of the cheapest insulations because it is one of the most easily available.
Sheep’s Wool Insulation
This behaves in a similar way to glass wool insulation – forced into all the gaps and spaces that board insulations cannot fill snuggly. However, this is much more environmentally friendly as it has undergone less processing than its glass wool parent. It is usually more locally sourced, from Wales or Scotland, so has less travel miles and is completely natural. There is some evidence to indicate it is also higher preforming than other insulations. The price has also come down a lot in recent years – eco-friendly can be cheaper than you think!
Rock Wool Insulation
Rock wool has been around for some time now and has better noise reducing properties than most insulations. It’s also available in two forms, batt (soft and squidgy) and board (ridged and more structural) and so can be used in any aspect of the project. Despite being around for the last twenty years, this insulation is more expensive, but soon pays back from saving so much heat – consider it an investment! Made from natural products, this has low waste production and so the whole life cycle of the insulation is environmentally friendly.
Polyurethane Insulation Board
You might have seen the brand Kingspan around, as it’s a favourite amongst builders and roofers alike as this insulation works with most building systems – from warm roofs to underfloor heating, cavity walls to cladding systems. These large, ridged boards have high thermal properties, come in standard board sizes and remain affordable. Your fridge is most likely made with this insulation, so it’s evident to see how well this works!
Foil Quilt Insulation
This is a modern, super thin insulation with all the insulating properties of a thicker insulation (up to 25cm). It consists of layers of thin aluminium foil and either bubble wrap or foam between each layer of which there can be 7 – 12. They vary in price massively but can be a fantastic option if you have a limited space in which to insulate. This insulation can be laid over the top of existing insulation, in a limited depth but will radically reduce the heat loss!
Insulation is an important factor to consider when thinking of your project and we’ll be happy to guide you every step of the way. If you haven’t had a site visit yet, why not book one today? Give us a call on 02074956561 – we’re open 7 days a week!
