Question 1

1. What is a thermal insulation?

Accepted Answer

Thermal insulation refers to any product that’s used to reduce heat transfer from one area of a building to another. For example, between the inside of a house and the outside. This is useful in both cold and hot weather, preventing heat escaping from the building during winter, as well as keeping heat out in the summer.

Aside from comfort, thermal insulation can also save occupants money on heating and air conditioning. It makes buildings easier and quicker to heat and cool, improving energy efficiency. For this reason, efficient insulation is also important on sustainable builds.

Question 2

2. What are the building regs for thermal insulation in construction?

Accepted Answer

The building regulations for thermal insulation are different depending on which part of the UK your project is in. If you're working on a new or existing building in England, Approved Document L: Conservation of Fuel and Power contains the energy performance standards that you need to follow. Wales has its own version of Approved Document L, and the Scottish standards are in Section 6 of the Building standards technical handbook.

Question 3

3. What’s thermal conductivity for insulation materials?

Accepted Answer

The ‘thermal conductivity’ of a material is a measure of how easily heat can travel through it by conduction. This figure is often called the lambda value of the material. As a rule, the lower the thermal conductivity figure, the better the performance.

However, thermal conductivity isn’t all that’s needed for a product to be a good thermal insulator. Other factors like thermal resistance, density and heat capacity should also be taken into account.

You can find a quick guide to the properties of different thermal insulation building materials here on GreenSpec.

Compare thermal insulation materials

Kingspan Kooltherm Insulation Boards K103 Floorboard 2400mm x 1200mm x 100mm Pack of 3 (8.64m2)

1350mm x 50m x 4mm SuperFoil SFBA BB Insulating Breathable Membrane

Unilin Thin-R PIR 30mm x 2.4m x 1.2m

Unilin Thin-R PIR 125mm x 2.4m x 1.2m

Unilin Thin-R PIR 60mm x 2.4m x 1.2m

Unilin Thin-R PIR 70mm x 2.4m x 1.2m

Unilin Thin-R PIR 100mm x 2.4m x 1.2m

Unilin Thin-R PIR 120mm x 2.4m x 1.2m

Unilin Thin-R PIR 130mm x 2.4m x 1.2m

Unilin Thin-R PIR 140mm x 2.4m x 1.2m

Unilin Thin-R PIR 150mm x 2.4m x 1.2m

Isover 100mm Spacesaver Lite Loft Insulation 8.12m2 Roll

Soudal Genius Gun Insulation Expanding foam 750ml

Recticel Instafit Polyurethane 50mm Insulation board (L)1.2m (W)0.45m

Celotex 165mm XR4165 2.4m x 1.2m (Pallet Of 12)

Sheepwool Loose Wool - 5Kg Pack

Xtratherm Thin-r XT/TL Thermal Liner 2400x1200x62.5mm

Knauf Insulation Dritherm 37 Cavity Slab 85mm

Thermal PIR Board Tapered Edge 2400x1200x50.5mm

Knauf Insulation Dritherm 34 Cavity Slab 125mm

Knauf Insulation Rocksilk Flexible Slab 140mm

Knauf Insulation Dritherm 37 Cavity Slab 125mm

Knauf Insulation Omnifit Roll 100mm

140mm Rockwool Flexi 1200mm X 600mm (2.88m²)

75mm Rockwool RW3 1200mm X 600mm (4.32m²)

Kingspan Kooltherm K107 Pitched Roof Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 50mm

100mm Kingspan Kooltherm K107 Pitched Roof Board 2400mm X 1200mm (8' X 4')

Isover APR 1200 2/600mm X 12.2m Acoustic Partition Roll 75mm 14.64m2

Rockwool Firestop Compound 22kg

115mm Kingspan Kooltherm K106 Cavity Board 1200mm X 450mm (4' X 1.5') Pack Of 4 (2.16m²)

70mm Kingspan Kooltherm K107 Pitched Roof Board 2400mm X 1200mm (8' X 4')

Kingspan Kooltherm Insulation Boards K108 Cavity Board 1200mm X 450mm X 50mm Pack Of 10 (5.4m2)

Recticel Eurothane GP Insulation Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 25mm

Recticel Eurothane GP Insulation Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 70mm

Recticel Eurothane GP Insulation Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 50mm

Recticel Eurothane GP Insulation Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 75mm

Recticel Eurothane GP Insulation Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 120mm

Recticel Eurothane GP Insulation Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 150mm

IKO Enertherm ALU PIR Insulation Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 110mm

IKO Enertherm ALU PIR Insulation Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 25mm