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

Knauf Insulation Loft Roll 40 Combi-cut 150mm

Knauf Insulation Building Slab RS45 50mm

Knauf Insulation Building Slab RS45 100mm

Knauf Insulation Omnifit Slab 70mm

Xtratherm Foilboard XT/PR 2400 X 1200 X 120mm

Xtratherm Foilboard XT/PR 2400 X 1200 X 75mm

Xtratherm Foilboard XT/PR 2400 X 1200 X 50mm

Xtratherm Foilboard XT/PR 2400 X 1200 X 40mm

100mm Rockwool Sound Insulation Slab 1200mm X 400mm Pallet Of 25 (72m²)

40mm Ecotherm Eco-versal Insulation 2400mm X 1200mm (8' X 4')

Ecotherm Eco-versal Insulation 2400mm x 1200mm x 100mm

70mm Ecotherm Eco-versal Insulation 2400mm X 1200mm (8' X 4')

30mm Ecotherm Eco-versal Insulation 2400mm X 1200mm (8' X 4')

100mm Rockwool Thermal Insulation Cavity Batt 1200mm X 455mm Pallet Of 20 (65.52m²)

VELUX Insulation Collar With Underfelt Collar 114 X 118cm

VELUX Insulation Collar With Underfelt Collar 55 X 98cm

Isover CWS 32 Cavity Wall System Batt Heavy Duty 100mm 3.28m²

90mm Jablite HP70E Premium External Insulation Graphite 1200mm X 600mm (4' X 2') Pack Of 6 (4.32m²)

20mm Hydro Insulated Tilebacker Board 1200mm X 600mm (4' X 2')

10mm Hydro Insulated Tilebacker Board 2400mm X 600mm (8' X 2')

150mm Isover Spacesaver 1160mm X 8050mm (9.34m²)

75mm Kingspan Kooltherm K107 Pitched Roof Board 2400mm X 1200mm (8' X 4')

20mm Jablite External Wall Insulation 1200mm X 600mm Pack Of 30

Ikoustic Mutemat OSF 750-05 10m X 1.3m X 5mm (13m2)

Ikoustic Muteboard 3 1200mm X 1200mm X 25mm (1.44m2)

ARC Cavity Stop Sock 110mm Cavity 120mm X 120mm X 1200mm (15/pack)

110mm Ecotherm Eco-versal PIR Insulation Board 2400mm X 1200mm

100mm Ecotherm Eco-cavity Wall Insulation Board 1200mm X 450mm (2.7m2/pack)

140mm Ecotherm Eco-versal PIR Insulation Board 2400mm X 1200mm

130mm Ecotherm Eco-versal PIR Insulation Board 2400mm X 1200mm

ARC Cavity Stop Sock 250mm Cavity 260mm X 200mm X 1200mm (4/pack)

IKO Enertherm ALU PIR Insulation Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 75mm

50mm Ecotherm Eco-cavity Wall Insulation Board 1200mm X 450mm (5.4m2/pack)

140mm Recticel Eurothane GP PIR Insulation Board 2400mm X 1200mm

Supasoft Recycled Polyester Insulation Roll 5m X 590 X 100mm Pack Of 3

Thermoguard Thermocoat WI Steel Intumescent Paint 2.5kg

200mm Knauf Earthwool Loft Roll 44 Insulation Combi-Cut - Pallet of 24 Rolls (164.16m2/Pallet)