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

Thermoguard Thermocoat WI Steel Intumescent Paint 2.5kg

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

75mm Knauf Earthwool DriTherm Cavity Wall Insulation Slab 37 (4.37m2/Pack)

100mm Knauf Earthwool DriTherm Cavity Wall Insulation Slab 37 (6.55m2/Pack)

Kingspan Thermapitch TP10 Insulation 2400mm x 1200mm x 150mm (2.88m2)

Knauf Insulation FrameTherm Roll 35 3900mm x 1140mm x 140mm

Reflectashield 1450mm x 50m

Rockwool RW3 Slab 75x600x1200mm Covers 4.32m2

Cavity PIR Wall Board Insulation Tongue & Groove 90x450x1200mm 2.16m² (4 Sheets Pack)

Unilin CavityTherm Full Fill Insulation PIR Board 1200 x 450 x 90mm

Ecotherm Eco-Versal Pitched Roof Board 2400mm x 1200mm x 75mm

90mm Recticel Eurowall+ Full Fill Insulation T&G Board 1200mm x 460mm (5.52m2/Pack)

Abfoam F Sheet + SAB Light Grey 2 x 1.2m 50mm