Various Insulation Materials

Pagets has partnered with Superglass Insulation as part of their Superdad Buy One Get One Free offer on loft insulation, sponsored by Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and Scottish & Southern Energy.

Insulate – Why?

1. Insulation products last a long time so they generally pay for themselves many times over.
2. Insulation products require no maintenance so when you do it, do it right.
3. The thicker the insulation the more fuel you save but you have to balance with the cost. 270mm of glass fibre loft insulation which equates to a thermal resistance value (R) of 6.2 is the approximate level of loft insulation recommended by the building regulations. So for example 100mm of glass fibre loft insulation with an R value of 2.25 plus 150mm of Thermafleece PB20 which has an R value of 3.8 provides a total R value of 6.05. So you can work out what you need based upon what you already have and use the product you want, just add the R values.
4. For any energy efficiency project, insulation products should be one of the first jobs to be done.

Insulate – How?

Although it may seem simple, there are certain rules of thumb to follow to get the best out of any insulation.
1. Never throw out old insulation if you can possibly help it, lay the new over the old.
2. Insulation works best if there is no possibility of air moving across the layer of insulation so make sure to eradicate gaps by stuffing insulation into the edges or tape the joints to seal the gaps and stop air moving between the pieces of insulation.
3. If the insulation system, such as with loft conversions, incorporates an air gap between layers of insulation, be it designed or impossible to prevent, then that air gap should be “dead” air. “Dead” air is air that is trapped or sealed into this area. The air then becomes part of the insulation system and adds to its performance whereas if the air keeps flowing in and out of the gap it reduces the insulation properties.
4. If a cold water tank and pipes are in the loft area above the newly insulated area, then you will need to consider lagging these if not already done so, as the waste heat from the building may have been inadvertently protecting the tank and pipes in cold spells. This waste heat will now be much less and thus the protection of the tank and pipes must be upgraded, or at least considered. Some people recommend not putting insulation under the tank but that may not be enough as the tank was taking heat from the whole loft area before!
5. Remember you can insulate your loft, under your floor and walls (normally with the thermal laminate products, see below) All “R” values below are in degKm2/W for those of you who wish to know! The correct way to measure the true R value is in-situ but these figures below give you a relative guide of how to compare the insulations and how much you might need.