Sustainability in insulation: the information you must be aware of

With so many options available to enhance the energy efficiency of your home, it may be difficult to differentiate the most sustainable options for insulation from others. In this post, we'll explore the details of how insulation is becoming well-known and how to know the latest products that are available to you.

Why is insulation so sought-after?

The rise in popularity of insulation is due to a variety of important factors, such as:

Awareness and mitigation of climate change, whether it's a personal belief or more strict regulations set by governments and the bodies that are legally bound. Every business must be a part of reaching Net Zero.

Prices for energy are rising: Especially in the first second half of 2022, when the cost of energy has risen dramatically, building insulation is designed to lower energy consumption.

The construction of more warm spaces has increased with housing demand and the average room temperature being more than they were 20 years ago; it is clear that the necessity to ensure that heat is kept in is greater than ever before.

What kinds of insulation do we recommend?

There is usually only a few insulation options to choose from. They include the following:

• Soft insulations or open cells like rockwool, stone wool, and so on
• The closed-cell and the plastic foams like polyurethanes and rigid insulation boards

Are these insulation products environmentally sustainable?

If you are talking about sustainability, that means the absence of carbon footprint, and also easily recyclable. Then, it's all about the conditions.

• For the majority of open cells, as well as soft insulations, they typically have fewer plastics and less intensive processes to make.
• For plastic foams and closed cells, they are typically made of very polluting methods and are not recyclable.

How do you identify environmentally sustainable insulation products?

As we have seen as well, it's equally crucial to choose a sustainably constructed insulation as one that performs well. But how can you find the most sustainable insulation?

• Basic study of the materials. A brief study of the material's base will provide a lot of information about its long-term viability as an insulation.
• Certifications. They are visible from one product to the next and help assure responsible sourcing and Co2 commitments from the supplier.
• Recyclability of the product. These also provide you with the complete life-cycle that the item has.
• Examine the R/U amount of insulation. Examining the thermal efficiency of any product is crucial to make sure it keeps your home warm.
• Each product must have an 'R-Value.' This can be combined, along with the product's thickness, to calculate the U-value.

Every insulation used that is installed will have the minimum U-value as per the building regulations. These include:

• External Walls - 0.28W/mk2
• Roofs- 0.2W/mk2
• Floors - 0.22W/mk2

High-quality, sustainable insulation types

In relation to some eco-friendly insulation materials, we have listed the most-loved insulation types:

• Wood wool: derived from trees and extremely thermally efficient, it is somewhat new but has lots of potentials. It is recommended that wood wool be placed between timber joists for the walls, floors, and roofs, as with the traditional products made of rock wool.
• Cork is an amazing material that can be utilized virtually everywhere on a structure. Cork's appearance is thermal- and rain-proof. Cork is best utilized for external insulation on walls and even the roof.
• Hemp is easily compostable and extremely efficient insulation. As a type of insulation that is loose, hemp is best placed between timber joists on the floor, walls, or roof.