Building Insulation

Building insulation is done for a variety of reasons. Primarily we associate it with thermal insulation but the fact is there are other reasons such as for example blocking sound and vibration transmission, fire protection and impact damages etc. why different types of insulations are used. Out of all these, weaknesses in thermal insulation hit everyone harder because it affects their home economy consistently.

What Insulation is best for my home?
All buildings are not the same .Neither are they located in a particular single geographical region. Their needs too may differ, for example whether it's heating or cooling that you require or whether it's both. (In which case which requirement prevails longer).The following information gives a better idea to plan this out.

• Climate prevailing at the site


• Space temperature you would be happy with.(low temperature setting will cause lesser loss of heat)


• Suitability, acceptability (by local regulations etc) and the convenience to insulate.


• Life span and durability (some are susceptible to moisture, material may settle soon and loose profile, may deteriorate faster etc.)


• Mode of heat transfer (whether conduction , convection or radiation is prevailing more)


• Building architectural design, orientation, use of glass in the building envelope etc. (for example whether outsulation is possible, air tightness, vapour permeability, forced or passive ventilation, possibility to use low-e insulated glass etc).


• Toxicity of the material (short term or long term)


• Sustainability, Carbon foot print, environmental friendliness and ability to recycle.

Insulation options
The types of building insulation may be broadly divided as;

• Structural


• and, Non-structural

Non Structural building Insulations
The following is a cross section of the types of insulation material available for retrofitters and new builders.

• Blankets and rigid boards with or without kraft paper/aluminium foil vapor barriers- (e.g. Fibreglass wool, rock wool, slag wool etc)


• Batts of Insulation -(e.g. Fibreglass, mineral wools etc)


• Loose Fill insulation – (e.g. Fibreglass wool, slag wool, rock wool, cellulosic material such as recycled paper, cotton wool, vermiculite etc.)


• Sprayed foams – (e.g, Polyurethane foams, expanded polystyrene foam etc.)


• Reflective Insulation and radiant barriers– (e.g. stand alone kraft paper backed aluminium foil or plain aluminium foil etc.)

Structural Building insulations

• Rigid Panels – (e.g. composite Outsulation of EPS with finishes, dry walls etc.)


• Structured Panels (e.g. compressed straw panels etc.)


• Straw bales (e.g. tightly bundled straw finished with masonry plaster)

When you are thinking of building insulation (whether a new construction or a retrofit job) paying careful attention may not be a wasteful exercise. After all proper building insulation may be the difference of up to 30% of your home heating bill. Avoiding thermal bridges (continuous direct paths for heat transfer from indoor to out door) in the building envelope is equally important. As the currently effective HES scheme of SEI reimburses significant amounts against retrofit thermal insulation expenditure it is best to look in to this as well.

John Mahoney is a freelance author who writes about various renewable energy topics topics including Building Insulation .For more info contact www.techstore.ie