INSULATION OPTIONS
Insulating your new home requires careful planning to ensure you get the performance you want. Nigel Griffiths takes a look at the main options to help you get started
The Build It Award-winning Isolair Multi is a naturepluscertified wood fibre insulation board from Pavatex, available from Unity Lime (
www.unitylime.co.uk). It’s supplied in an easy-toinstall, interlocking tongue-andgroove profile and can be used in a range of builds, without additional breather membranes
Self builders have a great advantage when it comes to choosing insulation as they are normally starting from a blank canvas, unconstrained by existing structures, fixed building systems, footprint size of the house or the conventional approach of a developer. Here, I’m exploring different insulation materials, their advantages and disadvantages, eco-credentials and what their implications are for your choice of building system.
To achieve modern thermal and acoustic performance requirements, insulation must be correctly installed in the walls, floors and roof. Note that some materials are only suitable for use in one of these areas, while others can be used in all three. Doors and windows are a different matter and need to be considered separately.