Q&AChoice of insulation material
What application for which insulation?
Insulation products should be chosen according to their adaptability to an application in the building. These features are set out by professional standards together with the performance required for a given application. They should also be provided by the manufacturer. All the features are assessed and measured according to international and European standards applicable to all types of insulation.
Depending on the type of insulation
No one product is ideal for all applications. Some insulation materials
, by their very nature, production, features, performance and presentation (rolls, panels or bulk) have more or less dedicated applications.
For reach application, it is necessary to check that the features and performance of the product match the level required by professional standards or regulations for the application. (See “How to know the thermal performance of insulating material
”)
Besides these features which should be checked case by case, product by product, the table below summarises common and traditional uses for the various product families:
| Application/ Type of insulation material | Loft | Ceilings | Walls | Partitions | Floors: on top | Contact with water/moisture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass wool | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Stone wool | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Hemp wool | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Polystyrene EPS | yes | yes | no | yes | partly | |
| Polystyrene XPS | yes | yes | no | yes | yes | |
| Duck down | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | |
| Polyurethane | yes | yes | yes | yes | ||
| Wood wool | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Sheep’s wool | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | |
| Linen wool | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | |
| Cellulose | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | |
| Cotton wool | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | |
| Recycled textiles | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | |
| Cellular glass | yes | yes | ||||
| Thin insulation (PMR) | yes | yes |
Depending on the presentation
Mineral wools are available in various forms depending on the application in the building and technical features required.
| Application / Presentation | Loft | Floors | Walls | Partitions | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Soft felt (roll) | (unused loft floor or insulation under shingles) | ||||
|
Semi-rigid felt (panel, roll) |
yes (peripheral walls, partitions and surfaces needing high thermal resistance) |
yes (insulation between rafters in double layer roof insulation) |
|||
|
Rigid panel |
yes (insulation of floor under screed) |
yes (from outside: sealed roofs, sarking) |
|||
|
| yes (inaccessible loft) |
