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)
Flakes	yes (inaccessible loft)