Ceiling

Ceiling insulation is available in three different types. Fibreglass, polyester and wool. Composition wise, ceiling insulation products are the least technical as they generally do not require mechanical fixing, with gravity doing the work to hold them in place. They need to be manufactured to maintain their loft and hence performance. Fibreglass is the cheapest but least pleasant to work with, polyester sits mid range on price and like wool is safe and non irritant to work with.

Traditionally ceiling insulation has been supplied and installed in pre-cut biscuits 430mm in width to suit 450mm centre joist spacings. The more modern and better way of installing is to use a blanket form which is rolled over the top of your ceiling joists. Insulation blankets are available in all three types of insulation. If your ceiling joists are irregular in spacing and you wish to install material between your joists we recommend the use of blanket type of insulation which can be cut or torn to the correct sizes. To achieve the best overall result with blanket systems it is best to fill the cavity between the joists first with a lighter layer of insulation then lay the blanket over the top. This prevents creating a cavity of air under the blanket whihc can be compromised, resulting is significant heat loss.

Blanket ceiling insulation is available in three grades from R1.2 through to R3.2. If you wish to go higher than this simply add additional layers of insulation to achieve the level you want. For example R2.0 + R2.0 = R4.0.

Ceiling blankets are also a great way to “topup” existing insulation. They are rolled out on top of and boost existing insulation.

Underfloor

There are two different types of underfloor insulation, fibre types and polystyrene types (these two work on the principle of mass, that  traps air). The different products bring different qualities to your home.

Fibre has several different options including glass wool, polyester and wool.

At The Insulation Warehouse we generally recommend polyester fibre insulation as the most effective and robust solution.

Wall

There are three main types of wall insulation. Fibreglass, polyester and wool. Wall insulation is typically purchased in biscuit format 580mm in width to suit a 600mm stud centres. It is usually more expensive than ceiling insulation as it is made of different composition to enable it to hold it’s shape longer when in a vertical position. Material is available in R1.8 and R2.2 grades only as wall cavities generally do not allow for thicker material than these grades.

Polyester and wool are generally better as they can be stapled into place hence will never slump or sag but you will pay a little more for these products.

For the items we sell the wall lining needs to be removed for the insulation to be fitted. We do not do any pump in products. Make sure if you are installing wall insulation to always use breathable building paper behind it.