Insulation Materials and their Uses

Traditional fiberglass, cellulose and and mineral wool are traditional and cheap insulation materials. Modern plastic foams are the other big type of insulation. These few insulation materials are presented in many forms (loose-fill, batts, blanket, sprays...) which have different uses (walls, ceilings, floors...) and different degrees of effectiveness.

Traditional insulation materials

Traditional and inexpensive insulation materials include:

- Cellulose (made from recycled paper)
- Fiberglass (the most common type of insulation, made from molten glass)
- Mineral wool (namely rock wool, made from some molten rocks).

These products come in the form of batts and rolls, or as loose-fill products (rock-wool and cellulose) or spray-applicable materials (cellulose).

See, for more details:

Fiberglass, mineral wool & Home insulation
Cellulose insulation

Synthetics

More recent insulation materials include some highly efficient synthetics, namely rigid insulators as Extruded Polystyrene Foam (XPS), Expanded Polystyrene Foam (EPS or bead board), Polyisocyanurate Foam and, specially, Polyurethane Foam.

Polyurethane Foam is experiencing a growing popularity, due to its effectiveness (polyurethane foam has a R-value of 6.7 to 7 - 1 inch thickness-, approximately the double of common insulating materials).

See, for more details: Spray-on foam insulation

Insulation Materials Forms

Blankets - Batts or Rolls:
Rock wool and fiberglass.

Loose-Fill (blown-in) or Spray-applied materials:
Rock wool, fiberglass, cellulose, and polyurethane foam...

Rigid Insulators:
Extruded polystyrene foam (XPS)
Expanded polystyrene foam (EPS or bead board)
Polyurethane foam
Polyisocyanurate foam

Reflective Materials:
Foil-faced paper
Foil-faced polyethylene bubbles
Foil-faced plastic film
Foil-faced cardboard

Uses of batts or rolls
(Fiberglass and rock wool)

They are suitable for:

- Timber floors;
- Ceilings: flat ceilings (pitched roofs) and cathedral or raked ceilings;
- Suspended slabs.

Their application is often a do-it-yourself work. Batts are mainly used in standard spaces free of obstructions (they should be particularly well fitted between beams and joists).

Uses of Loose-Fill, Spray-applied materials
Rock wool, Fiberglass, Cellulose and Polyurethane foam

These materials are particularly suited for irregular areas and around obstructions, or for adding insulation to existing buildings. They are also a good option to unfinished attic floors.

They are blown into place or applied by spray (they demand special equipment). In the case of walls, they are applied in existing or new cavities.

They are very used in:
- Flat ceilings / Pitched roofs
- Cathedral / Raked ceilings
- Walls

Uses of Rigid Insulation: Foams

Main foams - Extruded polystyrene foam, Expanded polystyrene foam, Polyurethane foam and Polyisocyanurate foam -offer a high insulating performance and are largely used in:

- Flat ceilings / Pitched roof;
- Cathedrals or raked ceilings;
- Timber floors;
- Suspended slabs;
- Slab Edges;
- Brick and Full masonry walls;
- Framed walls;

Uses of radiant barriers
Foil-faced paper, polyethylene bubbles, plastic films and cardboard

Reflective materials (frequently known as radiant barriers and reflective foil laminates or RFL) are in most cases a shiny aluminum foil laminated onto paper or plastic. RFL sheets (sarking), RFL concertina-type and RFL bubble-form are very common. Their goal is to prevent the sun's heat, and are mainly used in hotter climates.

See, for more details: Reflective Insulation

Insulation Materials & Environmental Considerations

Whenever possible, consider insulating materials made from recycled materials.

See: Insulation materials and Environment