Sep. 09, 2024
Insulation board is an all-rounder product used in almost every part of a building, whether it's roofs, walls, or floors. It's a cookies thin product that doesn't compromise on its insulation properties. The boards are faced with different materials such as paper, bitumen, glass fleece, or plasterboard, but it's more likely you will come across foil backed insulation (boards faced with aluminium foil).
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An insulation board is a rigid panel which is widely used in various forms of building insulation. Rigid panel insulation is often made from foam materials such as polyurethane (PUR), polyisocyanurate (PIR), and polystyrene, or from fibrous materials like fiberglass and rock wool.
Insulation board may also be referred to as insulation foam board or rigid foam board. It is simple and easy to install, providing effective insulation for your home.
These boards come in a variety of materials, sizes, and thicknesses, allowing you to select the best insulation sheet for your specific project.
Foam board insulation offers a reliable and long-term energy-saving solution, resulting in lower electricity and heating bills. This material is suitable for numerous applications such as roofs, floors, and walls. It meets the required U-values with minimal thickness, aligning with current and future Building Regulations. Additional benefits of insulation board include:
From Kingspan to Celotex, all leading brands provide a wide range of insulation foam boards. Selecting the best thermal insulation board can be challenging; hence, we will provide insights on the options available in the market.
There is a variety of insulation boards available for purchase. Some of the most popular categories include:
Facing options on PIR insulation boards should be positioned upwards during installation.
Some facing types can function as radiant, air, or vapor barriers, also providing flame resistance. Common materials include kraft paper, vinyl sheeting, and aluminum foil, all acting as air and vapor barriers. Other facing options include:
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The temperature of a non-insulated floor can fluctuate between 8-10°C. Adding insulation can significantly raise the floor temperature to 18-20°C, creating a barrier against both heat loss and cold. This article will discuss basic insulation options, their costs, and the most commonly used thicknesses for floor insulation. We will also compare boards versus rolls for insulation needs.
Floor Insulation Options
Depending on your floor's specifics, you may need solid boards or loose-laid rolls. While roll insulation tends to be cheaper and faster to install, boards are generally more convenient. However, their acoustic performance falls short compared to heavier insulation rolls. Despite their weight saving, they do not absorb sound as efficiently as rock wool rolls. 50mm phenolic boards, such as Kingspan K103, are highly rated among rigid, closed-cell materials for floor insulation, being 50% more effective than expanding or extruding polystyrene.
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For costs related to floor insulation, it varies significantly with the type chosen. We provide a complete breakdown of floor insulation costs.
The overall cost consists of materials and installation. As of now, the average suspended floor insulation cost is £165 per m2, including installation with 100mm Kingspan K103 board. While Kingspan K103 is one of the most costly rigid foam insulation options in the UK market, PIR boards combine thermal efficiency with reasonable pricing. Yet, for depths in flooring construction, phenolic foam's better thermal performance can validate the extra cost.
EPS generally leads in affordability among floor insulation products due to lower manufacturing costs compared to PIR or Phenolic boards. On pricing, XPS polystyrene is cheaper than Phenolic boards but more expensive compared to EPS.
Floor insulation rolls are relatively cheap, making them a favored option across various insulation types, usually costing around £25-27 per roll. Naturally, prices vary by room size and floor type. Insulating timber floors professionally usually incurs costs around £960. Concrete floor insulation may be slightly more expensive, likely starting from £1,450.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, effective floor insulation can help you save between £40-£65 monthly on energy bills. For the best prices, an online insulation shop is ideal due to direct access from manufacturers, avoiding middlemen.
Building regulations specify minimum thermal performances for floors, directly affecting the amount of insulation required. To achieve a U-value of 0.25 W/m2K or less, at least 70mm of Kingspan® K103 high-performance foam is essential. Similarly, 150mm of Knauf or Rockwool Mineral Wool, and 200mm of EPS100 polystyrene are required. Typically, 100mm thickness is used for PIR rigid insulation boards.
For compressive strength, XPS extruded polystyrene may be the best option, with strength ranging from 300kPa to 800kPa, followed by PIR rigid boards (150kPa) from various manufacturers such as Kingspan or Recticel.
The most common thicknesses for floor insulation are 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, and 150mm. Manufacturers like Celotex and Xtratherm provide thinner options ranging from 12mm to 50mm across various PIR insulation boards.
When considering floor insulation boards, you can select from five main options:
- Phenolic Foam (PF) - 100mm size
Phenolic board is a premium option for both new builds and renovations. Kingspan K103 offers a high-performance thermoset phenolic core with thermal conductivity at just 0.018 W/mK, making it an exceptional insulator.
- PIR Insulation Board - 100mm size
PIR board is noted for its high insulation value. With a lambda value ranging from 0.021 to 0.032 W/mK, PIR provides superior insulation at comparable thicknesses. Brands such as Celotex and Xtratherm lead the market in PIR insulation boards.
- Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) – 100mm size
EPS is budget-friendly and composed largely of trapped air, providing excellent insulation. Typically, it requires thicker levels compared to PIR to achieve the same performance.
- XPS (Extruded Polystyrene) - 100mm size
XPS boards are fully closed-cell and designed for floor use. They maintain their R-value over time and exhibit excellent compressive strength, hence suitable for load-bearing applications.
For more information on insulation and related products, please visit Langfang Clear Chemical.
For further insights and details on Phenolic Insulation Board, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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