INSULATION
QUALITY MATTERS: BUILDING BETTER HOMES
T
he way that UK housing stock is heated and insulated is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions and accounts for around 15% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, making improvements to the thermal performance of a home is essential to meeting our net zero targets. Building in long- term energy efficiency starts with fabric-first principles, as a thermally insulated building envelope installed correctly will achieve high performance, low maintenance and reduced energy consumption and could help protect households from future energy price volatility. For builder’s merchants, this reinforces the importance of stocking solutions that deliver on performance as well as long-term value.
Lower U-values
One of the most effective ways to reduce heat loss is to achieve lower U-values throughout the building envelope. Lower U-values in walls, floors and roofs, reduces heat-loss resulting in enhanced thermal performance, which in turn will help to deliver the standards required. PIR and PUR insulation products provide a highly efficient solution to meeting these targets. Incredibly versatile, these insulation solutions are available in a range of forms including boards and blocks, cavity injected, composite panels as well as a spray and panel insulation. For specifiers and installers, PIR insulation can achieve high insulation values from the minimum thickness of material. With lambda values as low as 0.021 W/mK, PIR insulation performance can be achieved with less thickness than other commonly used insulation materials. Its exceptional insulating properties, high strength and light weight means it is used widely across residential, commercial and refurbishment projects.
Understanding and implementing proper
insulation strategies is becoming increasingly critical for contractors and installers. Building standards must demand higher performance criteria, including better overall building envelope performance and lower U-values in the building fabric will help to deliver the standards required. Stakeholders are increasingly aware of what the building should achieve and are demanding solutions that deliver both environmental and economic returns. Therefore, correct installation is vital to ensure high performing products such as PIR/PUR achieve their full thermal performance thereby increasing energy efficiency.
Detailing and performance Maximising the benefits of insulation in buildings requires accuracy on detailing. For example, by ensuring junctions are appropriately designed and constructed, will make a significant contribution to reducing heat loss. Responsible for up to 30% of a dwelling’s heat loss, thermal bridges occur at
The government push for 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament means the challenge of delivering energy efficient homes at speed is real, says the Insulation Manufacturers Association’s Chief Executive Simon Storer.
breaks in insulation at junctions and openings, causing heat loss which can affect internal temperature and an increased demand for heating. Success hinges on rigorous quality control throughout both design and construction with good detailing necessary at every junction and interface.
With little or no maintenance needed for the insulation once installed, energy efficiency is built into the building fabric for the life of the building. By reducing the total energy consumption of a building, the size and capacity of any renewables can be reduced, which could reduce capital and running costs.
Occupant wellbeing Well insulated buildings can also yield significant benefits for users and occupants as high thermal performance provides excellent internal conditions during both the winter and summer months.
Other social benefits associated with better insulation is the reduction and potential elimination of fuel poverty, as a greater proportion of heat is retained more effectively in homes with superior fabric efficiencies. The provision of an enhanced building envelope results in a reduced overall fuel demand to achieve comfortable living conditions over both the summer and winter months compared to a building with poorer thermal performance.
Future-proofing
Meeting the UK’s housebuilding targets will be a challenge for all sectors of the industry but one thing remains clear: we must get the basics right first and that starts with an energy efficient fabric. High-performance insulation is a ‘fit and forget’ solution that will lock energy efficiency into the life of a building. Only in this way will we reduce energy consumption and decarbonise our homes and only then will we begin to have housing stock that is resilient to a changing climate. BMJ
32
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2025
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
