Insulation is vital for creating a comfortable home throughout the whole year and also improving the energy efficiency of your home. There are many different types of insulation so it can be confusing to choose amongst them. Here we outline the role of insulation and the most common types on the market.

What is Insulation?

Insulation is a material that is designed to make a house more comfortable by reducing heat transfer. The reduction in heat transfer means that the temperature inside the home is more stable (fewer extremes between hot and cold) and you will have to spend less energy and money on heating and cooling the home. This type of insulation is called thermal insulation (for options see thermal insulation product brochures).

There is also sound insulation, which is designed to reduce the transfer of sound. This makes the home more pleasant to live in as it is quieter. In some cases, you can find insulation that acts as both thermal and sound insulation so you don’t have to install two different products.

There are two main types of insulation – bulk insulation which creates a physical barrier against heat, and reflective insulation which works by reflecting the heat away. You should look at the R value of the insulation as well. The R value is simply a measurement of how well the insulation resists heat transfer and how well it performs. The higher the R value, the better. With bulk insulation, the R value refers to the insulation itself, while with reflective foil insulation, the R value refers to the total resistance of the structure once it is installed (so the insulation itself, the wall, roof or ceiling materials etc).

Types of Insulation Available

There are many different types of insulation available. What you choose will depend on the effect that you are after, your budget, and what is most appropriate for your home and climate. You may need to combine different types of insulation in order to get the desired effects. Here are some of the most common types of insulation:

• Mineral Wool Insulation - this encompasses fibreglass batts (also known as Glasswool) or blankets. The batts are designed to fit between wall studs and ceiling joists, while the blankets are cut as necessary.
• Rockwool Insulation -- is made from spun fibres of volcanic rock. It comes in batt or blanket form but is also available as loose fill insulation.
• Cellulose Insulation -- is made from recycled paper and has a fire retardant added (using borax and boric acid). The fire retardant also repels insects. It is loose fill insulation.
• Polyester Insulation -- this comes in batts and blankets and is generally more expensive than fibreglass or glasswool as polyester batts need to be thicker in order to achieve the same performance levels.
• Wool Insulation -- wool is a natural material and as such, wool insulation needs to be made from fully scoured wool and treated with a vermin and rot-proofing substance. It is usually loose fill insulation.
• Reflective Foil Insulation -- traditional reflective foil insulation is made from aluminium foil which is laminated to paper and reinforced with glass fibre. The more modern materials see the paper replaced with a woven polymer fabric. Reflective foil insulation of any type needs an airspace of at least 20mm in order to work effectively. Examples of reflective foil insulation include sarking and wall wraps. It works by reflecting the heat away before it can enter the home.
• Reflective Foil and Bulk Insulation -- in this type of insulation, reflective foil is bonded to glasswool blankets. It is generally used under metal roofs. Like other types of reflective foil, it needs airspace in order to work at its best.
• Acoustic Insulation -- this is used primarily to reduce noise transfer but some insulations can be used as both thermal and sound insulation. It generally comes in batt form and it is denser than standard thermal only insulation, which gives it its soundproofing properties. They are generally made from polyester, glasswool or rockwool but there are other products available. To find out more see acoustic insulation product brochures.

More information

If you would like more information on the types of insulations available and things to consider when insulating your home see our insulation feature.