Wood Fibre Insulation Board | Insulation Superstore® | Insulation Superstore (2023)

FAQs

Is wood fibre insulation any good? ›

Although wood fibre is one of the more expensive materials to insulate a home with, the benefits outweigh the initial cost. It is breathable, adaptable and has the huge bonus of being a carbon neutral product. It may not cross every box, but it does contribute enormously to the green homes agenda.

Polyisocyanurate: Known as polyiso for short, polyisocyanurate foam has the highest R-value per inch (R-6.5 to R-6.8) of any rigid insulation.

When insulating one, you're aiming for a value of 0.25 W/m2K or less. To achieve this, you should insulate your flat roof with insulation boards totalling around 150mm thickness.

Are There any Drawbacks? The biggest and most obvious disadvantage is the high cost, compared to the alternatives. Beyond that there is also the embodied energy and CO2 from manufacture and transport, greater than might be anticipated as a high proportion of products are manufactured in eastern European countries.

The manufacturing process allows for a homogeneous board from 20 to 300-milimetres thick. The panels offer R-values in the 3.5 to 3.9-per-inch-range, while polymer foams have R-values in the 4.5 to 6-per-inch-range, therefore wood-fibre panels need to be a little thicker to reach the same R-values as polymer foams.

Thermablok® Aerogel is a revolutionary advancement in thermal technology offering the thinnest insulation available to prevent thermal and cold bridging. Classed as a Super Insulation, Aerogel has the highest insulation value of any known material with the lowest thermal conductivity value of any solid (0.015W/mK).

Vacuum insulated panels have the highest R-value, approximately R-45 (in U.S. units) per inch; aerogel has the next highest R-value (about R-10 to R-30 per inch), followed by polyurethane (PUR) and phenolic foam insulations with R-7 per inch.

Fiberglass and rock wool batts—2x4 walls can hold R-13 or R-15 batts; 2x6 walls can have R-19 or R-21 products.

I would not recommend to walk on these boards at all, if you are looking to use something for a trafficable surface, I would recommend using an 18mm thick ply board, as that has the structural integrity to withstand being walked on.

The fibres are as they are in the tree and they are extremely capable of moving moisture. So if you do get moisture into your insulation, those boards will quickly soak it up and transport it through the structure and allow it to evaporate out.

How do you cut wood fibre board? ›

Wood fibre insulation boards can be cut using common tools for cutting wood and wood products – an electric circular saw with a dust collector can be used for boards up to 80mm thick.

You MUST have an air gap in order to get either the emissivity quality or the reflectivity quality that you're looking for, otherwise the foil will not work as a radiant barrier.

Main Difference Between Pink And Blue Foam Boards

The two products also have the same insulating power. However, blue foam boards are manufactured by Dow Chemical Co. whereas the pink foam boards are manufactured by Owens Corning company. The boards are marketed under different brand names.

It is possible to over-insulate your house so much that it can't breathe. The whole point of home insulation is to tightly seal your home's interior. But if it becomes too tightly sealed with too many layers of insulation, moisture can get trapped inside those layers. That's when mold starts to grow.

Sheeps Wool Insualtion

We are a big fan of Sheep's Wool Insulation. It's a lovely natural product and is cost effective. It is highly breathable and provides great insulation values.

The Fire Resistance of Wood Fibre Insulation is rated at Class E, which is very similar to other insulating materials.

There are two types of wood fibre insulation, those made in the “wet process” and those made in the “dry process” and the difference is in how they're manufactured. Both types are typically manufactured from untreated softwood waste, most often sourced from sawmills in Europe.

Typical Insulation Lifespan

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors states that spray foam insulation, wrap tape and housewrap insulation can last for more than 80 years. At the same time, cellulose, loose-fill, foamboard, loose fill and rock wool insulation can last up to 100 years.

Much like many other insulation materials, wood fibre insulation boards are a classified Class E combustible product, however they also have a hidden advantage against fire. In the event of a fire, the wood fibre insulation boards char and develop a layer of ash on their surface.

Excellent thermal shock resistance. Resistant to hot gas erosion. Resists most chemical attacks. Easy to cut, handle and install.

What is the cheapest most efficient insulation? ›

Fiberglass is one of the most common choices for insulation because of its affordability and fire resistance. It's also fairly easy to install.

Depending on where you live and the part of your home you're insulating (walls, crawlspace, attic, etc.), you'll need a different R-Value. Typical recommendations for exterior walls are R-13 to R-23, while R-30, R-38 and R-49 are common for ceilings and attic spaces.

Closed-cell foam is the most effective, with an insulation value of around R-6.2 per inch of thickness. Open-cell foam cells are not as dense and are filled with air, which gives the insulation a spongy texture. Open-cell foam insulation value is around R-3.7 per inch of thickness.

The best insulator in the world right now is most probably aerogel, with silica aerogels having thermal conductivities of less than 0.03 W/m*K in atmosphere. of aerogel preventing ice from melting on a hot plate at 80 degrees Celsius! Aerogel has its amazing properties because it's mostly made out of air.

Can you over insulate your attic? The answer is yes! Past a certain point, insulation in a vented attic will do more harm than good. In most of the United States, achieving an R-Value of 38 is more than sufficient.

The thermal barrier of a home should consist of a continuous layer of insulation on all sides—including the lowest floor, the exterior walls, and the ceiling or roof. Doubling the thickness of insulation will double the insulation's R-value, cutting heat loss in half.

Trees are made up of cellulose fibers that are held together with a glue-like substance called lignin. This makes the tree strong enough to use for building houses and furniture. When wood is cooked, the cellulose is separated from the lignin to make wood pulp.

Should insulation go over joists? ›

Insulating between the joists of your loft will keep your house warmer, but make the roof space above colder. This means pipes and water tanks in the loft space could be more likely to freeze, so you will need to insulate them.

Boards should be completely covered with waterproof sheeting if stored outside. What about PIR boards and flooding? EcoTherm PIR insulation boards are rigid in nature and a closed cell material, meaning water absorption is minimised.

Mold on insulation is more common than you may think, and it can occur anywhere from the crawlspace up to the attic. It can have a number of causes — all of which have one thing in common: moisture.

However, if the water leak is significant, don't be surprised if most of the insulation soaks it up in the affected area. The cellulose construction of this insulation is the ideal environment for breeding mold and mildew.

MDF (medium density fibreboard) board is made by compressing wood fibres with glue. The amount of glue varies depending on the product.

MDF and man-made materials: Medium-density fiberboard is a specific type of plywood often used for furniture. A table saw fitted with the correct blade can help you cut it cleanly. Man-made materials like layered plywood, plastic laminate and even melamine can often be cut with the right table saw blade.

Apart from that, fibreboard underlay provides great sound reduction and thermal insulation and all these in an affordable price. Bear in mind, that you should leave a 2mm expansion gap between the staggered boards and 10mm gap around the perimeter of the room.

Vapor blockers

Not every type of insulation needs a vapor barrier. But if it does, the barrier should face inside in northern, heating climates, and outside in humid southern climates.

Vapor barriers are not required on both sides of insulation. They only need to be installed on the side of the insulation that faces the exterior. A vapor barrier provides a way to protect the integrity of your home. It keeps moisture out of the wall cavity and protects the insulation from getting wet.

Without an air gap (or other means of backflow prevention) your dishwasher will flood with contaminated water.

Which insulation board is best? ›

Polyisocyanurate (PIR) is one of the most efficient insulation material used in construction. PIR insulation provides acoustic and thermal properties, rigidity, durability and excellent compressive strength.

The best kind of rigid foam insulation is polyisocyanurate, also known as polyiso. It has the highest R-rating of any rigid foam insulation and comes with a reflective foil on both sides, allowing it to act as a radiant barrier as well.

After the insulation is in place you will want to add a vapor retarder, sometimes called a vapor barrier, if you need one. Not every wall does. A vapor retarder is a material used to prevent water vapor from diffusing into the wall, ceiling or floor during the cold winter.

Insulate windows and doors

Stuff skinny strips of batting into spaces around windows and doors with a 3-in. wide putty knife. The insulation should fit snugly, but don't pack it.

A: There's no problem with installing fiberglass batts over your existing blown-in insulation. The only thing you want to make sure of is that you use "unfaced" insulation, meaning it doesn't have a paper or aluminum foil facing on the batts.

The insulation value of wood fibre boards is not as dimensionally efficient as some of the orthodox petro-chemical materials - but it's no slouch either - typically coming in with a 'k value' range of between 0.038-0.043 W/mK depending on format.

Fiberglass insulation is a popular choice because it is both effective and cost-effective. Unless damaged, it can last 80 to 100 years in most houses before it needs to be replaced.

Fiberglass and rock wool batts—2x4 walls can hold R-13 or R-15 batts; 2x6 walls can have R-19 or R-21 products. Generally, batt insulation is the least expensive wall insulation material but requires careful installation for effective performance (see page 4).

Is it OK to put new insulation over old insulation? ›

In many cases you can add new insulation on top of old insulation, unless the old insulation is wet, mouldy, or vermiculite. If the old insulation is dry but appears to have previously been wet, you should look for the cause and repair the problem.

Expert contractors that specialize in insulation advise that removing old fiberglass insulation is best before installing new cellulose insulation because of possible mildew, mold, or rodent excrement.

It is possible to over-insulate your house so much that it can't breathe. The whole point of home insulation is to tightly seal your home's interior. But if it becomes too tightly sealed with too many layers of insulation, moisture can get trapped inside those layers. That's when mold starts to grow.

The most common form of home insulation is the “batt and roll” or “blanket” type, which is the least expensive to purchase and install. Its most common material is fiberglass, but if you're looking for an alternative, check out these natural fiber options: Mineral wool. Cotton (recycled denim)

Reflective Insulation

It is very DIY-friendly and installed between the joists and beams in the attic, where most of that heat enters your home. While reflective insulation is one of the easiest to install yourself, it is limited to use in warmer climates as it has minimal thermal insulating qualities.

Fiberglass is the most common type of insulation used for residences because it is by far the best, particularly for hot climates. Here's why: Fire-retardant – Fiberglass insulation is fire-retardant, making it an ideal choice for homes in dry climates and areas prone to fire.