Insulation is an easy, cost-effective way to make buildings sustainable. For available grants and cost-saving initiatives, consult local resources and government websites for more information.
Internal wall insulation reduces heating bills and boosts indoor comfort. External walls are key for combatting heat gain in buildings. ROCKWOOL products are high-density, which makes them excellent at noise reduction and sound absorption, making the nosiest infrastructure sounds quieter. Stone wool can be engineered to absorb or repel water as needed, as well as recirculate it in a greenhouse, solving a range of water management problems. We have developed our technology in a way that allows us to use waste from other industries as alternative raw material.
We have harnessed the natural beauty and adaptability of stone to make it easy to design and customise in an almost unlimited range of colours, shapes, and forms. Rafter Insulation Our products help to provide robust and durable insulation between, above, and below the rafters, depending on your project. Find products Flat roof Pitched roof. Rafter Rafter insulation refers to the pitched part of a roof, which can be insulated with slabs or rolls depending on local availability.
Find Inspiration, guides and reports. Get the resources you need with our Quick Start Links. To ease your work. Tools To help you in the best possible way, we offer a range of tools for both professionals and homeowners. Read more. Product Documentation Get full product information from our brochures and data sheets. Contact Sales For product pricing and local dealer information, contact our local sales rep.
Contact Us. Frequently Asked Questions Have a small question about our stone wool products? Explore more. Recommended Products Pitch Roof. See Products. Why do we need rafter insulation? It is important to enhance the energy efficiency of a building.
Insulation in between rafters Slabs and rolls for between the rafters are often combined with under and over the rafter insulation for optimal performance.
Relevant resources Buildings that reshape tomorrow. New Build PDF. Durability and stone wool insulation PDF. Insulation above the rafters To keep the attic space as large as possible, especially when used for living, over the rafter insulation.
It also helps to: Prevent heat gain Improve energy efficiency overall Increase fire safety Key benefits include: Improved energy efficiency and warmer surface temperature on the inside of the outer wall Enhanced fire safety — especially around openings, preventing fire from spreading through the cavity Reduced cooling costs Quick and easy installation.
This can be a great advantage when building or renovating in areas with high sound levels, such as those close to airports.
Loose-fill insulation is usually less expensive to install than batt insulation, and provides better coverage when installed properly. See more on different types of insulation. To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure the thickness of the insulation. If it is less than an equivalent of R about 10 to 13 inches , you could probably benefit by adding more.
Before insulating, seal any air leaks and make roof and other necessary repairs. If it is located in a conditioned part of the house, also remember to insulate and air seal your attic access.
Insulate and air seal any knee walls -- vertical walls with attic space directly behind them -- in your home as well. If the air distribution system is not within the conditioned space but within the attic, insulating the rafters will enclose the distribution system. Finally, if you live in a hot or warm climate, consider installing a radiant barrier in your attic rafters to reduce summer heat gain.
If the ducts in your home are in unconditioned space, seal and insulate them. Properly insulating your cathedral ceilings will allow ceiling temperatures to remain closer to room temperatures, providing an even temperature distribution throughout the house. This can be achieved through the use of truss joists, scissor truss framing, or sufficiently large rafters.
For example, cathedral ceilings built with 2x12 rafters have space for standard inch batts R and ventilation. Unvented hot roof design cathedral ceilings are also an option.
The hot roof design allows more insulation to be installed in the roof cavity as the need for a vent space is eliminated. It is important that the roof cavity be totally air sealed from the conditioned space below to prevent moisture intrusion and roof degradation. Foil-faced batt insulation is often used in cathedral ceilings because it provides the permeability rating often required for use in ceilings without attics. A vent baffle should be installed between the insulation and the roof decking to maintain the ventilation channel.
Consider using high-density R batts, which are as thick as R batts, but fit into 2x10 framing. You can also add rigid foam insulation under the rafters, which adds R-value and eliminates thermal bridging through wood rafters. However, rigid foam insulation must be covered with a fire-rated material when used on the interior of a building. Half-inch drywall is usually sufficient, but check with local building officials before installing. If your attic has enough insulation and proper air sealing, and your home still feels drafty and cold in the winter or too warm in the summer, chances are you need to add insulation to the exterior walls.
This is more expensive and usually requires a contractor, but it may be worth the cost—especially if you live in a very cold climate. If you replace the exterior siding on your home, consider adding insulation at the same time.
In an existing home, consider using blow-in insulation, which, when installed with the dense pack technique, will provide a higher R-value. It can be added to exterior walls without much disturbance to finished areas of your home. If your wall cavities are not going to be open, you could consider injectable spray foam insulation.
In a new home, first see our information about insulating a new home , which will help you choose from among the many types of insulation on the market. These materials literally have insulation built in, and houses built using these products often have superior insulating qualities and minimal thermal bridging. These techniques improve the whole-wall R-value by reducing thermal bridging and maximizing the insulated wall area.
Also consider using insulating foam wall sheathing rather than wood sheathing products, as they provide superior R-value. Foam sheathing:. If you replace plywood or OSB with foam sheathing, your walls will require bracing or other structural reinforcement.
When insulating floors above unconditioned garages, first seal all possible sources of air leakage. Once you've decided which type is best for you, examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. Always check labels for specifics on whatever you buy. Insulation fibers are packaged in bags and blown in place to the desired depth and density using special machinery you can rent from a home center. You can pour the fill in place and spread it manually, but the process is much more labor-intensive and the results won't be nearly as good.
This flexible insulation material is most often packaged in rolls that come in various thicknesses and standard widths, usually 16 inches and 24 inches, to fit between joists or studs in a house's framing.
They come with or without a paper or foil facing that acts as a vapor barrier. You add one or more layers to achieve the desired level of insulation. Grab a tape measure and a flashlight to see what kind of insulation you already have in the attic and how deep it is. Then use the numbers in the chart at right to estimate its R-value.
Pull up and dispose of any material that's compressed, water stained, or moldy—it's useless. Owners of houses built before take note: If what you see is lightweight, grainy, loose-looking insulation with shiny flecks, it could be vermiculite from a mine with asbestos deposits.
Get it tested, and if necessary, call in a pro to remove and haul it away safely. The Department of Energy recommends these minimum R-values for unfinished, unconditioned attics. The numbers are based on your house's location and climate zone. Most federal tax credits for weatherizing your house and boosting its energy efficiency expired in But your state's energy office or local utility may offer product rebates, discounts, or other financial incentives for insulating.
See a state-by-state directory of such programs here. Measure your attic's square footage. For loose fill, read labels; each bag lists the required depths for a range of R-values and the number of bags needed to cover 1, square feet at those depths.
For batts or rolls, calculate the number based on the width and length of the product you're using. In either case, get an extra bag or roll—you really don't want to run out when you're almost done putting it in. Gaps in the attic or between the lower floors and the attic will let heated or cooled air escape to the great, unconditioned outdoors, making any insulation you add essentially useless. Find a diagram of common air leaks here.
Here's a quick primer on fixing draft-prone spots. Knock these to-dos off your list to ensure that your insulation will last for years and keep conditioned air where it belongs: inside your house. Covering up the soffit vents with loose fill or batts, which can happen if you stuff insulation along the eaves, is a huge no-no. The airflow from the soffits to the ridge vent keeps the roof cool and prevents ice dams, and the material will block that flow. For the same reason, insulation shouldn't touch the roof's underside.
Staple plastic or foam baffles to the roof sheathing, near the eaves, to keep the material away. Though some batts come with a paper or foil facing that can act as a vapor barrier, Tom Silva prefers to use 6-mil polyethylene sheeting, cut to fit between the joists and with seams sealed by foil tape, to prevent moisture from seeping into insulation.
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