Wood Based Insulation
Product Type
Subcategory
Insulation is increasingly becoming a vital focus on every building and construction project, as the industry searches for the best ways to insulate properties and reduce heat and energy losses as part of a ‘fabric first’ approach to building.
Wood fibre insulation is becoming particularly popular, especially in projects looking to achieve high levels of thermal performance such as Passivhaus. It is available as rigid boards or in flexible format or as air-injected material for insulating difficult spaces. Wedge-shaped products can be used around windows and beneath window cills.
Wood fibre insulation is breathable, stopping the build-up of mould and dust mites and ensuring moisture does not become trapped within the structure.
Wood-based insulation products are significantly more sustainable and recyclable than some other insulation materials, making them a strong contender for use in any building.
The three types of wood insulation products available are :
- Wood Fibre Insulation – Wet process : Wood chips generally softwoods are broken down by steam and mechanical processing into individual wood fibres before being suspended in water and formed into panels which are pressed into standard thicknesses and dried. The wetting process means the fibres naturally adhere together without the need for binding agents and the pressing process creates a denser structure to the panel. This is a very popular way to insulate a property, thanks to the density of wood fibres making it better at absorbing sound and preventing heat from exiting a property in winter, and entering a property during the hotter summer months.
- Wood Fibre Insulation – Dry process : Wood chips are broken down in an identical way but the fibres are dried before being formed into panels which requires the addition of small quantities of a resin binder. The panels produced are thicker but with a less dense structure.
- Air injected wood fibre insulation – Wood fibres are produced by the dry process above but instead of being formed into panels they are bagged as loose wood fibres for injection using compressed air into the cavities within a timber structure. Loose fill wood fibres can be packed into even awkward spaces and shapes, ensuring the insulation spreads into every corner of the building’s structure
