Insulated From The Truth: Sometimes What We Pay For Is Not What We Get

Many UK and Irish homes are only insulated well on paper; the real truth is hiding in the roof, wall and floors.

Although we have so-called building regulations in the UK and Ireland clearly outlining the levels of insulation required to achieve compliance with TGD Part L, there appears to be more inadequately insulated homes than those of highly insulated homes. Insulation is seen as the poor relation of the construction industry, whereas it should be viewed as the single most important building material of any building project, bar none. Without the correct levels of insulation, you simply cannot achieve energy efficiency or reduce fuel poverty in the home. There are many homeowners throughout the UK and Ireland who are struggling to pay high fuel bills, so we must ask ourselves this question, Why is this? The answer is quite simple, inefficient insulation levels and poorly applied insulation and associated building materials.

Without proper advice, regulation – and most importantly, building inspection – it is highly unlikely the average three or four bedroom home or the one off build will ever be as energy efficient as we are led to believe. The buzz word within the construction industry and the political arena today is green energy efficient buildings. Sadly if we continue to insulate as we have done in the past, green energy efficient homes will never exist.

Get it right before you enter the building site: To create energy efficient homes we must not only select the insulation materials to suit the application, we must also apply the insulation and associated building materials correctly. If we are to get serious about insulation in the future, insulation manufacturers, distributors and retailers will have to be clearer in their message to the consumer/homeowner and ensure there is adequate information outlining the dangers of getting it wrong. Simply by saying we have always used certain products in the past does not mean we are getting it right. “Square pegs do not fit into round holes”

Problems include insulation materials applied incorrectly providing little or no thermal resistance to the cavity wall and between the roof rafters. Gaps between the insulation layer and the building structure will render the insulation totally useless. If you don’t believe me, talk to the homeowners with the sky-high fuel bills.

Thermal, acoustic, fire safe and breathable insulation materials are inextricably linked, you should never consider one without the other. Thermal insulation badly fitted will continue to cost you money over the entire lifetime of the building; whereas a home with incorrectly fitted or nonexistent fire-stopping insulation materials may take your life. Fire stopping or lack of, to the family home is one area we must highlight and rectify immediately. Over the last two years, I have notified a number of senior politicians in Ireland of what I and many others believe to be very serious breaches of the Building Regulations dealing with fire stopping requirements within apartments, semidetached and terraced homes. To date, the best response I have is “we will forward your concerns to the relevant department”. In other words, it’s not my problem. Someone in Government must take this very serious issue by the horns and begin a process to rectify this problem; we simply cannot wait until someone dies to begin the process. Is anyone listening?

Dermot Kearns – Independent Insulation Advisor – contact him on 00353-870526909
Email: dermot.kearns@simpleinsulationsolutions.ie
Web: www.simpleinsulationsolutions.ie