Ceiling Insulation
All the Best Ceiling Insulation products in South Africa must be SABS tested. These tests ensure the Insulation products are manufactured to the correct specifications, mainly stock market listed companies that manufactured Insulation for years.
In the last few years, everyone has been trying a new recipe. Unfortunately, this can result in disaster for homeowners unaware of the problems installing Roof Insulation that will give no benefit or could be a fire hazard.
Ceiling Insulation Benefits
- We are saving energy on heating and cooling due to a more stable home temperature.
- Improve indoor temperature by 4-8 degrees in summer and winter.
- Some Ceiling Insulation products like Aerolite Insulation have great soundproofing qualities.
- Estimates have shown that homes correctly insulated with the right ceiling insulation can recover insulation costs in as little as three years.
- A Healthier living environment as a result of a more stable temperature
Types of Ceiling Insulation
There are many types of Ceiling Insulation on the market worldwide. It can become quite confusing as some manufacturers have no idea about the risks of making insulation that is not up to spec. TIASA must also test all Insulation products to check for the appropriate fire rating.
Glass Wool Insulation
Glass Wool Insulation products are still regarded as one of the best Roof Insulation products because glass fibre products like Aerolite are compression packed, making transporting more economical.
Fire rating is a significant factor that separates most insulation products. Aerolite has been specified for hospitals because of this unique factor. As we know, Aerolite is head and shoulders above the rest. With a Fire Rating, A/A 1/1, this insulation will not burn. Most ceiling space insulation products have Fire Ratings B/B 1/2; this means they will not sustain a flame. However, the insulation will merrily burn if there is a flame.
Glass fibre insulation products are primarily used in Europe and the UK. Aerolite has one of the highest R-values in the country. The Think Pink Aerolite 135mm has an installed R-value of 3.78.
Polyester Ceiling Insulation Products
There are several polyester insulation products on the market in SA. However, most of them are not worth a mention. The Isotherm Polyester Ceiling Insulation is one of the best. This insulation is also a SANS complaint on the 145mm Isotherm.
The Isotherm 145mm Insulation is SANS compliant, achieving an R-value of 3.76 when installed. This Ceiling Insulation is also SABS-approved.
The Isotherm Fire Rating, unfortunately, is B/B 1/2. Polyester insulation products are great to touch and feel; however, some homeowners have fire rating concerns. This insulation will not burn; however, the insulation will continue to burn with the flame if there is a flame.
Cellulose Paper Insulation
Cellulose insulation is the one insulation type that we will not install. Unfortunately, there is no exact science in this type of insulation, in my opinion. The Cellulose insulation is sprayed or pumped into the roof space, and the installer must try and guess what the thickness is by sight. It does not make sense to get the correct depth.
Cellulose insulation also has a B/B 1/2 fire rating. This has fire retardants and chemicals to chase rats from nesting potentially. It is an approximate chemical cocktail of about 25%.
One of the worst problems with this insulation is water. When this type of insulation gets wet, it will absorb the water until the inevitable ceiling collapse. We have a massive vacuum machine for the removal of this insulation product. The last problem is when the product ages, it loses its fire retardancy. It is a problem as the paper will now burn or continue to smoulder.
Ceiling Insulation Requirements For South Africa
The SANS-compliant legislation specifies all new buildings’ Ceiling Insulation Requirements for South Africa. For example, the Western Cape and the rest of South Africa, excluding KZN, will install Ceiling Insulation with an R-value of 3.70. The KZN region will install Roofing Insulation with an installed R-value of 2.90.
