CI/SfB January 2006 Mineral Fibre Loft Insulation ... · CI/SfB (47) Nh2 January 2006 A WHITE PAPER Insulation Mineral Fibre Loft Insulation, Compaction, Settlement, Missing Mineral

CI/SfB(47) Nh2

January 2006

A WHITE PAPER

Insu la t ion

Mineral Fibre Loft Insulation,Compaction, Settlement, Missing Mineral Fibre and Heat Loss

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Page

Executive Summary 3–4

Introduction 5

General Principles 6

Case Studies - Background 7

Case Study - Street A 8–11

Case Study - Street B 12–15

Case Studies - Summary of Results 16

Consequences 17–18

Remedies 19

Kingspan Insulation Solutions 20

Appendix A Survey Data - Street A 21

Appendix B Survey Data - Street B 22

Appendix C Energy, CO2 and Financial Calculations 23

Contents

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1.1 Kingspan Insulation Ltd approached a local authority inthe West Midlands for permission to carry out a roofsurvey of publicly owned properties which had mineralfibre installed as loft insulation so as to assess andrecord the condition of the mineral fibre as installed.

1.2 The local authority selected, at its discretion and with atotally free hand, two sets of properties in two streets.The properties in one street (Street A) had recently hadtheir loft insulation upgraded and the other street (StreetB) was not subject to this recent contract. Street Acomprised 28 publicly owned properties and Street Bcomprised 7 publicly owned properties.

1.3 Certain properties in Street A were selected for aninternal thermographic survey. The images were obtainedby viewing the underside of the ceilings from within therelevant property.

1.4 The surveys found installation defects including gapsbetween mineral fibre and joists, missing mineral fibre,poorly placed mineral fibre, permanent compression ofthe mineral fibre because of poor handling and frombeing squeezed into constricted spaces, inadequatethicknesses of mineral fibre installed and mineral fibrethat was compressed by articles left in the attic by theinstallation team, all probably due to the failures of siteworkmanship and supervision.

1.5 The practicality of the use of mineral fibre for long termloft insulation can also be regarded as being thrown intodoubt by the surveys. The surveys revealed theaccumulation of dust in mineral fibre, its’ permanentthinning and its loss of structural qualities leading to itsbrittle nature. These phenomena should be regarded asbeing of concern to relevant parties.

1.6 Finally, it is also evident from the surveys, that theconcept of loft insulation is not compatible with thestorage of household items in the attic space. Asrequired U-values have become more stringent byregulation, the required thicknesses of mineral fibre quilthave risen to such an extent that items can no longer bebalanced across joists without compression (sometimesirreversibly) of the mineral fibre quilt rendering it lessperformant than intended.

1.7 Averaging the losses from Streets A and B caused bythese defects gives 522 kWh of additional heat loss froma typical property of 30.7 m2 roof area in one year. This isa 57% increase in heat loss for the roof as a whole. Thisadditional heat loss is responsible for 149.6 kg CO2

equivalent emissions per year and a financial loss of£11.60 per year.

1.8 Working on the premise that the properties surveyed arerepresentative of the wider housing stock insulated in thisway (17.121 million properties), the use of mineral fibreas loft insulation could be regarded as wasting the UK atleast 8937 GWh (million kWh) of heat per year.

1.9 That is equivalent to the output of 2.98 power stations oftypical output 3000 GWh.

1.10 Furthermore, this could be regarded as causing 2,560million kg (2560000 T) of CO2 equivalent emissions to bepumped into the atmosphere per year with itsconsequent effects on global warming.

1.11 That is equivalent to 3.1% of the UK’s commitment toCO2 equivalent emissions reduction under the 1997Kyoto Protocol of 83 million T of CO2 equivalentemissions (12.5% reduction from 1990 emission levels).

Executive Summary

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1.12 Finally, this could be regarded as costing occupiers ofproperties so insulated £199 million per year in wastedfuel bills.

1.13 A temporary remedy is available for mineral fibre that hascollapsed or become dirty and that is to simply lay somemore over the top of the defective layer. This remedymay only last as long as it takes for the new layer tocollapse. A more permanent remedy would be to use arigid board insulation material that does not collapse withage or degrade if it gets dirty.

1.14 One remedy for compressed mineral fibre, given that thestorage space is required, is to move the insulation torafter level thus allowing the space at joist level to beused freely for storage or boarding out.

1.15 If the insulation is to be moved to rafter level, a warmpitched roof construction is the preferred option as itnegates cold bridges through rafters, eliminates the needto ventilate and keeps the roof structure warm.

Executive Summary

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2.1 This “White Paper” from Kingspan Insulation is one of aseries, highlighting the serious implications thatinadequate site workmanship and supervision can haveon the performance of insulation materials.

2.2 Most insulation materials perform as claimed undercontrolled installation conditions and when tested in alaboratory environment. However, when taken into theworld of real usage, not all may perform as predicted.

2.3 This “White Paper” focuses on the performance ofmineral fibre as loft insulation when subject to real “inuse” conditions. In particular it investigates the effects ofcompaction and settlement and the consequences forexacerbated heat loss, and the environmental andfinancial implications of this.

2.4 For the purposes of this White Paper the definition ofmineral fibre is taken from BS 3533 : 1981 and includesboth glass fibre and rock fibre.

Introduction

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General Principles

3.1 The long term performance of any insulation material iscritical. The insulant must in effect have the sameperformance life expectancy as the assembly in which itis installed.

3.2 Mineral fibre relies on trapped air for much of its’insulating qualities. If the volume of trapped air is reduceddue to a thinning of the insulant or other effects, thethermal resistance of the insulant may be reduced.

3.3 Compression of mineral fibre often occurs where the loftis used for storage. In this case, the long term effect onthe insulant is to permanently reduce its working depthwith the expulsion of air from the mineral fibre matrix.

3.4 Where air leakage occurs into the loft, household dust isoften carried with it. This accumulates over time and it islikely that the dust may penetrate the porous matrix ofthe mineral fibre quilt displacing insulating air anddegrading the insulant’s thermal conductivity.

3.5 Where insulation is to be effective it must be present.Missing insulation is a substantive cause of exacerbatedheat loss. In this case it is the installation not theinsulation that is in question.

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Case Studies – Background

4.1 Kingspan Insulation Ltd approached a local authority inthe West Midlands for permission to carry out a roofsurvey of publicly owned properties which had mineralfibre installed as loft insulation so as to assess andrecord the condition of the mineral fibre as installed.

4.2 The local authority selected, at its discretion and with atotally free hand, two sets of properties in two streets.The properties in one street (Street A) had recently hadtheir loft insulation upgraded and the other street (Street B) was not subject to this recent contract.

4.3 The specification for the upgrading work in Street A wasto strip the existing mineral fibre from the lofts and to laymineral fibre to 150 mm thickness between joists.

4.4 Street A comprised 28 publicly owned properties andStreet B comprised 7 publicly owned properties.

4.5 Each loft space was accessed from the property belowand a checklist was employed to record the relevantcondition as found at the time of the inspection. Whereappropriate, photographs were taken to record thecondition of the loft.

4.6 Certain properties in Street A were selected for aninternal thermographic survey. The images were obtainedby viewing the underside of the ceilings from within therelevant property.

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Case Study – Street A

5.1 Key data from this survey are detailed in Appendix A.

5.2 In these properties the mineral fibre quilt which waspresent prior to the insulation upgrading work remainedin place contrary to the specification and had beensupplemented to varying degrees with new mineral fibrequilt. This supplementary mineral fibre varied in thicknessand coverage from property to property. This againcontravened the specification which called for theuniform installation of 150 mm quilt.

5.3 The depths of both the existing mineral fibre and the newsupplementary mineral fibre varied from property toproperty. There appeared to be little consistency in thedepths of the new supplementary mineral fibre added tothe units. Supplementary mineral fibre thicknesses of100, 150 and 200 mm were all noted within differentunits. In some instances, while the existing mineral fibrewas present, the new mineral fibre had not been installedat all (property #37 & 38) and only partially installed inothers (properties #65, 83, 86 & 98) (see image 1.) Theassumed overall intended installation thickness of themineral fibre therefore varied between 100-300 mm.

5.4 The average intended installation thickness was 171 mm.This is actually greater than specified. The averagethickness for areas thicker than the intended installationthickness was 274 mm. The average thickness for areasthinner than the intended installation thickness was 132mm. The average thickness over all of the lofts (excludinggaps) was 146 mm, almost exactly as specified, but only85% of the intended figure.

5.5 The reduction in thickness appeared to have beencaused by a number of factors, including apparently poorinitial installation and placement, subsequent laying ofelectrical cables disturbing the mineral fibre, dirt debrisand stored materials compressing the mineral fibretogether with ageing effects resulting in collapse of themineral fibre at various positions.

5.6 Fourteen properties were found to have areas ofcompressed mineral fibre. This was probably primarilycaused by storage of items in the loft space, (see image 2), but substantial dirt and debris had in anumber of cases been left lying on top of the mineralfibre thus contributing to the compression (see images 3& 4). In addition, poor placement of the quilt could alsobe regarded as leading to a number of areas remainingcompressed (see image 5). Also, where the new quiltwas run below the timber cross tie members it was oftencompressed (see image 4 arrowed). In those units wherecompression of the quilt was identified, the area affectedtypically averaged around 18-20% of the loft area.

Image 1This image is of property #83. It shows the additional layer of mineral fibremissing over a substantial portion of the attic.

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Image 2This image is of property #31. It illustrates one cause of mineral fibrecompression - storage of household items.

Image 5This image is of property #47. It shows areas of mineral fibre compressedbecause of poor placement.

Image 6This image is of property #47. It shows collapsed mineral fibre.

Image 3This image is of property #57. It shows substantial quantities of dirt on themineral fibre.

Image 4This image is of property #54. It shows substantial quantities of dirt on themineral fibre.

5.7 Ageing together with the dirty nature and disturbance ofthe original mineral fibre appeared to have caused themineral fibre to collapse in some areas. The newsupplementary mineral fibre, as expected, had not beenaffected to the same degree by ageing, although it hadcollapsed in certain areas (see images 6 & 7). Seventeenof the properties were affected to some degree wheretypically 10-20% of the loft area would have collapsedmineral fibre.

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5.10 Mineral fibre was found missing between party walls andthe adjacent ceiling joist. Images 9 & 10 below show theimpact of this type of defect on ceiling surfacetemperature patterns.

5.8 Eight of the units were found to have gaps between thenew mineral fibre quilt lengths, while six had gapsbetween the mineral fibre and the ceiling joist edges.

5.9 Six units had areas where the mineral fibre stopped shortof the eaves position between 300 and 500 mm. Thistypically existed at one or two rafter positions in eachaffected loft. Image 8 shows the impact of this type ofdefect on ceiling surface temperature patterns.

Image 7This image is of property #81. It shows collapsed mineral fibre.

Image 8This image is of property #81. The image shows the rear bedroom ceiling. Inthis case, due to the air temperature within the loft space being higher thatthat in the room below, the mineral fibre defects appear warmer. There is asmall area 1m long (arrowed) where the mineral fibre stops short of the eavescondition. This is seen as the yellow rectangular pattern. The narrow yellowband above this pattern is also noted and indicates that a gap in the mineralfibre above the ceiling joist exists at this location.

Image 9This image is of property #31. The image shows the front bedroom ceiling atthe party wall location. The red area to the left is the chimney breast. The bluerectangular pattern on the ceiling indicates that a section of mineral fibre ismissing between the party wall and the ceiling joist at this location.

Image 10This image is of property #31. The image shows the rear bedroom ceiling atthe party wall. The light shade is clearly seen in the centre and the cantedceiling to the lower left. The blue pattern (arrowed) indicates missing mineralfibre between the party wall and the ceiling joist at this location.


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5.11 In some units the cold water storage tank was locatedcentral to the loft space but the mineral fibre was poorlyplaced around the tank or left bundled to one side (see image 11). Image 12 shows the impact of this typeof defect on ceiling surface temperature patterns.

Image 11This image is of property #51. The image shows the water tank with mineralfibre bundled to one side.

5.12 Ten units were found to have distinct small areas wherethe mineral fibre was missing. There were generally 1.5 to2.5 m2 in size. (See image 13.)

5.13 Over the twenty eight properties surveyed the overallarea of missing mineral fibre (the sum of 5.8 to 5.12) was 2.4%.

5.14 The general condition of the mineral fibre variedsignificantly throughout the 28 properties. The originalmineral fibre was typically very dirty (see images 1, 4 & 13) while the new supplementary mineral fibre wasgenerally cleaner. The existing mineral fibre was oftenbrittle when handled while the upper layers of the newsupplementary mineral fibre had lost some of theirstructural strength.

Image 13This image is of property #37. This image shows the additional layer ofmineral fibre missing over a substantial portion of the attic.

Image 12This image is of property #51. The image shows the underside of the front bedroom ceiling. The dark blue pattern is an uninsulated area locatedimmediately below the cold water storage tank. However, the irregular nature of this pattern indicates missing mineral fibre beyond the tankperimeter (arrowed).


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6.1 Key data from this survey are detailed in Appendix B.

6.2 In six of the seven properties surveyed, the originalmineral fibre was present, but had been supplementedwith an additional layer (approximately 50 mm) at somelater stage (see image 14). Property #4 had the majorityof the original mineral fibre replaced by a newer layer ofmineral fibre (see image 15).

6.3 The average intended installation thickness was 93 mm.The average thickness for areas thicker than the intendedinstallation thickness was 143 mm. The averagethickness for areas thinner than the intended installationthickness was 70 mm. The average thickness over all ofthe lofts (excluding gaps) was 80 mm, only 86% of theintended figure.

6.4 The reduction in thickness appeared to be caused by anumber of factors, including apparently poor initialinstallation and placement, subsequent laying of electricalcables disturbing the mineral fibre, dirt debris and storedmaterials compressing the mineral fibre together withageing effects resulting in collapse of the mineral fibre atvarious positions (see images 14, 16 & 17).

Image 14This image is of property #16. This image shows old mineral fibre overlaidwith new. The old mineral fibre is very dirty and is suffering from thinning.

Image 16This image is of property #16. This image shows old mineral fibre overlaidwith new. The old mineral fibre is very dirty and is suffering from thinning.

Image 15This image is of property #4. This image shows newer mineral fibre only, the old having been replaced. The pile of mineral fibre at the eaves is asquirrels nest.

Case Study – Street B

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Image 17This image is of property #24. This image shows old mineral fibre overlaidwith new. The old mineral fibre is very dirty and is suffering from thinning. The newer mineral fibre is very poorly laid and areas are missing.

Image 19This image is of property #36. This image shows a section of existing mineralfibre between a chimney breast and eaves. Where the mineral fibre runs overthe timber cross member it has completely collapsed (arrowed).

Image 18This image is of property #4. This image shows a piece of timber lying on topof a section of mineral fibre compressing its depth.

6.5 Five properties were found to have areas of compressedmineral fibre. This defect appeared to be mainly as aresult of poor initial handling, coupled with subsequentdisturbance of the quilt or storage of items within the loft.Image 17 shows a typical compressed section of mineralfibre at the bottom of the image where it has beenunable to recover its intended depth. Image 18 shows apiece of timber lying on top of a section of mineral fibrecompressing its depth. In those units where compressionof the quilt was identified, the area affected typicallyaveraged around 3-30% of the loft area.

6.6 Small areas of the mineral fibre matrix had apparentlycollapsed in six of the seven properties. Image 15 showsnewer replacement mineral fibre with a section near theparty wall to the right (arrowed) where the mineral fibrehas almost fully collapsed over a 2 m length. In thoseunits where the existing mineral fibre has become dirtythis has also led to a collapse of the mineral fibre overtime. Image 19 shows such a section of existing mineralfibre between a chimney breast and eaves. Where themineral fibre runs over the timber cross member it hascompletely collapsed (arrowed).


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6.8 Five of the seven units had small areas where the mineralfibre stopped short of the eaves condition. Image 21shows a typical area (arrowed) where the insulant is shortof the appropriate length by 500 mm. Typically 2-3lengths of mineral fibre quilt would stop short in eachaffected loft space although one unit had five such areas.

Image 20This image is of property #19. This image shows a gap between the ceilingjoist edges and the mineral fibre.

Image 21This image is of property #40. This image shows a typical area (arrowed)where the insulant is short of the appropriate length by 500 mm.

6.7 In five of the seven properties, gaps existed between theceiling joist edges and the mineral fibre (image 20).Typically, these gaps were 10-20 mm over 3-10 linearmetres in each of those lofts affected.


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Image 22This image is of property #40. This image shows an area of missing mineralfibre around the position where the soil vent pipe penetrates the ceiling.

Image 23This image is of a sample of mineral fibre taken from property #40.

6.9 Five of the seven units were found to have small areaswhere mineral fibre was missing. Image 15 shows asection where the insulant had not been returned to itsposition and the ceiling left exposed over an area of 1.5 x 0.5 m. Image 17 shows mineral fibre stopping shortof a timber cross member, leaving a small uninsulatedarea (arrowed). Image 22 shows an area of missingmineral fibre around the position where the soil vent pipepenetrates the ceiling. These defects were typical of theunits investigated and would generally equate to anapproximate area of 0.3-1.5 m2. However, in one unit asignificant area of approximately 5 m2 in total was leftuninsulated due to the random placement of mineral fibre quilt.

6.10 Over the seven properties surveyed the overall area ofmissing mineral fibre (the sum of 6.7 to 6.9) was 4.4%.

6.11 In general, most of the lofts surveyed had ageing existingmineral fibre which was particularly dirty (see images 14,16, 17, 19, 21 & 22). A typical sample was taken fromproperty 40 and can be seen in image 23. The conditionof this original mineral fibre was poor and it had lostmuch of its structural qualities and had almostcompletely collapsed due to ageing and dirt and debrisinfiltration. The brittle nature of the product due to its ageand this infiltration resulted in the sample tearing veryeasily upon handling. The supplementary mineral fibrewas generally relatively clean but typically had a thin layerof dirt on its upper surface.


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Case Studies – Summary of Results

7.1 Attics are dark, dirty and dusty environments. Workingconditions are uncomfortable at best. Getting into theeaves of an attic is difficult if not impossible in someinstances. Unless loft insulation is carried out on a DIYbasis, the property owner or tenant has little impetus tocheck the quality of installation.

7.2 Non-DIY loft insulation is usually carried out by atticinsulation contractors paid per unit insulated who maymake use of short term unskilled labour that may havebeen provided with inadequate training. The impetus isfor the work to be carried out as quickly andeconomically as is possible.

7.3 The result of the above issues with site workmanship andsupervision can be seen in the surveys illustrated in CaseStudies A & B above.

7.4 Typical failures include gaps between mineral fibre andjoists, missing mineral fibre, poorly placed mineral fibre,permanent compression of the mineral fibre because ofpoor handling and from being squeezed into constrictedspaces, inadequate thicknesses of mineral fibre installedand mineral fibre that was compressed by articles left inthe attic by the installation team.

7.5 The practicality of the use of mineral fibre for long termloft insulation is also thrown into doubt by the surveysillustrated in Case Studies A & B above. Theaccumulation of dust in the mineral fibre, its permanentthinning and its loss of structural qualities leading to itsbrittle nature could be regarded as being of concern.

7.6 Finally, it is also evident that the concept of loft insulationis not compatible with the storage of household items inthe attic space. As required U-values have become morestringent by regulation, the required thicknesses ofmineral fibre quilt have risen to such an extent that itemscan no longer be balanced across joists withoutcompression (sometimes irreversibly) of the mineral fibrequilt rendering it less performant that intended.

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Consequences

8.1 The average thickness over all of the lofts surveyed inStreet A (excluding gaps) was 146 mm yielding anaverage approximate U-value of 0.292 W/m2.K ascompared with a U-value of 0.256 W/m2.K (provided bythe average intended installation thickness of 171 mm).All U-values ignore missing mineral fibre but account forthe cold bridging effect of the joists (50 mm wide at 450 mm centres) using the proportional area methodgiven in the CIBSE A3 guide. The roof pitch is taken as 30°.

8.2 The average loft surveyed in Street A has 2.4% of itsmineral fibre missing. It has been shown that a 5%uninsulated area can result in a 57.5% worsening of thethermal performance of an attic as a whole (Taylor B.E &Phillips A.J. Thermal Transmission and Conductance ofRoof Constructions Incorporating Fibrous Insulation.ASTM STP 789.). Assuming this 57.5% can be linearlyinterpolated, 2.4% missing mineral fibre will result in a27.6% worsening of thermal performance of the attic.The average loft surveyed in Street A will therefore havean approximate U-value of 0.373 W/m2.K as comparedwith a U-value of 0.292 W/m2.K (provided by the averageactual thickness of 146 mm with no gaps).All U-values account for the cold bridging effect of thejoists.

8.3 The average U-value of lofts surveyed in Street A istherefore 0.373 W/m2.K as compared with an intended U-value of 0.256 W/m2.K.

8.4 Using the methodology given in the Kingspan Insulationdocument “Lifetime Energy, CO2 and Financial Balancesfor Insulation Materials - A White Paper”, this degradationin U-value causes an additional 280 kWh of heat to belost from a typical property of 25 m2 roof area in oneyear. This is a 46% increase in heat loss for the roof as awhole. This additional heat loss in responsible for 80 kgof CO2 equivalent emissions per year and a financial lossof £6 per year.

8.5 The average thickness over all of the lofts surveyed inStreet B (excluding gaps) was 80 mm yielding anaverage approximate U-value of 0.472 W/m2.K ascompared with a U-value of 0.421 W/m2.K (provided bythe average intended installation thickness of 93 mm). AllU-values ignore missing mineral fibre but account for thecold bridging effect of the joists (50 mm wide at 450 mmcentres). The roof pitch is taken as 30°.

8.6 The average loft surveyed in Street B has 4.4% of itsmineral fibre missing. It has been shown that a 5%uninsulated area can result in a 57.5% worsening of thethermal performance of an attic as a whole (op. cit.)Assuming this 57.5% can be linearly interpolated, 4.4%missing mineral fibre will result in a 50.6% worsening ofthermal performance of the attic. The average loftsurveyed in Street B will therefore have an approximateU-value of 0.711 W/m2.K as compared with a U-value of0.472 W/m2.K (provided by the average actual thicknessof 80 mm with no gaps). All U-values account for thecold bridging effect of the joists.

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Consequences

8.7 The average U-value of lofts surveyed in Street A istherefore 0.711 W/m2.K as compared with an intended U-value of 0.421 W/m2.K.

8.8 Using the methodology given in the Kingspan Insulationdocument “Lifetime Energy, CO2 and Financial Balancesfor Insulation Materials - A White Paper”, this degradationin U-value causes an additional 1490 kWh of heat to belost from a typical property of 53.7 m2 roof area in oneyear. This is a 69% increase in heat loss for the roof as awhole. This additional heat loss is responsible for 427 kgof CO2 equivalent emissions per year and a financial lossof £33 per year.

8.9 Averaging the losses from Streets A and B gives 522 kWh of additional heat loss from a typical property of30.7 m2 roof area in one year. This is a 57% increase inheat loss for the roof as a whole. This additional heatloss is responsible for 149.6 kg CO2 equivalent emissionsper year and a financial loss of £11.60 per year.

8.10 The BRE publication “Domestic Energy Fact File 1998”states that 17.121 million properties in Great Britain havemineral fibre loft insulation.

8.11 Working on the premise that the properties surveyed arerepresentative of the wider housing stock insulated in thisway, the current actual use of mineral fibre as loftinsulation could be regarded as wasting the UK at least8937 GWh (million kWh) of heat per year.

8.12 That is equivalent to the output of 2.98 power stations oftypical output 3000 GWh.

8.13 Furthermore, this could be regarded as causing 2560million kg (2560000 T) of CO2 equivalent emissions to bepumped into the atmosphere per year with itsconsequent effects on global warming.

8.14 That is equivalent to 3.1% of the UK’s commitment toCO2 equivalent emissions reduction under the 1997Kyoto Protocol of 83 million T of CO2 equivalentemissions (12.5% reduction from 1990 emission levels).

8.15 Finally, this could be regarded as costing occupiers ofproperties so insulated £199 million per year in wastedfuel bills.

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Remedies

9.1 A temporary remedy is available for mineral fibre that hascollapsed or become dirty and that is to simply lay somemore over the top of the defective layer. This remedymay only last as long as it takes for the new layer tocollapse. A more permanent remedy would be to use arigid board insulation material that does not collapse withage or degrade if it gets dirty.

9.2 One remedy for compressed mineral fibre, given that thestorage space is required, is to move the insulation torafter level thus allowing the space at joist level to beused freely for storage / boarding out.

9.3 If the insulation is to be moved to rafter level, a warmpitched roof construction is the preferred option as itnegates cold bridges through rafters, eliminates the needto ventilate and keeps the roof structure warm.

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Kingspan Insulation Solutions

10.1 There is one solution to the problems identified in this“White Paper” that can be employed using KingspanInsulation products.

10.2 One of Kingspan Insulation’s products for pitched warmroof insulation can be used. The product is Kingspan Kooltherm® K7 Sarking Board. A typicalthermographic image of a roof so insulated are shownbelow.

Image 24The even surface temperature indicates a well performing Kingspan Insulationwarm pitched roof system. The small circular shape in the centre of the imageis a spot light fitting which is switched off.

For your free copies of the Kingspan Insulation Solutions toPitched Roofs, please contact the Kingspan InsulationMarketing Department (see rear cover).

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Appendix A – Survey Data – Street A

The table below shows the key data from the survey. It shouldbe noted that intended installation thicknesses were, wherepossible, based on measurements taken from properlyinstalled sections of mineral fibre. The loft areas were all 25 m2.

Property No. Intended % Area > % Area at % Area < % AreaInstallation Intended Intended Intended MissingThickness Installation Installation Installation

(mm) Thickness Thickness Thickness

29 150 0 0 100 031 200 0 10 85 533 150 5 10 82 337 100 0 0 100 038 100 0 50 50 047 200 5 5 80 1051 200 5 30 60 552 150 0 0 100 053 100 0 20 80 054 250 0 0 100 057 150 0 50 50 059 100 0 20 80 063 200 0 17 80 364 150 0 95 0 565 200 0 80 20 073 200 0 10 90 074 200 5 10 81 475 200 0 20 80 076 300 6 30 60 478 200 0 5 90 581 150 0 0 90 1082 150 0 40 60 083 200 0 10 89 184 150 0 100 0 086 100 0 12 80 892 200 0 95 0 594 200 0 100 0 098 150 0 50 50 0

Average 171 0.9 31.0 65.6 2.4

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Appendix B – Survey Data – Street B

The table below shows the key data from the survey. It should be noted that intended installation thicknesses were,where possible, based on measurements taken from properlyinstalled sections of mineral fibre. The loft areas were all 53.7 m2.

Property No. Intended % Area > % Area at % Area < % AreaInstallation Intended Intended Intended MissingThickness Installation Installation Installation

(mm) Thickness Thickness Thickness

4 50 2 11 80 716 100 5 14 80.5 0.519 100 2 37 60 124 100 1 8 90.5 0.536 100 10 60 30 040 100 20 6 53 2152 100 3 10 86 1

Average 93 6.1 20.9 68.6 4.4

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Appendix C – Energy, CO2 and Financial Calculations

Heating Efficiency yr % 0.8Degree-Days Base deg C 18Degree-Day DD days K/yr 3190Degree-Hour DH = DD * 24 hrs K/yr 76560

Street A Actual Intended Difference %Increase

Surface A a m2 25U-value U W/m2.K 0.373 0.256Energy Lost per Year Q = (U*a*H)/1000r kWh/yr 892 612 280 46CO2 Equivalent Emissions of Lost Energy kg 256 175 80 46Cost of Energy Lost per Year £ 20 14 6 46

Street B Actual Intended Difference %Increase

Surface A a m2 53.7U-value U W/m2.K 0.711 0.421Energy Lost per Year Q = (U*a*H)/1000r kWh/yr 3654 2164 1490 69CO2 Equivalent Emissions of Lost Energy kg 1047 620 427 69Cost of Energy Lost per Year £ 81 48 33 69

Fuel Source CO2 eq. Cost Mix Contribution to 1 kWh TotalEnergy CO2 eq. Cost

g/kWh £/kWh MJ kWh kWh g/kWh £/kWh

Solid Fuels 389.1 0.0176 76.0 21.11 0.06 24.62 0.00Natural Gas 227.2 0.0185 953.7 264.92 0.79 180.43 0.01Electricity 896.9 0.0769 79.3 22.03 0.07 59.23 0.01Oil 290.3 0.0177 91.9 25.53 0.08 22.22 0.00Total 333.58 1.00 286.50 0.022238

Weighted Average Actual Intended Difference %Increase

Energy Lost per Year Q = (U*a*H)/1000r kWh/yr 1445 923 522.0 57CO2 Equivalent Emissions of Lost Energy kg 414 264 159.6 57Cost of Energy Lost per Year £ 32 21 11.6 57

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Technical Advice/DesignKingspan Insulation Ltd support all of their products with acomprehensive Technical Advisory Service for specifiers, stockistsand contractors.

This includes a computer–aided service designed to give fast,accurate technical advice. Simply phone the Kingspan Insulation

with your project specification. Calculations can be carried out to provide U–values, condensation/dew pointrisk, required insulation thicknesses etc… Thereafter any numberof permutations can be provided to help you achieve your desired targets.

The Kingspan Insulation Technical Services Department can alsogive general application advice and advice on design detailing andfixing etc... Site surveys are also undertaken as appropriate.

Please contact the Kingspan Insulation Building Fabric InsulationTechnical Services Department on the numbersbelow:



General EnquiriesFor all other enquiries contact Kingspan Insulation on the numbers below:



Kingspan Insulation reserve the right to amend product specifications without prior notice.Product thicknesses shown in this document should not be taken as being available ex-stockand reference should be made to the current Kingspan Insulation price-list or advice soughtfrom Kingspan Insulation Sales Department. The information, technical details and fixinginstructions etc. included in this literature are given in good faith and apply to uses described.Recommendations for use should be verified as to the suitability and compliance with actualrequirements, specifications and any applicable laws and regulations. For other applications orconditions of use, Kingspan Insulation offers a Technical Advisory Service (see left) whoseadvice should be sought for uses of Kingspan Insulation products that are not specificallydescribed herein. Please check that your copy of the literature is current by contacting theKingspan Insulation Marketing Department (see above).

Details of the fuel mix and costs are as detailed in the Kingspan Insulation White Paper“Lifetime Energy, CO2 and Financial Balances for Insulation Materials”.

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Documents

CI/SfB January 2006 Mineral Fibre Loft Insulation ... · CI/SfB (47) Nh2 January 2006 A WHITE PAPER Insulation Mineral Fibre Loft Insulation, Compaction, Settlement, Missing Mineral