What are the best ways to insulate your home?

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On July 6, 2025

When it comes to improving the energy efficiency of your home, insulation isn’t just helpful – it’s essential. It is the backbone of a warm, comfortable, and environmentally friendly home.

But with so many options available, figuring out the best ways to insulate your home can be overwhelming.

Mineral wool like this Rockwool from Wickes is dense, durable, and offers excellent fire resistance (withstands temperatures up to 1,000°C). Mineral wool insulation is also a good acoustic insulator. However, compared to fibreglass, it’s heavier, can be harder to work with, and requires relatively thick layers to achieve the required thermal performance. Its thermal conductivity typically ranges from 0.034 to 0.040 W/mK.
Fibreglass (glass wool): Lightweight and affordable, fibreglass is a common choice for DIYers, especially for insulating lofts. It’s made from recycled glass and offers good thermal performance, typically around 0.044 W/mK, though higher-density batts can offer 0.034 W/mK. It’s less robust than mineral wool and prone to moisture absorption and sagging if not installed properly.
PIR (Polyisocyanurate) boards: Manufactured as rigid insulation board, PIR is among the most thermally efficient products available, with conductivity as low as 0.022 W/mK. They’re ideal for insulating floors, walls and pitched roofs, where space is tight. PIR foam is closed cell, moisture resistant and durable. Unfortunately, it’s relatively expensive and difficult to install in irregular spaces.
Polystyrene beads (EPS): Often used in retrofit cavity wall insulation, EPS beads are blown into the cavity, forming an insulation layer that resists moisture and mould. They’re suitable for walls exposed to driving rain, but come with higher costs and fire safety concerns, depending on the system.
Cellulose Insulation is an eco-friendly material made from recycled paper treated with fire retardants. With a thermal conductivity of around 0.040 W/mK, it’s typically blown into cavities and lofts and offers good performance, but, settles over time.
Spray foam (Polyurethane): With excellent airtightness and good thermal resistance, spray foam sounds ideal. However, as a result of condensation problems it has become controversial due to potential impacts on mortgageability.
Sheep’s wool: A natural insulation and sustainable choice that’s great at regulating moisture and providing decent thermal performance (around 0.035–0.040 W/mK). Sheep wool insulation like this Thermafleece on Amazon is safe to handle, biodegradable, and can absorb moisture, but watch out for bugs and high costs.

Loft insulation – Heat rises, and with around 25% heat loss, lofts are one of the most important areas to target. Laying rolls of mineral wool or fibreglass between and across ceiling joists is standard practice. For warm roof designs, rigid PIR boards can be installed above or below rafters but remember to maintain ventilation paths. A specialist alternative for insulating lofts is blown cellulose insulation. The objective is to distribute the loose fill material evenly to create a thick insulating layer.
Wall insulation – Walls also have a potential for significant heat loss. Cavity wall insulation is built in during construction using rigid boards or mineral wool batts. For existing properties, blown-in insulation of either mineral wool or EPS beads are common. Solid walls can also be insulated internally with rigid boards or externally with insulated render systems subject to good quality design.
Floor insulation – Ground floors can be insulated using rigid PIR or EPS boards laid over or below the slab of new builds. Suspended timber floors can have insulation fitted between the joists, though it’s essential to maintain ventilation to prevent rot.

Jabfloor 70 Polystyrene Insulation Board – 2400 X 1200 X 25mm

Kingspan Tw50 Thermal Insulation Board – 1200 X 450 X 50mm

Bulk Foil Insulation Board (25)

Afaxinrie Draft Excluder for Doors, Draught Excluder

Draught Excluders Tape for 1mm to 2mm Gaps

Trintion Aluminium Draught Excluder Strip – 100cm

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What are the best ways to insulate your home?

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