What is PIR Rigid Insulation Board?
PIR Insulation Board is a rigid foam board that is used for insulating homes and other buildings. PIR Insulation Board is widely used in the construction industry because of its thermal insulation purposes.
Due to its performance, PIR insulation boards are one of the most effective insulation materials and are ideal for walls, roofs and cavities because they provide a barrier that helps regulate internal temperatures. Its rigid nature ensures durability and makes it an easy material to transport.
When compared to other insulation materials PIR Rigid Insulation Boards are a lot thinner, making it a stronger performance with less material. This has the dual benefit of leaving extra space when installing the boards and being much lighter than other traditional insulation forms, making PIR Rigid Insulation board easy to transfer and use.
What does PIR mean?
PIR stands for polyisocyanurate, which is a thermoset plastic with high thermal performance. Using insulation with a high thermal performance is crucial to enhance the energy efficiency of buildings.
What does the foil do on PIR Insulation Boards?
The foil on a PIR Insulation Board improves the thermal efficiency of the board. The foil helps insulate in two ways: it slows the transfer of heat and also reflects the heat back to the source, acting as a barrier between the inside of the building and the outside. This has the benefit of working all year round to keep the building at an optimum temperature level. In winter, it helps to preserve heat and in the summer time, the heat is reflected away keeping the building cool.
To correctly install a Foil Faced PIR Rigid Insulation Board, ensure that the foil is facing inwards towards the internal building rather than away. This is to ensure you are using the insulation to its advantage and that you are making the most of its high thermal properties. For example, if you are installing the insulation in a loft, make sure the foil is facing downwards.
Is Foil Faced insulation good?
Foil Faced Insulation Boards have increased in popularity over the years because the foil acts as an extra layer of thermal insulation. Paired with a strong thermal core from the PIR, these boards are thinner than other traditional insulation boards which makes them lightweight and easy to install.
Alongside the thermal benefits, the foil on foil faced insulation boards is also water resistant, increasing the versatility of the foil faced boards. This means that they can be used in areas where you may find moisture as it prevents the growth of mould.
Foil Faced Insulation is a great added feature to insulation boards to help further enhance the thermal properties of the board and are one of the many reasons why Foil Faced PIR Rigid Insulation Boards are the ideal choice.
When should you use Foil Faced Insulation Boards?
The primary use of a Foil Faced Insulation Board is to keep the heat inside any residential or commercial building. Foil Faced Insulation Boards are used in construction for a multitude of reasons such as to insulate roofs, walls, cavities and flooring. In addition, installing these boards is a relatively easy meaning that both trades people and DIY enthusiasts will easily be able to handle the process.
The rigid nature of the board ensures that it will not bend or break, offering structural support as the rigidity maintains the shape and integrity of the construction. When these boards are used in walls, they prevent sagging and deformation over time, ensuring the walls remain strong and similarly, they are great to use under roofing materials due to the strength of its core.
Where should you use Foil Faced Insulation Board?
The most common use of Foil Faced Insulation Board is in roofs of residential and commercial buildings. Due to its high thermal performance, these insulation boards effectively resist heat transfer so heat will not escape via the top of the building. These insulation boards are particularly useful for pitched and flat roofs, or for commercial roofing applications where the roofing project will be large scale because its lightweight nature places less stress on the roofs structure.
Another use for Foil Faced Insulation Board is for cavity wall insulation. These boards are ideal for a partial fill wall cavity where a residual cavity is left uninsulated. The foil facing board acts as an effective vapour barrier, helping control moisture and preventing it from penetrating the wall and reducing the risk of condensation within the cavity. It must be noted that Foil Faced PIR Insulation Boards are not applicable to full cavity insulation. One reason for this is that although the foil face is moisture resistant, the boards are still susceptible to moisture absorption over time. If you were to fit this in a full cavity wall where it could be exposed to moisture, it could impact its thermal performance and therefore reduce its thermal effectiveness over time.
These boards may also be used for floor insulation such as underfloor heating systems and concrete floor systems. The high thermal resistance allows them to minimise the heat transfer between the interior and the ground beneath. This will help prevent the loss of heat in the winter and slow heat gain in the warmer months. When looking at residential buildings, these boards are particularly useful to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature, resulting in an energy efficient living space. The thin profile also makes this an excellent choice for floor insulation where there is an issue with space as it will not negatively impact floor height when compared to other insulation materials.
Foil Faced PIR Rigid Insulation Boards require no special maintenance once they have been installed so they can be left to do their job. Offering a greater longevity and maintaining their strength over time, this material is also cost-effective because it has a long life span and reduces the frequency the boards would need to be replaced.
What thickness of PIR insulation do I need?
The thickness of PIR Rigid Insulation depends on what you are using it for.
If you are using it for floors, it is recommended to use 100mm thickness of these boards.
If you are using it for walls, it is recommended you use 125mm thickness of these boards
If you are using it for roofs, it is recommended you use 150mm thickness of these boards.
What are the advantages of using a foil faced PIR insulation Board?
There are many advantages of using a Foil Faced PIR Insulation Board:
- High thermal performance: PIR boards have excellent thermal insulation properties, providing a high level of heat transfer. The foil has an added benefit of enhancing this through its reflective surface that helps bounce back heat.
- Lightweight and rigid: These properties makes them easy to handle and install. This combination contributes to their suitability for different applications because they do not add excessive weight to the building structure.
- Moisture resistant: PIR Boards perform well in environments that are damp and will not be damaged by water if they are in small amounts.
- Durability and Longevity: They perform consistently well year on year for many years, saving the need to replace them regularly.
Foil Faced Rigid PIR Insulation Boards stand out as the perfect choice for different insulation uses with many different benefits. As a versatile and efficient insulation solution, these boards play a crucial role in enhancing the energy efficiency in commercial and residential properties alike. You can view our full range of Foil Faced Rigid PIR Insulation Boards here.
Sources
https://www.insulationshop.co/blog/all_the_pros_of_foil_backed_insulation_boards.html
https://blog.buyinsulationonline.co.uk/pir-polyisocyanurate-roof-insulation/
https://insulationgo.co.uk/blog/how-thick-should-pir-insulation-be/