Eco-friendly home insulation
I constantly go on about the importance of insulating a home and adding ceiling insulation, but now there are so many eco-friendly alternatives perhaps we should take a closer look at these.
Cellulose fibre home insulation is an eco-friendly home insulation option that is manufactured from recycled paper and is probably one of the oldest materials used for insulating buildings.
Originally manufactured using cotton, straw and hemp products, cellulose fibre insulation was discontinued mainly due to the fact that it was not fire retardant. Today's cellulose fibre home insulation is treated with non-toxic additives that make the product fire retardant.
With the increase in demand for eco-friendly products in the home, so has the demand for cellular fibre insulation, as cellulose fibre insulation has the highest recycled content available in home insulation products. Cellulose fibre home insulation offers a reduction of up to 90% for heat loss during the winter months, and reduce heat through the roof by as much as 88% during our hot summer season.
Here in South Africa, cellulose fibre insulation is made from recycled paper that is finely milled. Not a DIY application, cellulose fibre insulation is pumped into the ceiling or wall cavity and takes around 3 hours for an average-sized home. Cellulose fibre is considered an eco-friendly and sustainable building insulation that does not emit toxins or cause allergies.
Another sustainable option to consider is polyester fibres - a new product that is manufactured from recycled plastic (PET) bottles that are thermally bonded and woven into a flexible polyester blanket that can easily be installed in a ceiling or attic space. The product contains no chemical additives, does not emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), has no loose fibres and is non-allergenic, non-irritant and resilient.
When you consider that over 80 million plastic (PET) bottles are removed from landfill sites each year, installing polyester fibre insulation is definitely an option that uses recycled products effectively.
In accordance with SANS 10400–XA, all new buildings are required to be energy efficient in many areas, including home insulation.
Sources:
www.thermguard.co.za
www.eco-insulation.co.za
www.insutherm.co.za