What is R-Value?

How well an insulation product resists heat flow is know as its R value. The higher the R value, the higher the level of insulation. When choosing insulation for your home, it's not the thickness of the product or type of material that counts; it's the R-valueThe appropriate degree of insulation depends on your climate, building construction type, and whether auxiliary heating and/or cooling is to be used.

Material R values refer to the insulating value of the product alone. The National Construction Code (Nathers) and BASIX (in New South Wales) set out minimum requirements for the R values of materials used in the construction of buildings. It is generally advisable to exceed these for greater comfort and energy savings.

Types of Insulation

Insulation products come in 2 main categories — bulk and reflective — which are sometimes combined into a composite material.

All insulation materials that are sold in Australia must meet Australian Standard AS/NZS 4859, Materials for the thermal insulation of buildings.

Commonly used insulation materials are

  • Glass wool, batts and rolls (often made from recycled materials)
  • Wool, batts and loose fill
  • Cellulose fibre loose fill (often made from recycled paper fibres)
  • Polyester, batts and rolls (often made from recycled materials)
  • Polystyrene, expanded (EPS) or extruded (XPS), as rigid boards
  • Polyisocyanurate (PIR) as rigid boards
  • Polyurethane (PUR) as rigid boards.

At CoolCeil, we mainly use “Glasswool” insulation and can offer other solutions based on your requirements.

Advantages of Glass Wool

Glass wool insulation is recognized widely as a superior thermal thermal and sound absorbing material. It offers the following advantages over other insulation materials

  • Non-combustibility
  • Non-Toxicity
  • Corrosion resistance
  • Small bulk density
  • Low Thermal conductivity
  • High chemical stability
  • Low Moisture absorption

In addition to the above, since the primary material of glasswool insulation is recycled glass fibres, it is environmentally friendly when compared to other insulation products.