Phenolic foam insulation is made by combining phenol-formaldehyde resin (note the presence of formaldehyde, a hazardous chemical and known carcinogen), a foaming agent and a hardener. When all three are mixed an exothermic reaction causes foaming followed by rapid setting.

Description
Usually now available as rigid boards or panels sometimes as a backing to plaster or chip board.

Features

• Relatively low embodied energy – in comparison to similar products.
• Good fire performance. Very low flame spread, negligible smoke emission and very low levels of toxic gas emission.
• Can be cut and shaped accurately. Often used to closely insulate pipes and can be reused.
• Lightweight, strong and durable in higher density applications.
• Can shrink. If applied as a foam then it can shrink when cured.
• Moisture resistant.

Performance
From 0.018 W/m.K, but typically in the range 0.020 – 0.023 W/m.K (Watts per meter Kelvin ~ lower value is a better result)

Cost
Kingspan Kooltherm is available for around £8 square metre.

Similar to mineral wool insulation, glass fibre is one of the most common forms of insulation in the UK – everyone knows that rough, itchy, scratchy feel of glass fibre much beloved in our drafty attics. Whilst it has been installed in many homes for at least of couple of decades, this has not usually been done to the same thickness that would now be recommended so a top-up may be in order.

Description
Glass fibre manufacture involves melting the raw materials (which typically include around 50% recycled glass) in a furnace at temperatures in excess of 1500ºC. The resultant molten glass is thrown by centrifugal force to form filaments. These filaments are then aggregated together and the resulting mat of fibres is coated with a resin to bind them together. The resin is then cured in an oven and the mat cut into blankets that can be rolled and packaged.

Features

• High embodied energy.
• Fire proof.
• The fibres can be an irritant.
• Versatile and relatively easy to fit.
• Relatively low cost.

Performance
Blocks of glass fibre have a K value in the order of 0.05 W/m.K. (Watts per meter Kelvin ~ a lower value is a better result)

Cost
Cheap … expect to pay under £2 per square metre including VAT.

Picture with measurements of both of the living room windows – one photo two sets of measurements. Only where the two windows vary are both measurements given. Just for the record the picture is of the left side window (I think!)

Click on the picture for a larger version hosted by Picasa.

Picture with measurements of the hay loft window in the bedroom window.

Click on the picture for a larger version hosted by Picasa.

Ah, October – seems like a long time ago now…

I’ve stalled in finishing treating the untreated oak stairs and banisters the banisters along the landing have all been whitened & waxed, but the stairs themselves along with the banisters still need finishing. I managed (mistakenly) to wax one of the posts before whitening it and the colour difference was quite noticeable, thankfully a quick sanding brought things back to where I wanted them.

In the kitchen the cooker is now in (well almost, the gas just needs connecting) and I’ve got the cooker hood ready for installation – that will be fun. Every job involving attaching something to the plasterboard walls gives me ongoing nightmares at the thought of collapsing walls and gapping voids.

I’ve started work (another job not yet finished) on putting in skirting boards in the main room downstairs. I’m quite surprised by the difference they make, adding a cherry on the cake type finishing touch to the room. I’ve taken the easy route in fixing them to the walls that everyone else seems to follow (an opinion formed following extensive internet searches), namely using adhesive or sealant in my case rather than anything more permanent. The reason I’ve not finished is that the Wickes shop I normally go to has had none in stock since my original visit … as valid an excuse as any.

I’ve also started boxing in the pipes in the bathrooms. There’s a fair bit of this to do as the layout of both changed quite a lot as appliances were moved around to fit. It took me the best part of a Saturday to cover half of the shower waste pipe in the en-suite. I lost count of how many pieces of wood I cut and it’s still not finished after a split decision on whether to use skirting boards as part of the boxing or not. Another one for the to-be-finished list… must knock some of these on the head in November.