Frequently asked questions

Our natural and recycled insulation products can be ordered online with the exception of  Steico Rigid Wood Fibre Insulation. Please contact us for details of how to order these products.
Email: enquiries@naturalinsulations.co.uk

Phone: 01768 485050

We would recommend installing loft legs over the joists and boarding on top of the loft leg. This ensures that you have an effective depth of insulation. Boarding directly onto joists will significantly reduce the thickness of insulation and therefore the overall performance. Find out more about loft legs

The simplest thing to do is not to push the insulation tight against the roofing felt at the eaves level. In addition insert eaves ventilation trays to maintain the ventilation opening.

Yes. Thermafleece and Steico insulation are suitable in all roof applications. Please contact us for further details or see our roof applications guidance.

You should insulate between joists and over joists wherever possible. Run the layer over the joists cross-ways to make sure no air gaps run through the insulation from the ceiling level.

A number of measures are required to reduce noise from downstairs one of which is to install an absorbent insulation between the joists. Insulation such as Thermafleece can be used as an effective absorbent material. For depths of 100mm or greater Thermafleece CosyWool can be used. For depths of less than 100mm Thermafleece UltraWool will give the best performance.

We sell products rather than specific systems, all of which are fire tested. Because a 1 hour fire rated floor is a system of products, you should consult the floor system supplier.

To reduce noise from next door can be a very complex problem to solve. Specialist acoustic consultants can help. Natural fibre insulation such as Thermafleece can be used as part of noise reducing measures in a building.

As with all insulation, electrical cables should be sufficiently rated if they are passing within insulation.

Natural fibre insulations that contains a binder such as Thermafleece will last the lifespan of the building.

Unlike man-made fibres, natural fibres are breathable meaning they can bind and release moisture and still be dry. This is a very important property when it comes to insulation because heat and moisture are very closely linked. Natural fibre insulation is better at absorbing heat which helps reduce summertime over-heating. They also provide excellent acoustic performance.

Natural fibre insulation uses the breathability and natural insulating properties of natural fibres.  Therefore creating safe effective and sustainable insulation for your building. Natural fibres commonly used for insulation include, sheep’s wool, hemp and wood fibres.

You can use insulation in interior walls to prevent heat being lost into adjoining rooms. Insulating internal walls will also reduce the amount of noise moving from one room to another.

Yes you can add insulation to existing walls. However care must be taken to ensure that moisture doesn’t enter and become trapped within the insulation and wall. Please contact us for further advice.

Insulation can save you money as it prevents heat loss.  Which in turn reduces the amount of energy used to heat your home.  Finally reducing the amount it costs to heat your home. Insulation does many other things such as preventing your home from getting too hot in the summer and helps reduce the impact of sound. Breathable insulation such as Thermafleece can also help regulate humidity levels within the building fabric.

Certainly the best loft insulation for all round performance and true breathability; we would recommend Thermafleece British sheep’s wool insulation. However a cost effective alternative to traditional insulation (with a well ventilated roof); we would recommend SupaSoft recycled plastic bottle insulation.

SupaSoft Insulation, NatraHemp and Steico wood fibre products are suitable insulation for vegans.

SupaSoft Insulation is made from recycled plastic bottles, so SupaSoft doesn’t just save you money and cut carbon emissions but also helps reduce harmful plastic from entering the food chain.

NatraHemp is medium density insulation rich in home-grown hemp fibres. A safe, efficient and durable alternative when plant fibre is the preferred choice.

Thermafleece sheep’s wool insulation is multifunctional

• Reduces Heat Loss
• Improves acoustics
• Helps balance moisture and humidity
• Reduces summertime overheating
• Improves indoor air quality
• Impacts sustainability
• Determines fire behaviour
• Influences buildability

All Natural Insulations delivery process information is available on our Delivery Page.  However if you have further questions or have an order to place please contact the office on 01768 485050.  We will be happy to help.

Why Natural Insulation:

• Are more thermally efficient than mineral fibre
• Use less energy and emit less CO2 in manufacture than mineral fibre (particularly Thermofloc)
• Are safer to handle than mineral fibre
• Have the ability to absorb and desorb moisture without losing their efficiency
• They can store CO2 during growth (hemp)
• Help UK farmers find a market for their sheep wool (Thermafleece)
• At the end of their (long) life compost or incinerate for energy use
• Thermofloc makes use of recycled newsprint

All our insulations can be laid on top of existing insulation, even Thermofloc, which is a loose insulation made from recycled paper.

Yes, something like 5% of heat is lost through your loft hatch, so it should be insulated.

Yes, all our insulations are suitable but with an existing roof you must leave a 50mm air gap between the roof tiles and the back of the insulation.

Thermafleece and SupaSoft  insulations can be cut using a straight edge and a Stanley knife, an insulation cutting knife or simply torn apart.

No, there is too much moisture in the cavity for a natural insulation.

Whether you can get a government grant for home insulation depends on your local authority. Each local authority has its own independent scheme (or not as the case may be), and the only way to find out is to ask. You could also follow our link to the Energy Saving Trust (www.est.org.uk) which can can give you an idea of which grants you may be eligible for if you type in your postcode.

Do you want to know how thermafleece sheep’s wool insulation is made?  Take a look at The Campaign for Wool video.  It will show you the thermafleece production process from start to finish.

Thermafleece insulation can’t be used as insulation in cavity walls of brick and block or block and block. It can be used within timber frame walls or within a frame on the inside of a solid wall.

The environmental benefits of  sheep’s wool insulation are many. At Thermafleece we use the coarse coloured wool from hardy hill sheep which would otherwise go to waste to make our thermafleece sheep’s wool insulation. All our wool is British and we manufacture in Yorkshire, the home of British Wool.

Each kg of natural fibre locks up about 2 kg of carbon dioxide which helps remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Furthermore, once installed in your property Thermafleece will last the life of the building significantly reducing the impacts of replacement and repair.

Thermafleece is breathable, allowing a healthy moisture balance which helps protect the building fabric and health. It helps your building stay warm in colder months, helping to reduce energy bills whilst the higher thermal mass buffers the heat to reduce overheating in summertime.  It is very effective at lowering sound levels within the building and is itch free, safe and easy to install.

For further information contact us on 01768 485050 or email enquiries@naturalinsulations.co.uk

The density of Thermafleece varies from 18kg/m3 to 32kg/m3 depending on the product. To clarify refer to product fact sheets for details – available to download from our product information pages.

Sheep’s wool is the best acoustic insulation.  Because of their irregular surface, shape and density, natural fibres such as sheep’s wool are very effective at disrupting sound. That’s one of the reasons why sheep’s wool insulation can provide acoustic performance comparable to the best mineral fibre products.

Thermal performance of Thermafleece CosyWool is approximately 10% more thermally efficient than low density glass fibre insulation. Thermafleece UltraWool is more than 20% efficient

Thermafleece will not contribute towards the developmental stages of fire. Thermafleece sheep’s wool  insulation complies with British Standard BS 5803-4 for flammability and resistance to smouldering.

To ensure that the insulation maintains its shape throughout its service life Thermafleece uses a synthetic binder.  There are no natural materials available that can do this. Consequently every effort has been taken to ensure that the virgin polyester content is kept to a minimum.

All the insulation we supply is completely safe to handle. However, because lofts are inherently dusty places, we would always recommend using protective equipment when working in a loft.

It takes an average of 10,000 waste plastic bottles to produce enough SupaSoft to insulate a typical loft. That’s 10,000 plastic bottles that would otherwise have been buried in landfill, incinerated or left to litter the environment.

‘Let’s stop using things once and start dealing with the legacy we have created. SupaSoft Insulation provides a long term use for waste plastics that helps reduce home energy at the same time’ – Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd

Yes, SupaSoft is an insulation suitable for campervan conversions. Place between the campervan panels or simply lay on top of existing van insulation to improve overall insulation performance. SupaSoft insulation is an open non-woven material that allows water vapour to pass through the insulation and does not support mould growth.

SupaSoft is made from recycled PET (polyester) and is extremely durable. Because the binder is made from PET it does not degrade or slump over time. This means that SupaSoft will last the life of the building so once installed there is no need to replace.

Insulating with SupaSoft recycled plastic bottle insulation is a very cost effective alternative to fibreglass or other mineral insulation.  In addition the energy it saves means SupaSoft insulation quickly pays for itself.

You can lay SupaSoft on top of existing insulation although the amount of additional insulation will depend on how much existing insulation is in place and what condition it is in. For instance, if the insulation is in very poor condition we would recommend adding 250mm of SupaSoft on top. However if the existing insulation is in very good condition, add sufficient SupaSoft to achieve a total insulation thickness of 270mm. Check under and around existing insulation for any signs of damp or water damage.

Thermofloc is a loose fill cellulose insulation made from recycled newspaper combined with a mineral fire retardant.  A sustainable and cost effective way to insulate horizontal surfaces such as your loft or floors.

The U-value achieved will depend on the thickness of Thermofloc.  However a thermal conductivity of 0.039 W/mK ensures a consistent high performance envelope of Thermofloc insulation helping minimise heat loss in the winter and keeping your building comfortably cool in the summer.

Install Thermofloc at a density that provides additional thermal mass to the building envelope.  Therefore helping smooth out highs and lows as the building fabric warms and cools.

Please contact us on 01768 485050 for specific U-Value Calculations

Thermafleece Natra Hemp insulation is harmless when installed without gloves or protective clothing.  Although we recommend to wear a dust mask in enclosed spaces such as lofts. Thermafleece NatraHemp is not irritating to the skin, eyes or respiratory tract.

Hemp is a fast-growing, low-impact plant crop that produces fine fibres suitable for insulation. Thermafleece NatraHemp is a medium density insulation rich in home-grown hemp fibres and is a safe, efficient and durable alternative when plant fibre is the preferred choice.

Hemp is a good insulator.  Thermafleece NatraHemp fits securely between rafters, joists and studs providing excellent thermal insulation performance. What’s more, with a density of 25 kg/m3, Thermafleece NatraHemp can provide good acoustic insulation in a variety of systems.

NatraHemp is hemp insulation suitable for vegans.  A medium density insulation rich in home-grown hemp fibres and suitable for vegan use. NatraHemp is a safe, efficient and durable alternative when plant fibre is the preferred choice.

Steicoflex is a wood based, highly versatile and eco-friendly insulation slab. Made from wood fibres, poly-olefin fibre (a high quality binding fibre found in nappies), and ammonium phosphate (for fire protection). It is a high density product with good acoustic properties.