As energy prices rise and purse strings are pulled, low cost, effective ways of saving household energy are more than ever in demand.
There has long been massive emphasis on the importance of insulating roof space and walls, but it’s a fair bet that not so many people think about floors. An un-insulated floor can sap up to 20% of the heat from your home. Cold air getting into the underfloor void causes draughts and heat to be lost more rapidly.
In the past, the only methods of installing insulation within suspended timber floors was with fishing nets or chicken wire. These primitive techniques are subject to numerous problems. The insulation which the wire and nets support, can sag, or become compacted. Both these problems reduce how effective the insulation is. Furthermore, the wire and netting does not shield the insulation against the sub-floor draughts. This means that, over time, any investment in underfloor insulation may not achieve the impact on your household bills you had hoped for.
To overcome these issues, Insumate Ltd has brought to market the Insumate insulation support tray.
The tray, which is manufactured within the UK from recycled polypropylene, can be quickly installed to support any insulation material between joists. It offers a shield against the underfloor draughts. The polypropylene construction means 70% of the underside of the insulation is covered. Plus, unlike nets or wire, the Insumate tray supports all of the surface area of the underfloor insulation. This alleviates the issue of any compaction or sagging.
The Insumate tray is also much quicker to install that any netting or wire. Up to 50m² can be installed within 30 minutes, by one person. The trays can be fitted from above or below simply by using a hand held stapler. Installation efficiency is also continued into the first fix stage of any project, as the Insumate tray offers a dedicated services void. This means any wires or pipes don’t have to be fitted within the insulation material.
The Insumate tray is available nationwide through the Travis Perkins group network.
Article by Luke Gooding, Insumate Ltd