Buildings tend to lose heat during the winter and keep heat in during the summer. Insulation keeps the thermal heat where it is wanted. There are three mechanisms of heat energy transfer these are Convection, conduction and radiation.

When heat flows through by air to areas and spaces that are not heated this is known as ‘Convection’; when heat is transferred from a hot bowl of soup, to the knees the bowl is resting on this is known as ‘Conduction’; when a solid object is heated by the suns rays this is known as ‘Radiation’.

The main reason to use thermal insulation in buildings is to have control over the internal temperature to maintain comfort at minimal cost.

The suitability of an insulant for a given situation does not only depend upon its temperature tolerance but its performance is also determined by the speed at which heat (or cold) progresses through the material. This is known as Thermal Conductivity.

The aim would be to select the product which has the lowest thermal conductivity for its required operating temperature. Thermal conductivity varies greatly between differing products at any given temperature, therefore it is essential to know that what you are buying will offer the best long term cost saving.