Thermal performance of Retrovive cellulose insulation

Our choice of cellulose fibre, installed using the Retrovive system, meets the latest UK building regulations performance requirements.

Insulations are rated by their thermal conductivity, measured in units of W/mK. As a measure of heat loss, the lower the number the better.

Taking all available fibre insulations, the range of thermal conductivities is relatively narrow - between 0.032 W/mK for enhanced mineral-wool insulation for cavity walls and 0.044 W/mK for basic loft fibreglass quilt.

The thermal conductivity of Warmcel® cellulose fibre, which we typically use, is 0.038 W/mK. Looking at the latest building regulations, the Retrovive approach using Warmcel meets the performance requirements when retrofitting a floor.

Retrovive also eliminates cold draughts - a huge additional benefit that alternative approaches often overlook.

In addition to its thermal performance on paper, a key advantage of the Retrovive approach is its superior draught-blocking, a factor which can be overlooked when considering alternatives.

Air movement causes cooling. As an example, in the summer we use fans to cool us - they make no difference to the air temperature but the movement of air takes heat away so that we feel cooler.

In the winter, though, draughts make us uncomfortably cooler - particularly if the draughty air is coming up through the floor at outdoor temperatures!

If the draughts are stopped we feel more comfortable even at a lower air temperature, which means we can turn the heating down a notch. This means we save heat twice – firstly as the insulation prevents warm air escaping, and secondly as the lack of draughts means we're still comfortable after turning down the thermostat.

To find out more, and discuss your project, send us a message today.