Insulation
Explore our range of insulation solutions developed for use across a variety of building applications. Our portfolio includes insulation products with properties relating to thermal performance, acoustic performance, and resistance to moisture and compressive loads. When appropriately specified and installed as part of a compliant construction, these products can contribute to comfort, energy efficiency, and long-term building performance.
Thermal insulation plays an important role in improving the energy efficiency and comfort of buildings when appropriately specified and installed. By reducing heat loss and heat gain, insulation can contribute to more stable indoor temperatures across different seasons.
Developed for use across a range of building applications, including roofs, walls, foundations, and floors, SOPREMA’s portfolio of insulation products and systems offers thermal and can contribute to more sustainable construction when used as part of a compliant building design.
SOPREMA provides technical support services, including U-value calculations, to assist designers in assessing building fabric performance in relation to Approved Document L. Additional hygrothermal analysis using WUFI software can be undertaken to assess moisture movement and condensation risk in constructions incorporating PAVATEX wood fibre insulation panels.
Insulation Types
Explore our range of insulation solutions developed for different construction approaches and performance requirements.
Acoustic Insulation
Acoustic insulation reduces sound transfer between spaces, improves indoor acoustics, and enhances comfort and well-being by addressing noise pollution. SOPREMA offers soundproofing solutions like TECSOUND to block airborne and impact noise, as well as sound-absorbing products like PUREKUSTIK and FIBROKUSTIK to reduce echoes and reverberation.
Applications include floors, walls, ceiling, and pipes, offering both functionality and aesthetic appeal.
WOODFIBRE
PAVATEX is a wood-fibre-based thermal insulation system manufactured from renewable raw materials. Wood-fibre insulation can support lower-carbon construction approaches and may store biogenic carbon within the building fabric, depending on the product and assessment method.
The range contributes to both thermal and acoustic performance and is designed to be vapour-permeable, supporting moisture management and airtight construction when correctly detailed.
MULTIFOILS
SUPERQUILT and BREATHERQUILT are multifoil insulation products developed for use in a range of building applications, including roofs, walls, and floors, subject to appropriate specification and detailing. Multifoil insulation is typically used as part of a combined build-up, working alongside other insulation materials to contribute to overall thermal performance. Multifoil products are characterised by their multi-layer construction, which may include reflective surfaces and low-emissivity layers.
When correctly installed with appropriate air spaces and detailing, multifoil insulation can contribute to the thermal performance of a construction and support airtightness strategies, depending on the system design.
BREATHERQUILT is designed to be vapour-permeable, allowing moisture vapour to pass through the construction, while SUPERQUILT is designed to provide a vapour-resistant layer where required. Both products are lightweight and flexible, which can support ease of handling and installation as part of a compliant construction.
PIR
SOPRATHERM and THERMACLASS are Polyisocyanurate (PIR) rigid insulation materials used across a range of residential and commercial applications. PIR is characterised by low thermal conductivity and dimensional stability. PIR insulation typically has a declared thermal conductivity (λ-value) of around 0.022 W/m·K. This allows PIR to achieve required thermal resistance (R-value) levels with reduced insulation thickness, supporting space-efficient construction where build-up depth is limited.
XPS
SOPRAXPS is a range of extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation boards developed for use in applications where resistance to moisture and compressive loads is required. The boards are suitable for use in a variety of applications, including inverted roofs, industrial floors, and foundation walls or basements, subject to appropriate specification and detailing. XPS insulation boards are characterised by their compressive strength, low water absorption, and stable thermal performance, supporting durability and long service life when used as part of a compliant construction. SOPRAXPS is manufactured using production processes that consider resource efficiency. The boards incorporate recycled content and can be recycled at end of life, supporting circular economy principles where suitable collection and processing routes are available.
Performance Terms for Insulation Materials
The performance of insulation materials depends on several factors, the most important being:
- The lambda value tells you more about the ease with which heat can travel through a material by conduction (thermal conductivity). The lower the lambda value, the better the insulation properties.
- The U-value, in turn, describes how well or how badly a building component transmits heat. Again, the lower the U-value, the better the component's insulation properties.
- The specific heat capacity refers to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1kg of the material by 1k (or by 1°C).
- The R-value denotes thermal resistance. The higher the R-value, the better the material resists heat flow (thermal resistance).
- The density or mass per unit volume, expressed in kg/m³.
- The thermal diffusivity or the ability of a material permits the passage of water.
- Long term water absorption by immersion.
- The compressive strength or the material's capacity to withstand loads.
- The dimensional stability: the extent to which the insulation material retains its original dimensions when subjected to, for instance, temperature changes.
- The reaction-to-fire performance of insulation and other building materials is assessed using the Euroclass system, the common EU standard. This classification system consists of seven levels, evaluating key factors such as ignitability, heat release, flame spread, and smoke production, among others.
PAVATEX Multi Functional Insulation
Download our brochure to discover more about PAVATEX insulation solutions.