THE ULTIMATE BUYER'S GUIDE TO Insulation

As a self-builder you're in an excellent position to envelop your home with the best insulation. Find out how to choose and buy the right insulation to design and build a warm, energy-efficient home

Taking a 'fabric first' approach is all about building a highly insulated and airtight home. Put simply, it's about wrapping your home in a 'thermal blanket' - and sealing up unwanted gaps in the fabric - to create a home that demands less heating, increases comfort levels and reduces energy bills.

"Insulation is an essential component of comfortable and efficient buildings. It not only reduces heat loss or heat gain by providing a barrier between inside and outside temperatures but its use can also support some of today's biggest sustainability and development challenges, from energy consumption to noise pollution and fire resilience," says James Francis, Product Manager GBI at ROCKWOOL® UK.

New homes must also meet minimum insulation levels under the Building Regs. "The latest edition of the Building Regulations (changes to Part L and new Part O) reflect these points," says energy efficiency expert Tim Pullen (read more on page 134). "It certainly means you have the option to choose what will work best for your build project - from the walls to the floors and roof- and the set minimum standards in the Building Regulations do make decision making that little easier," continues Tim.