Cedral facade insulation to reduce your energy bills

How does facade insulation work?

It is a physical law that different temperatures in contact with each other will equal out. Just imagine you leave the window of your home open. The temperature will gradually become the same. If it is cold outside, your living room will also become cold. Similarly, if you put a pan of cold milk on a hot stove, it will heat up.

Insulation slows down the transfer of heat from one place to another. Heat can move in three ways: conduction (by contact), convection (through the air) and radiation (by active heating). The resistance to heat transfer – also called to R-value – determines how well a material stops the heat flow. Polystyrene, mineral wool and polyurethane are common insulation materials because they have a high R-value.

Why is thermal insulation useful?

Insulation keeps the cold out in winter, but it also keeps the heat out in summer. That way, you can enjoy a more stable indoor climate without the need for heating or cooling too much. While the cold or heat stays out, the generated heat or coolness inside your home escapes less.

So, insulation makes your home more energy efficient. And if you need to heat or cool less, this of course has a positive influence on your energy bill for heating or air-conditioning. That is good for your wallet, but at the same time, consuming less energy is also good for the planet. That’s why many building authorities now have regulations for minimum levels of insulation, so that the energy consumption and related CO2 emissions decrease.

Do you need new facade insulation?

It is easy to see the value of insulation, but does your home need more of it? Often you notice that your house is not properly insulated, for instance if the temperature varies a lot across the house, if your energy bills are very high, if there is a draught or cold walls etc.

The quality of the insulation depends on the construction of the house. Check on the blueprints whether your home has been built with sufficient insulation. If there would be unfinished walls or ceilings, you can have a look if they are insulated well. Or do a wall cavity check.

If you are not sure, you can always call in a professional specialised in energy audits. S/he will measure the energetic performance of your house with heat cameras. This allows you to compare the R-value of your home with other buildings in your area and assess the gain you could have from better insulation.

The benefits of insulating your facade

Insulation has many advantages. The savings made on your heating and cooling bills vary by country and location, but they can be considerable. An energy audit usually tells you how much savings more effective insulation would bring you, offsetting it against the investment. This calculation results in the number of years you need to recover your investment.

If you consider adding insulation to your facade, you can think of reinforcing the structure of your home at the same time, correct cracks and remove thermal bridges. Whatever type of insulation you use, it usually requires an outer layer to protect it. Cedral fibre-cement weatherboards are the perfect choice, especially if fitted as a ventilated rainscreen, eliminating condensation and moisture.

Better energy efficiency also raises the value of your home, should you want to sell it, because people are conscious that they will have a lower energy bill, compared to poorly insulated buildings.

Still not convinced to improve your insulation?

In many countries, there is state support for making your home more energy efficient. This could be in the shape of grants or tax cuts. Do check with your local building authority about the measures for your area.

Not sure where to start?

Contact one of the certified Cedral Professional installers.

They can answer all your questions about insulation combined with Cedral weatherboards.