Knauf Earthwool Ceiling Insulation Batts

Knauf Earthwool Ceiling Insulation

It isn’t difficult to recommend Knauf Earthwool Ceiling Insulation – it is considered to be the softest and least itchy of all the popular glasswool insulation brands, and is backed by a 50 year warranty. Available in R-Values from R3.0 and all the way through to R6.0, you can be certain that there is an R-Value in the Earthwool Ceiling Insulation range to suit your home wherever you should happen to live.

Benefits of Earthwool Ceiling Insulation

• Soft to handle
• Low-itch
• Advanced compression packaging
• Non-combustible
• 50 year manufacturer warranty
• Made using recycled glass
• ECOSE® Technology – no added formaldehyde

Video – What R-Value Should I Install?

A note about Ceiling Insulation and How it Works

If you’ve done some research on ceiling insulation, and find yourself inundated with confusing and even contradictory information, don’t lose heart – the fundamental principles of ceiling or roof insulation, why you need it, and how much you need, are actually very simple and basically amounts to the following:

• Without ceiling insulation batts, a huge portion of your indoor heating and cooling is going to waste, escaping through the ceiling
• Installing a layer of ceiling insulation stops this unwanted heat transfer in its tracks
• Most roof insulation types, including Knauf Earthwool – are classed as ‘bulk insulation’
• The secret behind bulk roof insulation’s thermal insulating properties lies in countless tiny airpockets found in the insulation batts.
• A thicker piece of Earth wool insulation will generally have a higher “R-Rating” – which is a measurement of “Resistance” to heat transfer
• How much insulation you need in your ceiling will largely depend on the climate. Very hot or cold climates generally require higher R-Values.

In case you were wondering, insulation for walls and even underneath the floorboards, works in exactly the same way, but with two major differences. With it’s huge, exposed surface area, the roof space is by far the most important part of your house to insulate, as it accounts for the most heat gain and loss. Whereas the maximum R-Value in walls and underfloors will often be restricted by the depth of the the studs or joists – you can generally install as much roof insulation as you need or like, without special consideration to the thickness of the ceiling insulation.

Video – What to Check Before Buying Earthwool Roof Insulation

Single or Double Layer of Roof Insulation

Roof insulation can be installed in one or more layers. While it is by far the most common practice to install roof insulation as a single layer, between the ceiling joists, some home owners choose to go a level up, and add a layer of insulation, perpendicular to the direction of the joists. This approach has both downsides and benefits, so make sure you consider the following before deciding for the two-layer strategy. There are two main benefits of the double layer

1. It effectively seals up any gaps which might have been missed when installing the first layer
2. It negates almost entirely the effect of thermal bridging

There are also two main disadvantages with the double layer option

1. It takes longer two install (though probably not twice as long)
2. It makes it extra tricky to access your roof space, as the supporting joists are not completely hidden from view.

New Single Layer Option in 2024 – Earthwool R7.0 Ceiling Insulation

Knauf Insulation recently launched a new R7.0 insulation product which is designed to go over the timber joists and reduce thermal bridging. These new ceiling batts avoid the need for a double layer of insulation, saving both time and effort during the install process. You can purchase R7.0 Earthwool online here.

Why Are Insulation Bags so Heavy?

If you’re used to working with glasswool roof insulation but are installing Earthwool for the first time, you may be excused for thinking that the bag is water-logged. The compact bags can weigh up to 18kg, but this has nothing to do with moisture, but rather with the compression technology used to pack the insulation in the poly bags. One bag of Knauf Earthwool roof insulation contains up to twice the square metres of insulation compared to many other common brands, which for the installers means fewer bags to lug into the roof-space. Earthwool batts are definitely the way to go!

Don’t Miss the Itch!

Knauf’s Earthwool brand has been given a number of catchy slogans, the Feel Good Insulation and ‘Don’t Miss the Itch’. Insulation installers who worked with insulation in times past won’t recognise Earthwool batts as a glasswool product, it’s soft to touch and barely itchy at all. Any discomfort from handling the Earthwool insulation is simply caused by the tiny soft ends of the glasswool fibres rubbing against your skin – a quick cold water rinse should suffice to remove the minor discomfort.

Earthwool Ceiling Insulation Range

Earthwool Ceiling Insulation is available in 430mm and 580mm widths and each batt is 1160mm long.

• R3.0 Earthwool Ceiling Batts – 145mm thick
• R3.5 Earthwool Ceiling Batts – 175mm thick
• R4.0 Earthwool Ceiling Batts – 195mm thick
• R5.0 Earthwool Ceiling Batts – 230mm thick
• R6.0 Earthwool Ceiling Batts – 275mm thick
• R7.0 Earthwool Ceiling Batts – 330mm thick (NEW!)
• R8.0 Earthwool Ceiling Batts – 330mm thick (NEW!)