Saskatchewan's Green Directory Helping Saskatchewan choose a better environment

All appropriately-installed insulation results in a reduction in energy usage, and hence generally in a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

A variety of different types of insulation are readily available in hardware stores, and for most people one or other of these conventional types will be the best choice for most jobs, if only because of their low cost.

However, at present we are listing here insulation products in two categories only:

(i)insulation made from natural fibre (straw, hemp, flax, sheepswool, etc) or recycled fibre (cellulose insulation with a greater than 80% recycled content): these products will take on increasing importance in the future, as the embodied energy of buildings becomes a more significant proportion of the total environmental cost.

(ii) more conventional insulation products which are manufactured or fabricated within Saskatchewan.

What to look for

• Insulation effectiveness

  Use of a fibrous insulation material will generally be difficult to justify unless it has an insulation value at least close to that of conventional materials like mineral fibre. We suggest a maximum conductivity of 0.05 Wm^-1K^-1 in standard tests (equivalent to a minimum of R-2.4 per inch) for organic-source materials.

• Fire resistance

  Ask your supplier to provide information on the material’s resistance to fire in the location in which you plan to use it.

• Mould resistance

  Your supplier should be able to guarantee that the material will remain free from mould growth, or at least specify the conditions under which it is safe to use it.

• Added chemicals

  In order to satisfy the first two considerations, chemicals need to be added to organic-source and some other insulants. Likewise, insecticides may be necessary. Some such treatments cause more environmental and health problems than others. You should check that any product is free of seriously toxic chemicals. For example, products which use borax or diatomaceous earth are to be preferred to those which use organophosphates.

Criteria