Few would now dispute that global warming is occurring.  Most experts put this down to fossil fuels.  Insulation cuts down the amount of fuel that you need to heat a house, so Insulating your loft with Mineral Wool insulation not only reduces heating bills but also reduces the amount of Carbon emitted from burning fossil fuels. 

Regardless of whether a domestic house, office, shop, hospital or hotel, Mineral Wool Loft insulation can play an important role in reducing our Carbon emissions. The amount of Carbon saved by improving insulation levels depends on many factors, including the type of fuel used, building size and the existing and intended levels of insulation. 

Improving the thermal insulation of a building can therefore directly reduce the amount of Carbon emitted and so help to alleviate the gases contributing to Climate Change. 

Mineral Wool insulation is typically used to reduce the Heat Loss through a "cold roof" by placing insulation at ceiling level, but many buildings have a thickness that falls short of the standard indicated by the current Building Regulations. 

Insulation is going to save you money.  It cuts heating bills, avoids frozen pipes and Insulation also improves the home environment, reducing sound 'pollution' one of the scourges of modern urban living. 

There is a benefit in fire protection. 

Mineral Wool insulation is maintenance free and the savings do not depend on equipment servicing or replacement. 

Buildings account for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, and apart from reducing heating costs increasing the levels of insulation is central to the governments strategy to meet the UK's Kyoto obligations and alleviate fuel poverty. 

It is estimated that around half of the UK's 23 million houses have only 0 - 150mm of Loft Insulation, compared with the recommended thickness of 270mm of Mineral Wool.  Specific measures include increasing levels of insulation specified by the Building regulations,  the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme which provides grants to qualifying households, the Decent Housing initiatives and supplier Energy Efficiency Commitments.

Mineral Wool can also help companies reduce the cost of the climate change levy by reducing their energy use, and certain measures, such as pipe insulation, can qualify for tax breaks under the enhanced capital allowance scheme. 

Noise is a real annoyance, and recent changes to the Building Regulations include improved levels of acoustic insulation for floors and party walls.  The unique properties of mineral wool mean that it is the principal material used for sound insulation. 

Fire causes 4,000 fatalities throughout the European Community each year, and costs around 1% of GDP.  Improving the fire safety of buildings is therefore an important aim of Government, and in addition to new buildings covered under the Building regulations, employee legislation covers safety in the workplace.  Mineral Wool is non combustible, and Mineral Wool insulation is therefore capable of achieving the highest Reaction to fire classification.  Mineral Wool is also widely used in fire protection applications. 

Fire Development

The development of a fire within a building depends on many factors, including where and how the fire starts, whether there are fire protection systems and what combustible matter is available to feed the fire. The study of the performance of materials in a fire is divided into two distinct areas: 

Resistance to Fire

How materials resist the spread of a fully developed post flashover fire from one room to another.

Reaction to Fire

Measures the rate of burning of a product and its contribution to the development of a fire up to the point of flashover.

Apart from combustitility, one of the most important aspects studied under Reaction to Fire is the potential for flashover to occur - the spontaneous ignition of hot smoke and gases - which can lead to a fire spreading uncontrollably.  If flashover occurs the death rate can increase by up to 300% and flashover can turn a small fire into a major disaster.

Under the Euroclass system insulation products will be tested and categorized into one of seven classes for reaction to fire ranging from A1 (non combustible) to F (fail or no performance determined). 

The actual classification is based on a the tendency of a material to avoid Flashover (A1, A2, B) or promote flashover (C, D, E, F) when tested in the Room Corner Reference test. 

Mineral Wool is non combustible, and Mineral Wool insulation is therefore capable of achieving the highest reaction to fire rating of A1. 

Whether a domestic house, supermarket, office, factory, hospital or school the risk of fire can be reduced through the selection of non-hazardous construction materials. It is therefore vital that everyone involved in the design or use of buildings is aware of the likely reaction to fire of the materials that are used in their construction.