Air tightness is essential to a comfortable, energy efficient & healthy home. On average, we spend 90% of our time indoors so it only makes sense to ensure our homes are as free from draught & cold spots as possible – especially when investing heavily on insulation. Air leakage can account for up to 50% of all heat loss in a well-insulated home. It is important to remember though that the building’s envelope is still breathable, aided by the likes of a Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation System (MHRV) bringing fresh warm air into your home. The air tightness barrier simply reduces air leakage to a minimum, ensuring a highly energy efficient home.

The simple answer is no – it’s not really possible to “over-insulate” your home, in fact the more the better! However, there is always a point of diminishing returns where the insulation can cost more than the improvement in heat retention in terms of energy savings.

Insulation should be applied between any barrier that stands between cold & warm air or heated & unheated spaces. The most important areas to insulate heavily are your walls (40% of heat lost), followed by the roof (25%), windows and doors (20%) and lastly the floor. We offer an insulated foundation system & four closed timber frame wall panel options, all offering differing u-values within the passive standard range. All systems are designed specifically for optimal energy efficiency & performance.

Air naturally moves from warm areas to colder spots, and so insulation restricts this naturally movement. During the colder months, insulation prevents cold from entering the house (mainly through the walls and roof) & in the summer it works to keep the cool air inside by blocking it from moving towards the warmer outside air. Insulation requires high levels of air tightness in order to perform to its highest capability. This is typically explained using the “woolly jumper” analogy – imagine going on a windy winter walk wearing only a single layer woolly jumper. Wind would blow through the holes, right? Now apply a light wind breaker barrier over the single layer. This has a dramatic impact on the insulating capability of the woolly jumper as it reduces air circulation. So in order for your insulation to be most effective, it requires an air tightness barrier to protect the build against air movement on both sides.

Ventilation is important in any home regardless of the level of air tightness. It’s essential that adequate fresh air circulates. Controlled ventilation through windows & doors had been suffice in older homes with poor insulation & uncontrolled air exchange through cracks & gaps in the build envelope. In fact, the leaky windows provided enough ventilation without even opening the vents! Today, with improved insulation & air tightness at the forefront of increased energy efficiency, systems such as Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation (MHRV) are becoming extremely popular. These things combined are essential for improved comfort, increase energy performance & a healthier, future-proofed family home.