Who are Knauf Insulation?
We’re the UK’s leading provider of high performance, sustainable glass and rock mineral wool insulation solutions. With more than 40 years of experience in the insulation industry, we’re one of the fastest growing and most respected names in insulation worldwide.
Our mission is to challenge conventional thinking and create innovative insulation solutions that shape the way we live and build in the future, with care for the people who make them, the people who use them and the world we all depend on.
Our vision is to lead the change in smarter insulation solutions for a better world. Our aspiration is to be the world’s most trusted insulation partner providing high performing and smart insulation solutions and services for a better world.
What types of insulation products do you offer?
We offer a range of cured glass mineral wool, blown glass mineral wool, rock mineral wool and wood wool insulation products. Our products can be used across multiple insulation applications, including for roofs, walls and floors.
How do I know which Knauf Insulation product is right for my project?
Our Solutions Guide provides information and advice on all our products, with advice on the best insulation for roofs, floors, walls and other applications.
Our Product Finder tool can also help you find the right product, based on your application. It’s easy to use and only takes a couple of minutes. Plus, our industry-first Condensation Risk Analysis and U-Value Calculator can also help you with all the details you need for planning your project.
To talk to us about your project, call 01744 766 600 (8am-5pm Mon-Thurs, 8am-4pm Fri).
Are Knauf Insulation products sustainable?
As part of the Knauf Group, we’re dedicated to supplying sustainable high performance insulation solutions for enhanced energy efficiency in buildings. For example, our glass mineral wool contains up to 80% recycled glass and our rock mineral wool products are manufactured using around 35% recycled content.
We’re certified by a range of major European and UK-based sustainability credentials and use industry leading compression technology along with polyethylene packaging. Our bio-based binder, ECOSE® Technology avoids the use of petrochemicals. It’s less energy intensive than traditional binders, reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions at our manufacturing facilities.
We’ve also been selected as a net zero ‘Business Champion’ by the Construction Leadership Council and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for the CO2nstructZero initiative. It joins a select group of major contractors, consultants, architects, engineers, manufacturers and sub-contractors committed to demonstrating leadership and promoting best practice to reduce construction carbon emissions.
Plus, we have achieved gold status from the Supply Chain Sustainability School.
Where to buy Knauf Insulation products?
If you’re a homeowner, head to our Homeowners Hub for details on where to buy your loft roll.
For other stockist enquiries, use our Contact Finder to speak to your local sales manager. For general enquiries you can also phone us on 01744 766 600 (8am-5pm Mon-Thurs, 8am-4pm Fri).
What are the benefits of using Knauf Insulation products?
Knauf Insulation products are all backed by certification, accreditations and industry standards. We’re also committed to sustainability and constantly improving our manufacturing and production processes.
Our mineral wool insulation solutions play a major role in providing thermal, fire safety, acoustic performance and comfort with the built environment.
Our revolutionary bio-based binder, ECOSE® Technology avoids the use of petrochemicals. It’s less energy intensive than traditional binders, reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions at our manufacturing facilities.
Our entire glass mineral wool product range, and all our unfaced rock mineral wool products made with ECOSE® Technology, have been awarded the DECLARE 'Red List Free' label.
Our products release very low levels of volatile substances which affect indoor air quality, attested by their certification to Eurofins Gold Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort.
Our work to ensure safe and legal operations in our supply chain has enabled us to achieve certification to the Building Research Establishment's responsible sourcing standard BES 6001.
We report the overall environmental performance of our products in Environmental Product Declarations. They’re available for all our products, verified by an independent third-party and comply with the European standard EN 15804. They’re also registered with the Europe-wide ECO-Platform.
Plus, our glass mineral wool and blowing wool products are also registered in the BRE's UK-specific Certified Environmental Profiles scheme. The majority of our products, both glass and rock mineral wool, are rated A+ in the BRE Green Guide.
Do you offer technical support or assistance with product specifications?
We offer unparalleled expert advice on all our products and solutions through our in-house Technical Services Team (TST). With over 20 years insulation experience, our TST provide free, expert advice to construction professionals through phone and email. You can contact the TST on 01744 766666 or by completing this form.
The help desk is open from 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.00am - 4.00pm Friday by experienced insulation experts, ready to provide advice on regulations, products and energy performance.
How can Knauf Insulation help you navigate building regulation changes?
Our dedicated Housebuilders Hub guides housebuilders and suppliers through the Approved Document L changes. It offers a range of free practical resources, guides, and expert insights to help you ensure compliance with your future your projects.
Our award winning KinetiK® app can help approved Supafil® installers with their projects. The app creates an instant digital record of installations and provides Supafil® customers with data showing that their specified products have been installed on site. This happens quickly and easily, and at no extra cost.
Where can I find product literature and information about each product?
You can find links to Certifications, Technical Specifications, Declaration of Performance documents and Environmental Product Declarations on each product page on our website.
You can also download our Solutions Guide for more information on our range of insulation products.
What is the warranty coverage for Knauf Insulation products?
For Warranty Terms and Conditions, visit our Conditions of Sale page and scroll to section 12. Warranty and Liability.
How can I contact customer service for further assistance?
Use our Contact Us page to find information on how to contact our Technical Services Team, Customer Service and Product teams.
For general enquiries you can also phone us on 01744 766 600 (8am-5pm Mon-Thurs, 8am-4pm Fri).
Can Loft Roll be used in my stud wall or in between rafters?
No, Loft Roll is only designed for use on horizontal applications i.e. as ceiling insulation in cold ventilated roofs. Loft Roll is a lightweight product designed for optimum thermal performance and ease of application, as such it will not withstand the forces of gravity when installed vertically, nor does it offer any “friction fit” properties.
How do I cut Loft Roll?
Knauf Insulation Loft Rolls are available as “combi-cut” for ease of application, however if sizes do not match requirement then the whole roll can be cut when in the pack using an insulation saw or sharp knife with a plain or serrated edge.
What is the thermal conductivity of Acoustic Roll?
Acoustic Roll is not assigned a discrete thermal conductivity as it is produced to meet the min 10kg/m3 as per building regulations. If a thermal requirement is also requisite other Knauf Insulation products that meet the minimum density requirements can be used. Contact our Technical Services Team for further information on 01744 766 666
Note: for Robust Details certain density criteria above the minimum may be required to achieve compliance.
Can any Loft Roll product be used in applications where acoustic absorbance is needed?
Only Loft Roll 40 can be used in horizontal applications where acoustic absorbance is required in relevant Approved Documents where a product with a minimum density of 10kg/m3 is deemed to supply the required acoustic absorbance.
Note: for Robust details certain density criteria above the minimum may be required to achieve compliance.
How does the density of glass mineral wool insulation affect its acoustic performance, and is there an optimum?
In acoustic terms, virtually all glass and rock mineral wool products are relatively low in density. This means that, unless there are specific frequencies to be damped, products in the range of 10 – 60kg/m3 will give similar results as a rule of thumb.
Note: Insulation products alone do not give a sound reduction value, only systems or construction elements give this value. Therefore any sound reduction numbers quoted will be in reference to a built system e.g. a partition wall or separating floor, not a slab or roll of insulation.
Why do you not declare the density of some of your products?
Knauf Insulation products purposed primarily for thermal insulation are manufactured to meet the requirements of the relevant harmonized standard, and as such density is not declared characteristic. In the case of thermal performance, density alone is not a parameter that will relate directly to R or K value. This is the case as each product is designed not only for thermal performance but also for suitability in the application intended. Where a product is like to be used for acoustic insulation as well as thermal, we do confirm the minimum density. Please contact our Technical Services Team for further information on 01744 766 666.
Does density relate directly to thermal performance?
As above; not directly in many cases as products are manufactured to meet application demands as well as thermal performance. Select your product in accordance with the intended application in the first instance and match up to the required thermal performance or R value, and as a last step you may need to take into account density from the point of view of acoustic absorption.
What is meant by reaction to fire?
REACTION TO FIRE is the inherent combustibility of a material.
Euroclass A1 means that products meet the highest possible level of non-combustibilty for thermal insulating products when classified to BS EN 13501-1. This classification is a requirement of the relevant harmonized standard as a part of CE marking. A1 means that the product has an extremely low amount of combustible material within it and therefore will not contribute to a developing fire in terms of adding fuel.
What is the difference between reaction to fire and fire resistance?
REACTION TO FIRE is the inherent combustibility of a material
Fire resistance relates to the ability of a built system or element of a building to resist the effects of a developed fire, fire spread, and more importantly, to allow occupant escape and safety. It takes into account how the system maintains its structure as loadbearing elements prevent the spread of the fire and provide protection to adjacent spaces or buildings from the heat of the fire.
Do you offer a service to collect waste mineral wool?
We do not accept waste mineral wool at present. Although we have investigated and continue to investigate several possibilities for accepting waste mineral wool insulation back into our facilities and so diverting it from landfill, there are several challenges that we have yet to overcome:
- Mineral wool insulation is a relatively low-density material. Transporting large quantities uncompressed is relatively inefficient in energy and emissions terms. That's why we compress the new product as much as we can when we pack it in the factory.
- Our glass mineral wool already contains up to 80% recycled materials. One lorry can bring some 20 tonnes of the recycled materials to the Veolia glass recycling facility adjacent to our St. Helens plant; but a large articulated truck wouldn't hold more than 3 or 4 tonnes of waste mineral wool insulation.
- Differentiating rock mineral wool insulation from glass mineral wool insulation can be difficult, especially if the product is older. However, rock mineral wool and glass mineral wool are made in quite different processes and couldn't be reprocessed together.
- Any contamination can cause serious damage to our production equipment. Cleaning recovered waste erodes the environmental benefits of recovering.
As technology improves and segregation at building sites and refurbishment projects improves, so may our ability to accept and recycle the waste. As such this is an area which we are monitoring very closely so that we hope to offer this service to our customers in the future.
Can DriTherm® Cavity Slab be used below DPC level?
DriTherm® Cavity Slabs are a non-hygroscopic, glass mineral wool slab that incorporates a silicon enhanced ECOSE® Technology bio-based binder designed for use in masonry cavity walls. DriTherm® Cavity Slabs can be used in situations where they bridge the DPC in walls. Tests by the British Board of Agrément confirm that DriTherm® Cavity Slabs will not transmit water to the inner leaf, nor will they transmit moisture by capillary action across the cavity or from below damp proof course level.
Does full filling with DriTherm® Cavity Slab eliminate the need for cavity barriers?
A full-fill cavity with DriTherm® Cavity Slabs will meet the requirements of the Building Regulations 2010 Approved Document B (Part 6), therefore cavity barriers will not be required. DriTherm® Cavity Slabs have the highest Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification, in accordance with BS EN 13501-1 : 2007 as the insulation fully fills the cavity, no cavity barriers are required. (For more details, please see: BBA Certificate 95/3212)
What do the numbers on some of your product names mean?
The numbers on our product names are related to the thermal conductivity of the product. So the lower the number, the better thermal performance that product will give. For example Loft Roll 40 will give a better thermal performance than Loft Roll 44.
Got a question? Let us know!