09/08/2022 By acomputer 756 Views

ECOCONSTRUCTION: Guide to insulating materials

ECOMATERIALS

Écoconstruction : guide des matériaux isolants

When carrying out your ecoconstruction work, it is now essential to have a global vision.Where does this material come from?Is it sustainable?How is it made?

An ecomaterial must meet above all ethical criteria: being of natural origin, easily available, in large quantities, easily recyclable, harmless to health and efficient.In terms of performance precisely, the sector has made a lot of progress and now offers thermal coefficients comparable to traditional insulators of which to reassure the most septic.

Insulation will therefore be the cornerstone of an ecoconstruction.What materials are generally acclaimed?Here are the most popular with their strengths and weaknesses.

Straw

Material which requires little transformation, local and inexpensive, the straw makes a remarkable return to the list of insulation.With a thermal resistance of 6 m² K/W, it does not stand out especially from the other materials on this plane, it is more the thickness of the walls which will amplify its insulation power.They will have to be 40cm, which makes it the main drawback of the straw.It is also still little industrialized and therefore, often forgotten by professionals.Companies, however, in this sense, like Isopaille in Sarthe, which offers to standardize this material.

Rehabilitation of the former sheepfold of the Château de Montauban in Fontvieille with the use of rice straw in insulation © FBT Insulation

Straw constructions are still marginal, because they are expensive.Indeed a straw house will require much more labor than a conventional construction because it must be embedded in wood structures.Despite this, straw being waste from the food industry, so it is available everywhere in France for an economic price.Using agricultural straw boots, count around 30 € per square meter.

Hemp

Hemp is a material with many properties and more and more present in the world of construction.Thermal and sound insulation, it is rather easy to install, flexible and versatile.Used for millennia, it was at the time mixed with lime for the construction of houses.

Its sector is today structured and makes it possible to offer a clean product, which generally does not undergo any particular treatment, without additives or other synthetic products.Its culture is widespread in France and allows you to leave clean fields.The plant is used at 25% for its chènevotte, 55% will enter into the manufacture of concrete and coating.Even the remaining dust is used for industrial heating.

Image Biofib Insulation ©: Hemp fiber -based insulation

Its forces will be: strong permeability with water vapor and good humidity regulation.Level performances, let's take the example of hemp rolls, which allow to isolate the interior walls, partitions and attic, for a thermal resistance of 5 m² K/W.On the price side, count around 25 € per square meter.

Wood fiber

Another example of a virtuous manufacturing cycle: wood fiber.Resulting from shredded, moistened woodfall, then heated under pressure.No chemicals are used in this process, which makes it a clean product.It will then be available in flexible or rigid panels.

Écoconstruction : guide des matériaux isolants

ISODUO © ISOVER insulation: wood fiber and glass wool

It is the first ecological insulation on the market and these panels can be used to isolate the floor, the external walls and the roof.Its insulating power is however slightly lower than traditional insulators.It will then be necessary to place a slightly greater thickness.

The wood fiber, however, offers very good insulation in the face of summer heat thanks to its high density.A very good choice for wooden frame houses for example.Wood also has the particularity of being particularly stable in time.Its thermal performance will be around 5 m² K/W for a price of 25 € per square meter and a thickness of 35mm.

Cellulose wadding

Coming from old paper recycling, cellulose wadding is also an excellent choice to isolate.Available in bulk or panel, this material is generally blown in lost attic and floors.It is in France, the most used material for this use and it is also the cheapest.

The cellulose wadding is made from newspaper from unsold, defibre, then kneaded with boron salt.This salt with anti-fire properties, the cellulose wadding will therefore be very resistant, since in burning, this salt will generate water vapor, which will automatically exhaust the flames.This ecological insulation will also be recyclable as desired.

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Cellulose wadding ensures better thermal insulation than glass wool and will offer up to 26% energy savings.In terms of insulation, it is effective with thermal resistance between 7 m² k/w.Specially effective against summer heat, it will also bring additional comfort thanks to its good sound insulation.As for the price, count around € 27 per square meter.It is strongly recommended to call on professionals for its installation, because specific equipment will be necessary.

Recycled cotton

Not far from hemp and insulation of vegetable origin, there is a recycled cotton fiber insulation that deserves to be cited.This is Métis ©.This insulation is made from clothing, mainly cotton, collected by Relais, a subsidiary of the companions of Emmaus.

This insulation is both very efficient, united and completely ecological since it is recycled clothes and in particular canvas of Jean’s.

The canvas of the famous blue pants have the characteristic of being difficult to be valuable in the traditional uses of old rags, once the pants are thrown.On the other hand, it is very suitable for making this insulation and helps give it the blue color which is its signature.

Métis © is an excellent insulation, existing in all usual forms (rolls, panels, etc..)). Il est conforme aux normes, dispose des certifications communes à tous les isolants (ACERMI…))et répond parfaitement aux usages d’isolation d’été, et d’hiver.

It is also particularly effective in sound comfort, cotton having been used for decades in acoustics in the areas of the automobile, household appliances as well as in performance halls

Expanded cork

Resistant and not fearing humidity, cork is an effective insulating material.Made from the bark of the “Chêne-Liège” tree, which is taken in a sustainable manner every 8 to 10 years.

This bark is then heated to 300 ° thanks to steam.Under its action the matter swells and agglomerates thanks to its natural resin.The material obtained is used to make it insulation, but also cork corks for example.

House with cladding and insulation in isoliège ©

Liège is the only rot -proof bio -based insulation and effectively participates in summer comfort.Its price is still high, however.Around 30 € per square meter for a thickness of 60mm and a thermal resistance of 7 m² K/W.

Different, terracotta and cellular concrete

Some structural building materials also have insulating capacities, which sometimes allow you to do without additional insulation.

This is the case of cellular concrete, a product with interesting characteristics.Invented in 1925 in Sweden, this material is made from sand, lime and cement.Mixed with water and a reagent, you get a paste that swells and will imprison the air.It is this air that will play the role of insulation.In the end, concrete will only represent 20% of the final volume of a brick of cell concrete and air 80%.

Its manufacturing process is much less energy -consuming than conventional concrete, thanks to its cooking at low temperature in the oven.This composition will also allow him to be recyclable at the end of his life cycle.

On the thermal resistance side, this material can go up to 7.88 m² k/W, with an air resistance of 100%. Sa mise en œuvre est simple (colle)), ce qui permettra de gagner en productivité et donc de faire de (petites)) économies sur le chantier.

The main actor of this sector in France is Xella with its brand "Ytong" and Siporex.Price level, cell concrete is around € 60 per m2.A higher price than traditional concrete block, but it is important to take into account that this wall will also play the role of insulation.Its easy installation and time saving on the site will also allow you to partially amortize the price, as we have seen.

Sometimes millennial techniques also return to the front of the stage like the adobe.This technique consists in building raw earth walls by successive blocks.To do this for formwork panels called “banches” are installed and the earth is compact to erect the wall.This material offers very good hygrothermal abilities.The wall absorbs moisture, which it restores when the cold settles, causing warming the material.In summer, the opposite occurs, this same humidity will refresh your parts this time.

Ombria, a guest house in Corsica, built in adobe

Another turnkey material, “monomur” brick.Brick made of terracotta, its thickness allows it to offer a thermal resistance of 3.25 m² K/W, by making an insulating material, but rather recommended for hot regions.A monomur brick construction will correspond to a classic masonry, doubled 10 cm insulation.In summer, the brick will preserve the interior freshness and will also save you in heating in winter.Exclusively composed of clay, they do not contain any nutrient substance, no mold will therefore be able to develop there.Count between 45 and 60 €/m2 for a terracotta brick construction, but this price is purely indicative.According to the site and the plans of the work, the price can vary strongly.

The “Bio’Bric” brand, for example, offers a range of slim joint bricks, which is an important element, contributing to the insulation qualities of this product.Also note that a monomur brick wall will require up to 30 times less mortar than for a classic wall, thanks to the thin joint precisely.

The downside of the terracotta in terms of ecology is that its production requires huge tunnel ovens supplied with gas, which is not the most virtuous manufacturing process.However, manufacturers strive to improve the process of manufacturing terracotta to reduce their carbon footprint and make it more compatible with the ecological transition of the building.

As we have seen, many solutions are available to make an eco -construction.Even if they are even more expensive than traditional solutions, they allow you to imagine a more serene future, minimize your energy consumption and therefore respect the planet.It is above all that, the spirit of the ecomaterials.