Thermal insulation

Thermal insulation is a layer of material that lets heat through only with difficulty, such as extruded or expanded polystyrene, mineral wool and spray polyurethane foamSpray polyurethane foamA foam sprayed on as a liquid that expands on the spot and sets into one seamless layer. It insulates against heat and cold and closes cracks and joints.. It goes into the building's outer shell: the flat roofFlat roof (roof terrace)The flat concrete roof on top of a building. It is the most common kind of roof in Greece and the part that takes the most sun and rain., the outside walls, the pilotisPilotis (open ground floor)The open ground floor under a block of flats, standing on columns with no walls, usually used for parking or as the entrance. ceiling and under pitched roofs.

An uninsulated home loses heat through its walls, roof and floor in winter, and in summer the heat of the roof slab passes straight into the rooms. With insulation a home needs less heating and cooling, the walls stay warmer on the inside, and condensationCondensationMoisture in the air turning to water on cold surfaces such as windows, outside corners and ceilings. It is the most common cause of mould indoors. and mouldMouldFungi that grow on damp surfaces, leaving black or greenish spots and a musty smell. It is a symptom of damp, not a problem with the paint. are reduced.

Thermal insulation is not waterproofingWaterproofingThe work and materials that stop water getting through on flat roofs, balconies, bathrooms, basements, planters and tanks., although some materials, such as polyurethane foam, do both. Most insulation materials need protecting from water and sun, and the layer must be continuous: wherever there is a gap, for example at columns and beams, a thermal bridgeThermal bridgeA spot in a building where heat and cold pass more easily than through the rest of the wall or slab, such as columns, beams and the edges of a slab. forms and the wall gets cold and "sweats" there.