Is plasterboard a good option for thermal wall insulation?

Installing plasterboard insulation from the inside of a wall in the home

Putting in plasterboard to ensure that each wall in your home is insulated is a great way to bring down the price of your heating bills. Did you know that about 16% to 25% of heat in the home escapes through one wall or another?

That means you’ll need to add insulation into each wall if you’re improving energy efficiency in your home, to reduce the price of your bills and - vitally - to protect the environment.

It’s key to remember that putting in plasterboard insulation from the inside of each wall in the home is the lower price option for insulation. Normally, you’ll select an insulation material of your choice before installing a layer of plasterboard over the top of the insulation material.

In terms of the insulation material that sits under the plasterboard - between the plasterboard sheet and the wall of your home, that is - you can choose from various options. Natural insulation (such as sheep’s wool), mineral insulation (such as glass wool or rock wool), synthetic insulation, heat-reflective insulation or new generation insulation, which uses the latest technology.

More detail: what is plasterboard wall insulation?

Plasterboard for thermal insulation differs from normal plasterboard - this is key to note!

Regular plasterboard is commonly used for building work throughout the home, but only plasterboard specifically meant for thermal wall insulation will most effectively stop heat leaving through each wall in your home.

The issue with standard plasterboard

Standard plasterboard does offer some level of wall insulation - it’s low price to purchase, too. You’ll need to use the standard plasterboard in combination with whichever insulation material you choose (rock wool, glass wool, sheep’s wool, and so on).

You may well need to bring an insulation expert into your home to install your standard plasterboard and insulation material combination onto each wall in your home. This is due to the fact that installing standard plasterboard and an insulation material requires significant skill and can be quite a lengthy process.

The two in one plasterboard insulation method

There’s now a more convenient option for installing wall insulation in the home: plasterboard designed specifically for home wall insulation.

In essence, this type of plasterboard combines the plasterboard itself with the insulation material already attached onto it. This means it is far easier to install this two in one thermal insulation plasterboard onto the walls in your home. Remember - installing the thermal insulation plasterboard from the inside of the wall is the low price option!

Using two in one insulation plasterboard means you can add insulation to each wall in your home quicker and easier than by using standard plasterboard in combination with an insulation material.

There are, though, some key points to bear in mind about two in one insulation plasterboard:

• Insulation plasterboard is heavy and quite difficult to handle
• Limited choice of insulation

You’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons of insulation plasterboard to see if it's right for your home walls.

What is plasterboard that’s used in home insulation used for?

Plasterboard that’s specifically designed for insulation consists of two layers of materials, with a thermal seal to stop thermal energy bridging the gap between the two plasterboard layers.

In thermal insulation that uses a two in one system we see the following setup:

• Insulation plasterboard that is around 1cm thick
• Insulation material (such as rock wool, glass wool, and so on) with effective levels of thermal resistance

Depending on the design of the wall you want to add insulation to in your home, you can choose from various types of insulation setups:

• Water-repellent wall insulation: this anti-humidity insulation material is suitable for thermal insulation in a bathroom wall
• Fireproof wall insulation: this is ideal for adding insulation to a wall that’s close to an area that’s used for cooking, near a fireplace or near heating devices in the home
• Anti-noise wall insulation: this type of plasterboard offers effective acoustic insulation to reduce noise pollution

Plasterboard, a vital asset for insulating your home

While plasterboard isn’t the most environmentally friendly option for adding insulation in your home, it does have the advantage of being a low cost method to stop heat from escaping through one wall or another in your home.

Of course, specific plasterboard for insulation carries a higher price than regular plasterboard. Make sure you’re getting the right insulation variety to ensure that you’re upping your home insulation as much as possible!

All in all, plasterboard is a great option for supporting improved insulation in your home. If you’re looking to protect the environment by improving your energy consumption and - in the process - bring down the price of your home energy bills, consider installing plasterboard on each wall of your home. Remember: installing this plasterboard insulation from the inside of the wall is the lowest price option!