U-VALUE CALCULATOR
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UK Building Regulations

The UK government has been progressively tightening energy efficiency standards to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption, and therefore lead the UK toward a greener future. The result is a set of requirements that demands the use of efficient, high-quality insulation to meet Building Regulation standards.

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Key Takeaways: Approved Document L

Last amended in Feb 2023, Approved Document L of the UK Building Requirements serves to set the “standards for the energy performance of new and existing buildings” in the UK. As such, this is the core document that outlines the standards for insulation in UK properties, both commercial and domestic.

In particular, these documents outline and clarify the calculations and considerations that must be taken into account when working on both existing and new buildings.

Want to see for yourself? You can read the documents right here.

Quick Reference: Your U-Value Targets

U-Values measure the rate of heat transfer through a building element (such as a roof, wall, floor). Lower U-Values indicate slower heat transfer, which tends to mean better insulation.

Want to learn more about U-Values? You can read about U-Value Requirements here.

If you want to get a quick idea about the U-Value requirements set out for your building by UK Building Regulations, then we’ve put together the following table to help you out.

All you need to do to get started is…

Select Your Country

To see your U-Value requirements, select your country from the dropdown…

ENGLAND
ENGLAND
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland

SELECT VARIABLE

RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
For Commercial Buildings
Country Application New Build (W/m2K) Extension (W/m2K) Refurbishment (W/m2K)
England Flat Roof 0.11 0.15 0.16
England Pitched Roof (Rafter level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
England Pitched Roof (Ceiling level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
England Wall 0.18 0.15 0.30 *
England Floor 0.13 0.18 0.25
Scotland Flat Roof 0.11 0.15 0.16
Scotland Pitched Roof (Rafter level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
Scotland Pitched Roof (Ceiling level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
Scotland Wall 0.17 0.18 0.30*
Scotland Floor 0.13 0.18 0.25
Wales Flat Roof 0.11 0.15 0.16
Wales Pitched Roof (Rafter level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
Wales Pitched Roof (Ceiling level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
Wales Wall 0.18 0.18 0.30*
Wales Floor 0.13 0.18 0.25
Northern Ireland Flat Roof 0.11 0.15 0.16
Northern Ireland Pitched Roof (Rafter level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
Northern Ireland Pitched Roof (Ceiling level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
Northern Ireland Wall 0.17 0.18 0.30*
Northern Ireland Floor 0.13 0.18 0.25

*Where insulation is installed externally or internally

Country Application New Build (W/m2K) Extension (W/m2K) Refurbishment (W/m2K)
England Flat Roof 0.18 0.18 0.18
England Pitched Roof (Rafter level) 0.16 0.16 0.18
England Pitched Roof (Ceiling level) 0.16 0.16 0.16
England Wall 0.26 0.26 0.30*
England Floor 0.18 0.18 0.25
Scotland Flat Roof 0.18 0.18 0.15
Scotland Pitched Roof (Rafter level) 0.16 0.16 0.18
Scotland Pitched Roof (Ceiling level) 0.16 0.16 0.16
Scotland Wall 0.26 0.26 0.30*
Scotland Floor 0.18 0.18 0.25
Wales Flat Roof 0.18 0.18 0.18
Wales Pitched Roof (Rafter level) 0.16 0.16 0.18
Wales Pitched Roof (Ceiling level) 0.16 0.16 0.16
Wales Wall 0.26 0.26 0.30*
Wales Floor 0.18 0.18 0.25
Northern Ireland Flat Roof 0.11 0.15 0.16
Northern Ireland Pitched Roof (Rafter level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
Northern Ireland Pitched Roof (Ceiling level) 0.11 0.15 0.16
Northern Ireland Wall 0.17 0.18 0.30*
Northern Ireland Floor 0.13 0.18 0.25

*Where insulation is installed externally or internally

Will Multifoil Insulation Meet Building Standards?

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Multifoils are very much capable of achieving Building Regulation requirements; and provide a great range of benefits, alongside performance, to any building they’re used in.

Additionally, thanks to their flexible nature multifoil products are a great tool for meeting building requirements in projects where extensive modifications aren’t a feasible option (such as retrofit).

In fact, SuperFOIL offers several retrofit solutions that satisfy building regulations, without relying on additional insulation materials. What’s more, these solutions provide additional benefits (such as a high-quality VCL and a radiant barrier), when they are installed according to our guidance — allowing these products to provide even more to each project than the average insulator.

On top of it all, SuperFOIL’s multifoil products are exceptionally high-performance; either meeting or exceeding the thermal resistance (R-Value) of many traditional insulation materials.

All together, it’s clear that the high performance, versatility, and efficiency of multifoil makes it a perfect choice to not just meet, but exceed building regulations.

How Can We Help?

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