Find our answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about SuperFOIL, our products, and insulation itself.
SuperFOIL is the leading manufacturer of multifoil insulation on the market!
We produce a large range of multifoil solutions — including the world’s highest performing multifoil insulation, SuperFOIL SF60 — and work with a wide range of distributors across the UK, Ireland, and Europe to make sure that SuperFOIL is always available when you need it.
And, on top of that, our free sample packs make sure you can feel the quality of our products for yourself, before deciding whether or not SuperFOIL is right for you.
Yes! SuperFOIL products have been rigorously tested (by certified third-party labs and notified bodies) to ensure they meet the high standards set out by the UK Building Regulations: providing the reliable quality you need while also ensuring that your projects are able to clear regulations.
Very much so. The wadding material we use in our breathable and multifoil products are produced using up to 40% recycled materials, plastic bottles specifically. For example, each roll of SuperFOIL SF19+ we manufacture contains an average of 450 plastic bottles worth of recycled plastic, keeping over 80 MILLION plastic bottles from ending up in landfills each year!
Speaking of landfills, SuperFOIL has committed itself to sending zero waste to landfills and we’ve stayed true to that. Of course, there’s plenty more that we do to keep sustainability in mind throughout everything we do, all of which you can read about on our Sustainability page.
Yes, when installed according to recommendations, SuperFOIL products are more than capable of providing an airtight finish. This would allow you to reduce your energy bills and rid yourself of pesky draughts.
The standard to which you must insulate any property is entirely determined by Building Regulations; and will generally be expressed as a U-Value, which is a measure of heat change across an entire build-up (learn more about U-Values here).
If you’re working with a Building Control Officer, they’ll be able to advise you of the U-values you’ll need to achieve. Of course, you could also check your Building Regulation requirements right here. Either way, our team of experts are always on hand to help you work out the best solution to fit your needs, whatever they might be!
Yes it can!
SuperFOIL is a highly versatile product and can be used in wide range of highly-effective combinations with practically any other form of insulation. What’s more, by adding SuperFOIL to the mix, you provide yourself with the MANY benefits that our products provide.
Practically anywhere — whether you’re insulating walls, floors, or roofs, there is very likely a SuperFOIL product to meet your needs.
And that’s brilliant news, because SuperFOIL products are a brilliant addition to practically any insulation project; providing not only high-level thermal protection, but vapour control and radiant barrier benefits too.
What’s more, our technical team is always available to help you get the very best out of our products. So, don’t forget to reach out and have them do the work of finding the best solution for your project.
Absolutely not.
In fact, properly installed SuperFOIL will reduce the risk of condensation issues in your home. You see, condensation has exactly one cause: warm, moist air meeting a cold surface. And, when it’s installed according to our recommendations, our products will help to make sure that doesn’t happen in your home! There are a few reasons for this, but one of the biggest is the fact that all of our multifoil products act as high-quality Vapour Control Layers.
If avoiding the risk of condensation issues is important for your project, then getting in touch with our technical team for a FREE discovery session is a brilliant way to get some peace of mind while also learning all about what benefits SuperFOIL could bring to your project.
Yes; and there are two primary reasons why:
Taken together, these properties make sound reduction yet another benefit that SuperFOIL products will bring to your project.
However, it is also important to note that SuperFOIL will not be as effective as professional-grade sound reduction products. So, if you’re looking to soundproof a project, think of SuperFOIL’s sound reduction properties as an added bonus, rather than the main tool you’d use for sound reduction.
It is highly unlikely that SuperFOIL products will noticeably impact the quality of wireless signals in your home.
How can we be so sure? Because the majority of the wireless signals you use day-to-day are wired directly into and wirelessly spread throughout your home from a hub (your Wi-Fi router for example). Since these signals originate from within your home, and are unlikely to be blocked by your insulation. In fact, it’s more likely that they’d be strengthened.
What’s more, the few signals that do need to enter your home from the outside – such as cellular signals – would still never be fully blocked, since openings like windows provide easy points of entry for these signals to enter your home. If you’d like to know more, we actually have a blog post explaining why SuperFOIL won’t block your wireless signals!
Absolutely not!
The majority of SuperFOIL products are composite products, meaning they are made using a range of materials. The most common of these are the foil layers (including the reinforced, laminated outer foil layers), the internal wadding made from recycled plastic, and the foam separations between layers.
However, regardless of what they are made of, all SuperFOIL products are non-hazardous and do not contain any red list materials – a fact verified by COSHH assessment of our products.
You do not. SFUF can be lapped up the wall to act as edge insulation in its own right.
However, SFUF can also work perfectly well in combination with an additional edge insulation product, if you’d prefer to use one. It’s entirely up to you whether or not to use one!
Absolutely.
However, since SFUF is a non-rigid product it is important to make sure you are satisfied with its compression resistance if you anticipate needing to move heavy loads over the area.
And if you’d like to learn more about the benefits of using SFUF as an under-carpet solution, you can read all about that in this blog post.
Yes, SFUF can be used in multiple layers, although we recommend keeping it to one or two layers.
This is because SFUF is non-rigid, meaning too many layers of the product could result in “lumpy” flooring. If you need to use multiple layers to meet your insulation needs, we would recommend creating a ‘sandwich’ by layering SFUF with alternative insulation products such as PIR boards.
If you do intend to use more than two layers of SFUF, we recommend getting in touch with our technical team to find the best approach for your needs.
Not at all!
All SuperFOIL products comply with UK Building Regulations for residential use. When properly installed, these products are completely safe for use in the vast majority of situations. However, certain building projects — such as high rise buildings — require a step above the typical levels of fire safety, which is why we have our Fire Rated Range.
SFNC is simply our most fire resistant product, having achieved the highest possible Euroclass rating of ‘A1, non-combustible.’ As such, it is our recommendation when insulating high rise buildings or for any other project requiring a non-combustible solution.
Our Radpacks cannot withstand anything greater than 70°C because at that point the outer layers of the Radpack are at risk of melting, which would obviously damage the performance of the product.
That being said, however, the average UK Radiator will never even reach a surface temperature of 43°C — let alone 70°C. Because surfaces at and above that temperature pose a risk of“serious injury” according to the HSE. As such, it is extremely unlikely that our Radpacks would ever be in a situation where they reach this 70°C threshold.
Absolutely, SuperFOIL breathable products (such as SF19BB and SF40BB) are W1 Watertight. This means that they will keep water out, even while allowing the movement of water vapour that is required of breathable products.
However, it’s important to understand that our breathable products are designed to serve as a secondary rain barrier, typically installed behind roof tiles or wall cladding, which should serve as the primary rain barrier. By acting as a secondary rain barrier, they help to ensure optimal performance and protection against the elements — while still serving as a high-performance breather membrane.
Our SuperFOIL Shed Insulation Kits are designed to make shed insulation easier for you. Each kit includes the following;
And, of course, don’t forget that our team is always available to provide you with any additional support you might need. All you need to do is ask!
Absolutely!
In fact, SuperFOIL Bubble Foil Insulation is perfect for a wide range of DIY uses, offering a cost-effective and easy insulation option. It’s water and corrosion-resistant and comes with a built-in vapour control layer (VCL) minimises the risks of moisture penetration, condensation, and mould growth.
If you’d like to find out a little more about how to make the most of our Bubble Foil range, you can read about it here.
Yes we do. In particular, our bubble foil range of products are ideal for use in any DIY Insulation project.
Some of our most popular DIY products include SFBA MP and SFBA 2/2; but many SuperFOIL products are could be suitable for DIY projects, if you have the right foundational skills, given the relatively straightforward process of installing our products.
If you are planning a DIY project and would like to use SuperFOIL, then we’d recommend arranging a 100% free discovery session with our technical team to discuss which products would best suit your needs.
All you’ll need to install our multifoil products is a little know-how and the right materials. For the know-how, you can check out our installation guides right here; and that just leaves the materials. So, for the average SuperFOIL installation, here’s what you’ll need…
Yes you can!
We have quality SuperFOIL options for both over and under rafter applications; not to mention specific guidance on our recommended installation process in our technical install guides.
Of course, the best choice for your project will depend on your own wants and needs; which is why our technical team are always on hand to help you find the very best SuperFOIL solution for you in a FREE Discovery Session.
Yes! SuperFOIL can be used in flat roofs, pitched roofs, and a range of other applications too!
If you’d like some specific advice about how to best approach a flat roof project using SuperFOIL, then our expert team are always ready to help you find the ideal solution to suit your roof. What’s more, they can even provide you with a U-value calculation and a condensation risk analysis for your project if needed, all 100% free of charge.
Not always, however there may be situations where such ventilation is required.
Given that the ventilation requirements of your project can vary, we would always recommend getting in touch with our technical support team to ensure you have absolute surety in your insulation solution, before beginning work on the project. Particularly since the team is always available to provide insights into the needs of your project, completely free of charge.
We do not recommend using this installation method.
SuperFOIL is designed to be installed as a continuous layer on the face of the timbers. This allows for the best performance from our products, not to mention a quick and hassle free installation process!
We typically recommend using battens with a minimum width of 50mm. However, the depth we recommend depends on which SuperFOIL product is being used.
For example:
If you’re after a quick and easy reference for the ideal batten size for our products, you should check out this blog post.
Yes, SuperFOIL is a great solution for practically any type of wall.
Of course, the best approach to insulating each wall type can vary significantly, which is why we always recommend getting in touch with our expert technical team for free guidance on the best solutions for your project. That way you can be sure you’re getting the very best from your project!
Absolutely!
Specifically, we would recommend our breathable products (such as SF19BB or SF40BB) for these projects. After all, our breathable products provide both thermal protection AND a breather membrane in a single product, helping to reduce the overall size and complexity of your project, while still providing the benefits of a high-quality VCL.
What’s more, if you’d like some guidance on how to best approach an external wall insulation project, then you should check out our blog post on the topic: External Wall Insulation in 3 Simple Steps
This is what SuperFOIL SFNC was designed for!
As a non-combustible insulation product, SFNC is ideally suited for use in insulation systems for buildings over 18m — and it does the job well. In fact, SFNC has been used on multiple large scale projects – including the Royal Papworth Hospital.
Yes. When installed with the recommended air gaps, SF19+, SF40 & SF60 can all achieve or exceed the typically required, retrofit rating, of 0.30U on a wall with no other insulation required.
In fact, SF60 can even achieve the new build regulations of 0.18U in a wall with no other insulation — making it the only multifoil insulation on the market that is capable of doing so.
This will vary by product:
And don’t forget, if you’re ever unsure about the best way to proceed with your insulation project, we’re always available to lend a hand. So, if you need some help, you can let us know right here.
SuperFOIL SFUF was designed specifically for this purpose!
The top layer of SFUF is made from polythene which protects the insulation from the screed, allowing it to be used beneath any kind of screed with confidence.
To guarantee the best performance! Air spaces enable the full benefits of our products’ radiant barrier properties, allowing them to fully protect against every form of heat loss. Our products add dramatically to the thermal value of these air spaces, increasing the overall thermal performance of your build-up — without the added cost of using additional insulation products!
The only exception to this is SFUF, which is not dependent on air gaps for its thermal performance, and can be installed without the use of air spaces.
When using SuperFOIL Insulation products for your project, there is no need to use a separate VCL. This is because our products are designed to act as high-quality VCLs in their own right — in addition to their excellent thermal performance.
In fact, when installed to recommendations, our product will vastly outperform the majority of standard VCL materials.
Yes! SuperFOIL products are safe to use with all underfloor heating systems, although some are better suited than others.
SFUF, in particular, would be our recommendation for this kind of application and if you are considering a project like this, then we recommend getting in touch with our technical team to plan the best approach.
