Superquilt R-values

[ifd66]

I'm considering getting YBS Superquilt (40mm or 1.5inches) for a house build and see R-values quotes around 2.7 or R-value of 1.8 per inch.

Is this right? That this high-tech, high-spec insulation option has lower R-value rating that wool and many other lower tech and cheaper insulation options?

I think I must be missing something.

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Robin]

I stopped reading after doing our roof in 2009 but at that time it seemed to me there was still room to doubt the claims by manufacturers of some multifoil insulation to achieve the same results as much thicker layers of other material on the basis that the lab. results were not the same as "real world" results. There was certainly a long-running war of words and research between the manufacturers of multi-foils and of boards (Kingspan, Celotex etc) or wools. I especially liked the German thoroughness of using 2 identical houses with traditional insulation in one and the new stuff in t'other:

Of course that experiment did not use YBS Superquit so (before their lawyers contact me) I must stress it may be that that might give different results.

[Tim Watts]

Thanks for that - very interesting.

Yes - I was dubious when some contractor asked me if I was interested in

10mm thick foiled quilt.

[Hugo Nebula]

You're missing the history behind it:

Many years ago a product called Tri-Iso Super 9 by a French company called Actis came along. They claimed that it was the equivalent of

200mm mineral fibre, by way of a comparative test overseen by TRADA. Much debate followed, but recently it has emerged that TRADA aren't accredited to carry out these tests, and the methodology was suspect to say the least, so they are now meaningless.

Meanwhile conventional British Standard tests failed to replicate the resistance value claimed. When challenged, Actis claim that the conventional tests don't take into account the special properties of multi-foil insulation. A series of real-life thermographic analyses of buildings with this product and those with others gave readings broadly in line with what would be expected by the conventional tests, in other words, a lot worse than their claims.

There is also an Advertising Standards judgement against Actis for their claims.

Tri-Iso Super 9 (and its successor, Super 10) have been shown on several occasions to be nowhere near as good as its claims.

You may be saying, what's all the above got to do with YBS Superquilt? Read on...

While all the above has been going on, YBS have been making a product that looks similar, but has gone through none of the testing of Actis.

In short YBS make a rip-off version of a useless product*.

*There is a similar product called Thinsulex, which HAS been tested and the company don't make exaggerated claims for it.