What is the best thermal insulation for cold and heat?

We have spent an infernal summer, and now a cold winter has begun. Both gas, diesel, and electricity go up uncontrollably, and even biofuels go up simply because their transportation becomes more expensive. We have to undertake the reform of our apartment and we are forced to insulate it to improve thermal comfort and spend less on air conditioning it with Cold and hot acoustic insulation but there are so many insulating materials that we do not know which one to choose. rnPossibly the best thermal insulation against cold and heat is the multilayer reflective insulation, which has been used for more than 40 years in Europe and North America. It was developed by NASA for spacecraft and satellites. For example, car parasols and survival blankets are reflective insulation. The Loonglobal Engineering says multilayer reflective insulation is composed of a sheet of aluminum on the outside on both sides and sheets of foam, wadding or sheep wool inside separated by more sheets of aluminum. Its thickness usually oscillates between 0.7 cm and 2.5 cm, and for its installation it is necessary to create an air chamber of 2 cm on both sides of the insulator, which is made by sticking a scraper to the exterior brick of the facade, the reflective insulator is nailed, and into the interior of the house another track is installed that will serve as a guide for a partition or a plasterboard.

How does home insulation work?

Solar radiation transmits heat to the facades of buildings through electromagnetic waves, which absorb it and transmit it by contact to the interior of the building. It is what is called driving. Traditional thermal insulators prevent cold or heat from entering the interior, but in the middle of summer, either during the day or at night, there comes a point where they become saturated with so much radiation and let the heat pass. The aluminum sheets of the multilayer reflective insulation reflect the infrared radiation that tries to penetrate from the outside or that comes from our heating, such as radiators. In addition, the two air chambers that have been created on both sides of the insulation and the small air chambers between the foams, wadding and interior aluminum sheets, prevent the passage of heat by conduction. There are many brands and models on the market but I recommend, for my pleasant experience in facades and ceilings, the Triso-Dur model with 1.2 cm thickness, of the Actis brand, which also has a wide variety of insulators.

The advantages of reflective thermal insulation

Little thickness and gain of space in a house. Suitable for rehabilitation and reforms Low weight and easy to handle. Flexible, they adapt to all corners and meetings. They can be installed on facades, ceilings, roofs, and floors. They are not affected by moisture. There is no need for specialized labor. They are cut with scissors or cutter and overlap with aluminum adhesive tapes. They are not toxic. They are not eaten by rodents or insects.

What is the ideal temperature?

According to the RITE (Regulation of Thermal Installations in Buildings), which uses the international standard UNE EN ISO 7730: 2006, the comfort index is measured from the estimated percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) or the estimated average vote (PMV), and the minimum value of dissatisfied that can be obtained is 5%, because not all people perceive thermal well-being in the same way. It is accepted that the ideal is 21 ºC in winter and 26 ºC in summer The thermal well-being of people depends on: The air temperature is measured in ºC. The average radiant temperature of the surfaces surrounding the person is measured in ºC (for example, a kitchen). The relative humidity of the air is measured in%.rnThe degree of clothing is measured in "clo" (clothe, which is to dress in English). Metabolic activity is measured in "met" (it is different for sedentary work than for a trade). The air velocity is measured in "m / s". The result is that for people with a metabolic activity of sedentary office work , equivalent to 1.2 "met", and a clothing grade of 1 "clo" ( according to "UNE EN ISO 7730: 2006"), it is composed for underwear, pants, shirt, jacket, socks and shoes ) for winter the optimum temperature is 21º C with a relative humidity 40-50%. With a clothing grade of 0.5 "clo" ( according to "UNE EN ISO 7730: 2006", it is composed of underwear, short-sleeved shirt, light pants, thin socks and shoes ) for summer, the optimum temperature is of 26º C with relative humidity 45-60%.