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Ceiling and Soffit Insulation

Ceiling and soffit insulation can help to create a safer, more comfortable internal environment for those working or living in commercial and residential buildings.

An essential part of any building structure – whether applied to suspended ceilings or soffits – it’s vital for retaining heat, reducing sound transfer and reducing the rate at which fire can spread.  

Discover the range of ROCKWOOL ceiling and soffit products – and how they can benefit your project.

 

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Why do we need ceiling or soffit insulation?

As cool air rises, it will easily escape through an uninsulated ceiling/soffit. The same is true for both sound and fire.

Insulated ceiling panels, tiles and grid suspension systems – as well as our other forms of insulation products – can improve the thermal comfort, acoustic performance and fire safety of entire rooms and floors. For information on ceiling panels learn more about ROCKFON – part of the ROCKWOOL Group.

Buildings with internal insulation can deliver significant energy savings and greater thermal performance, making multi-storey developments comfortable for living and working1.

There are three main types of ceiling or soffit insulation:

  • Car park ceiling – High density boards with an optional coating or wood-fibre finish that can be painted or plastered. Boards are glued or mechanically fixed to the ceiling. This enhances the ceiling’s aesthetics as well as its thermal, acoustic, and fire resilience – ideal for protecting properties above.
  • Basement or cellar ceilingVery similar to the car park ceiling products, but with a greater focus on domestic use and requirements.
  • Suspended ceilingCommonly used in intermediate floors, a new ceiling is created underneath the load bearing floor from a wooden or metal structure. Light weight rolls or slabs are applied to improve the thermal, acoustic, and fire performance.

Benefits of ROCKWOOL ceiling or soffit insulation include:

  • Cool retention2 - stopping cool air from passing through a floor
  • Acoustic absorption2 - eliminating long reverberation time
  • Fire resilient properties3 - reducing the risk of a fire spreading
  • Reduced energy bills – which can help alleviate financial issues associated with hot homes4

 

Calculator and savings

Cool air escapes through basement and cellar ceilings – and an uninsulated apartment ceiling will lose heat to the upper neighbour. Insulating your ceilings can quickly lead to energy savings, depending on the size and type of property.

To work out how many insulated ceiling panels, you require for your ceiling, calculate the m² surface area. Include a small percentage for installation losses.

Suspended ceilings in intermediate floors also improve acoustic performance and fire safety – helping to reduce the amount of damage and disruption caused by these, and related costs5.

Use our ROCKWOOL U-value calculator to determine the thermal performance of the building’s ceilings and possible cost savings. For more details on technical specifications, visit our ROCKSPEC Specification Toolkit.

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ROCKWOOL ceiling insulation achieves high fire resistance for up to two hours or more, which is especially good for car park and publicly accessible areas. In combination with the remaining floor construction, it enables complete silence in the room above.

Roger Peeters

ROCKWOOL Group Product Manager

Case studies

The challenge

The UK’s Royal Academy of Music set developers a significant floor, wall and ceiling sound insulation challenge when renovating its London venue. The Susie Sainsbury Theatre was refurbished with the new 100-seat Angela Burgess Recital Hall – and renovations to 14 practice and dressing rooms, as well as five new percussion studios, a jazz room and control suite.

OPCOs to use a local, relevant case study if available

The solution

The Royal Academy worked with engineering consultancy firm Arup to create spaces isolated in terms of acoustics and sound transfer. All Metal Roofing – working on the project – specified ROCKWOOL insulation boards and slabs: “We knew we could trust ROCKWOOL insulation for its performance and acoustics properties.”

The results

The renovation was a huge success, with additional space for the Royal Academy to comfortably hold concerts and events. The project was completed in 2018 and awarded RIBA London Building of the Year and AJ Retrofit of the Year.

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We are delighted with the finished result. Working with ROCKWOOL solutions to understand and guarantee the sound performance of the insulation was a crucial part of the project.

Richard Shanahan

Director, All Metal Roofing

Sustainability and energy efficiency

Energy efficiency is a prime focus of ROCKWOOL insulation – designed to improve the thermal performance of any building.

This increased indoor comfort can help buildings meet and surpass the requirements of local living standards and sustainability schemes.

All our products are made from volcanic rock – one of the most sustainable sources on the planet. Annually, the earth produces 38,000 times more volcanic rock than is used to create stone wool7. Circularity is also key, with reusable and recyclable materials at the heart of our products.

Discover more about our sustainability commitment.

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Financial support

Sustainability schemes and refunds may be available through tax reductions or incentive schemes. Contact our local offices for more information.

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FAQs

What type of insulation is best for ceilings?
Does ceiling insulation reduce noise?
What R-value insulation do I need for my ceiling?