Indispensable to reduce energy expenditure related to heating during the winter months but also to air conditioning during the summer season, the insulation of walls, floors and attic plays a crucial role in the comfort of our interiors and must therefore to be carried out according to the rules of the art.

However, in addition to the installation technique, the choice of insulating material is a determining factor in its performance...

Representing today more than 10% of the market share in France, biosourced insulation has many advantages that are attracting more and more individuals, especially since the new environmental standards encourage the use of these natural materials, derived from plants or, more rarely, animals.

Sustainable materials

Defined as coming from biomass, biosourced insulation is made from plant materials (hemp fibers, linen felt, cellulose wadding, cotton, cork, wood fiber, cereal straw and oilseeds) or animal materials (sheep wool , feathers), and not fossil fuels (rock, oil and derivatives).

They therefore allow sustainable management of resources, because they can be quickly replenished by the agricultural sector.

They are thus virtually infinitely renewable.

Free of harmful chemical substances, they do not release toxic pollutants into homes, in order to preserve indoor air quality.

In addition, these organic materials are easily recyclable, which is not the case with mineral wool or even synthetic insulation.

Being made from local materials, they also require little transport and therefore have a smaller ecological footprint, while encouraging the economic development of French territories and thus acting for green growth.

Last positive point for the environment, and not the least: their intrinsic capacity to store atmospheric carbon.

Indeed, during their life cycle, plants capture CO2, which therefore no longer has any effect on air pollution and global warming.

Biosourced insulation can thus help offset our greenhouse gas emissions.

Comfort in all seasons

Very dense, biosourced insulation, in particular rigid wood fiber panels, slow down the penetration of cold, but also of hot air inside buildings, so as to shift the peak of heat in the evening, when where it is possible to finally open the windows to ventilate.

This is referred to as nocturnal thermal phase shift.

This thermal damping capacity, essential for indoor comfort both in winter and on hot summer days, is 80% more effective for wood wool than for mineral wool, and can thus make it possible to do without air conditioning.

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Bio-based insulation is also naturally breathable, which has the effect of regulating hygrometry (i.e. the humidity level).

As for their soundproofing capacities, they are equivalent to those of conventional insulation and therefore offer very good acoustic comfort, guaranteeing an appreciable quality of life.

Economy

Thermal colanders: Why wood fiber insulates your walls in a “healthier and more efficient” way

Economy

House: The advantages of wood wool as insulation

Focus: A higher cost

f the advantages of biosourced insulation are numerous, there is nevertheless a slight shadow in the picture: the price.

It is on average 10 to 20% higher than that of conventional insulation (glass wool, rock wool, polystyrene, cellular glass, polyurethane, etc.), which can be a deterrent for households with small budgets.

However, thanks to their capacity for thermal phase shifting in all seasons, these materials can make it possible to dispense with air conditioning in buildings during heat waves, where other insulation is only effective in winter to protect against the cold.

Since heat waves will tend to increase in the coming years, they can therefore quickly pay for themselves.

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