Energy Efficiency Performance
Real World Insulation Performance
Insulation performance is a key factor when choosing your garden room supplier. With many different material types, claims on energy efficiency performance and the possibly confusing world of u-values, we decided to return to one of our completed garden rooms, to find out how it performs in the real world.
Case Study 1 - Insulation Performance
For this case study, we will take two temperature data loggers; one will be placed outside in a shaded area to measure the outside ambient air temperature, the other will be placed inside the insulated garden room to measure the internal temperature. This garden room features our standard insulation specification, type of insulation and thicknesses.
We will then use the built-in heater we supplied with the garden room, to heat up the internal space to 10 degrees Celsius above the outside temperature. Here we will see how long it takes to heat the internal space.
Once the internal air temperature is heated to 10 degrees Celsius above the outside air temperature, the internal heater will be completely switched off for the remainder of the study. We will then measure how quickly the internal space cools down over the remained of the day, replicating what you would experience during an average working day in September.
Efficiency Results
For the first ten minutes, you can see the two data logger are placed outside to both adjust to the outside temperature, after 10 mins one data logger is moved inside. The outside temperature is around 12-13 degrees Celsius.
The second data logger is placed inside of the garden room and the heater is turned on, with the thermal imaging camera you can see the heater doing its work.
It takes about an hour to heat the internal space to 23 degrees Celsius, 10 degrees above the outside air temperature. The heater is then switched off and the garden room is locked.
Over the next 6 -7 hours the inside air temperature of the garden room maintains above 22 degrees Celsius with no additional heat from the heater, losing less than a degree in temperature in nearly 7 hours. While there may have been an element of solar gain as the outside temperature rises 2-3 degree over the day, this is still an impressive performance.
This experiment demonstrates what you can expect from an average day working in one of our garden rooms and hopefully provides more or an insight than providing U - values. Our build specifications feature high levels of thermal insulation, deliver warm and comfortable spaces that can be used 365 days a year, together with low ongoing energy costs.
More Information
DETAILS THAT MAKE OUR INSULATED GARDEN ROOMS CLASS LEADING
U-values
U values are how we measure and compare the insulation performance of materials. The U values are figures defined by laboratory tests carried out by the insulation manufacturers and then published. Knowing the U values of a range of insulation materials helps us to understand which materials will work best to keep our internal spaces warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. When it comes to garden rooms, knowing the U values of the insulation used and the overall u values of the floor, wall and roof constructions, which can be calculated, allows customers to compare different garden buildings to determine which will perform the best thermally.
Types of insulation
Insulation roll, insulation board, fiberglass insulation, Celotex, Kingspan! The topic of insulation materials and the types of insulation available, can sometimes leave a level of confusion, which material is best and what thickness do I need? If you have every wandered down the insulation aisle at b&q or wicks, glaring at the 4 x 8 sheets and shrink-wrapped rolls, you will know what I mean. Here we discuss the different types of insulation used by most garden room suppliers and the pros and cos of each. Remember, not all insulation is equal.
Insulated garden rooms
There are many insulated garden rooms available on the market, but it is the type of insulation and the thickness of the insulation used that matters. As we offer class leading levels of thermal insulation, we can comfortably discuss and disclose our insulated building specifications. Knowing this will provide you with the confidence needed that you new garden room will be usable 365 days a year.
Build specification
We sometimes hear comments comparing a modern insulated garden room to no more than an insulated garden shed, for our insulated garden buildings that really isn’t the case. We don’t supply the cheap garden rooms that you can find made from shed like materials, instead we use residential specification materials that you would find in the build specification of any newly build home. This includes the insulation, main structure, windows and doors, roof weather proofing and external cladding among others. This results in quality buildings, that have a solid feel and will undoubtedly last the test of time. This approach does mean we are not the cheapest garden building supplier, however we do offer the most value.