Where is the best place to use wood fibre in retrofit? – CIJA? | Ep.47

A tight retrofit budget means you can’t tackle everything at once, so knowing where wood fibre insulation earns its place first really matters. It’s one of the most common questions we get asked when someone’s approaching a project, and the honest answer is that it comes down to priorities rather than doing it all in one go.

In the latest Can I Just Ask, the conversation works through those priorities in order. It starts up in the roof, where wood fibre’s thermal mass and heat capacity make a real difference to summer comfort, keeping upper spaces cool when the sun’s beating down as well as holding heat in through winter. From there it moves through internal wall insulation, where the ability to regulate moisture and allow drying towards the room really lends itself to older buildings, and on to floors, which are often an easy win for a big improvement with very little disruption.

The final piece is external wall insulation, and this is where a common assumption gets challenged. It’s easy to reach for polystyrene because it looks cheapest on paper, but once you factor in longevity and the way wood fibre supports a cleaner, longer lasting render, the picture starts to shift. Worth a watch if you’re weighing up where to focus first.