Here in the UK we’ve been experiencing the coldest winter for years, with temperatures frequently plummeting below zero. But in some parts of the world, that is part and parcel of this time of the year every year. Needless to say, the countries enjoying a casual -15 degrees on a good winter day need good Thermal Insulation to keep their homes and places of work and play warm. In this blog, we look at 5 of these countries.
1. Iceland
Remember being in geography class and learning that Iceland is in fact a bit warmer than Greenland? While that’s true, Iceland’s still reaches temperatures below 0 degrees, even all year round. Crazy! Iceland’s houses are primed to make the most out of their heating resources. Much of the country’s housing stock is made up of prefabricated material and sheet metal, which lends itself really well to having insulation board incorporated at the build stage or later. Icelanders have also covered their roofs in turf for over a hundred years, as it’s great insulation.
2. Finland
Finland is another one of the icy cold countries that can feature temperatures well below minus 20 degrees. Heavy winds and snowfall are to be expected when visiting during the four-month winter season, so the Finns know a warm house makes all the difference. The development of building technology that saves energy and makes use of renewable natural resources has been emphasised in Finland. Building regulations state that windows in new buildings must be triple-glazed, and the latest technology enables window panes to function as solar panels. Draught-proofing and a layer of insulation material at least ten centimetres thick are incorporated into the external walls of houses.
3. Russia
Russia is another huge Northern country in Europe that is known for its bitterly cold temperatures. Even in “summer” you can find temperatures below 0 which is just absolutely baffling. Mineral wool (made from basalt fibers) is commonly used for the thermal insulation of walls, facades and roofs, along with glass wool, expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS).
4. Canada
Oh Canada! You’re so very, very cold! Canada is geographically located in the some of the northernmost areas of the world, so it gets extremely frosty there. Some temperatures may even reach below the -40 degrees mark. But the Canadians know their insulation and how to keep warm! The Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) aptly compares a properly insulated house to dressing for the weather. The typical buildings in Canada use fibreglass, mineral fibre, cellulose, rigid foam and spray foam as their insulation materials.
5. The United States
The United States can get pretty excessively cold especially in higher elevations like Colorado and the downright cold and snowy Northeast. New England states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire easily reach scary lows at times. The glass fibers segment of the American market has historically been dominant, however polyisocyanurate, mineral wood, expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene and cellulose are also widely used.
Interested? Check out these insulation products from our site:
Earthwool DriTherm Cavity Slabs from Knauf Insulation
Thermal Efficiency from Pilkington UK Ltd
Roof Insulation from Kingspan Insulation
External Wall Insulation & Renders from Fassa Bortolo
INSUL SHEET® closed-cell foam insulation sheets from NMC (UK)
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