Lesson 1Expanded and extruded polystyrene (EPS/XPS): thermal performance, compression, moisture resistance, use in walls and floorsThis part checks EPS and XPS qualities, including heat work, press strength, wet resistance, and long lastingness, with tips for use in walls, floors, and under-ground builds.
EPS vs XPS manufacturing and typesThermal resistance and aging effectsCompressive strength and creep limitsMoisture uptake and freeze–thawWalls, slabs, and below-grade detailsLesson 2Fire performance, VOCs, and indoor air quality considerations for insulation materialsThis part looks at fire work, smoke and poison releases, VOC letting out, and their effect on inside air, plus test rules, labels, and design ways to cut down people exposure.
Fire tests, Euroclass, and NFPA ratingsSmoke toxicity and halogenated foamsVOC sources in insulation productsEmission labels and certification schemesVentilation and enclosure strategiesLesson 3Thermal bridge mitigation materials: insulated plasterboard, thermal breaks, continuous insulation principlesWe check materials and plans that cut heat bridges, including insulated plasterboard, structure heat breaks, and steady outside insulation, with details at slabs, balconies, and openings.
Identifying linear and point bridgesInsulated plasterboard use and limitsStructural thermal break materialsContinuous exterior insulation conceptsDetailing at balconies and slab edgesLesson 4Mineral wool (glass and rock wool): thermal conductivity, sound absorption, fire behavior, typical applicationsThis part explains glass and rock wool make-up, heat flow ranges, sound soak-up, and fire hold, then links these to usual uses in walls, roofs, fronts, and service spaces.
Glass wool vs rock wool compositionThermal conductivity ranges and testingSound absorption and density selectionReaction to fire and Euroclass ratingsTypical wall, roof, and cavity usesLesson 5Reflective and radiant barriers: how they work, when to use in hot climates, compatibility with ventilation and air gapsThis part explains shiny and heat barriers, their need for shine level and air spaces, good weathers and roof builds, put-in traps, and mix with air flow and damp control.
Radiant heat transfer fundamentalsLow-emissivity surfaces and agingRequired air gaps and orientationsUse in hot roofs and attic spacesVentilation, dust, and moisture issuesLesson 6Acoustic panels and resilient channels: absorption coefficients, decoupling methods, placing in partitions and ceilingsWe look into sound panels, bendy channels, and split systems, on soak-up numbers, fix conditions, side paths, and best ways for walls, ceilings, and fix-up upgrades.
Absorption coefficients and test methodsPorous vs panel absorber behaviorResilient channels and decoupling rulesControlling flanking transmission pathsPlacement in walls, ceilings, and studiosLesson 7Cellulose and natural fiber insulations: thermal/acoustic properties, hygroscopic behavior, ecological considerationsThis part covers cellulose, wood fibre, and other natural insulations, pointing out heat and sound work, wet buffering, put-in ways, lastingness, and nature and life-cycle sides.
Types of natural fiber insulationsThermal performance and heat capacityAcoustic behavior in light assembliesMoisture buffering and mold controlLife-cycle, sourcing, and recyclingLesson 8Vapour barriers, vapour control layers, and breathable membranes: sd-values, placement strategies for cold and mixed climatesWe make clear vapour blocks, vapour control sheets, and breathable covers, on sd-values, spread vs air leak, right place in cold and mixed weathers, and usual fail ways.
Diffusion, permeability, and sd-valuesVapor barrier vs control layer rolesMembrane placement by climate zoneAirtightness, leaks, and drying pathsCase studies of moisture failuresLesson 9Polyurethane and PIR board: high R-value per thickness, flammability, vapor behavior, use in roofs and thin retrofit situationsHere we study PUR and PIR boards, on high R-value per inch, closed-cell build, fire catch and smoke, vapour hold, and details for roofs, fronts, and thin inside fix-ups.
Foam chemistry and blowing agentsR-value per thickness and agingFlammability, smoke, and fire codesVapor resistance and condensation riskRoof and retrofit detailing examples
