Repsol YPF

Homemade solutions for insulating a property and reducing the humidity inside are valid for partially preventing possible loss of heat or cold, but you should be aware that they never resolve the problem, which gets worse with time. You can put insulating tape and draught excluders on the doors and windows in order to reduce the energy bill and increase your family’s comfort. If the building where you live is old and the flats have damp, you could assess the option of thermal rehabilitation, which is less complicated and expensive than you might first think, and can complement other necessary alterations. 

The Spanish Institute for Energy Diversification (IDAE) and the Spanish Association for Insulating Materials Manufacturers (ANDIMAT) have published the “Practical Guide to Energy and Building Rehabilitation. Insulation, the best solution” (Pdf). This is a publication that is aimed at presidents of residents’ associations and estate managers, it details all of the options for improving the thermal insulation of a building, and explains the advantages of thermal rehabilitation. This kind of solution can lead to energy and financial savings, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30%, by limiting heating and air conditioning needs. It is highly recommendable that you consult this guide before commencing any work to reinforce the thermal insulation of your building, as well as finding out about the grants offered by the local authorities, through the bodies responsible for energy in the different autonomous regions. 

Elements requiring attention     

The thermal insulation of a property involves ensuring that the elements which are in contact with the exterior increase their resistance to the circulation of heat, which is achieved by incorporating insulating materials in external walls, roofs, flooring, pipes, partition walls and cavities. The most commonly used insulating materials are expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), polyurethane (PUR), flexible foam and glazing insulation. The latter is applied to the windows and glazed construction elements, through which the majority of energy escapes both in summer and in winter. This loss of heat and cold can be significantly reduced by installing reinforced double glazing, which has better insulating characteristics than both traditional and single glazing. 

Extruded polystyrene (Pdf), polyurethane (Pdf) and expanded polystyrene (Pdf) are perfect for achieving thermal insulation in roofs and façades, whilst the latter is also used for flooring and paving. The use of any of these materials is ideal for the thermal rehabilitation of a building, since all three help to improve energy saving, the acoustic impact and environmental protection. 

Flexible foam (Pdf) is perfect for pipes (water, air conditioning…), since it not only eliminates the energy loss caused by insufficient pipe insulation but also significantly reduces the noise generated by them. All properties with hot water pipes that have not been properly insulated waste water, since people often leave the tap to run until it reaches the right temperature. This can be avoided by protecting the pipes with flexible materials. 

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