Ecological insulation

Good for you and good for the environment.
Comparison of insulating materials

What is the best ecological insulation?

Insulation products can be divided into different categories: synthetic insulation materials, mineral insulation materials and natural insulation materials. The latter include renewable materials of organic origin such as hemp, sheep's wool, wood and cellulose.

Examples of mineral insulating materials are sand, stone or lime. Although they contain mineral raw materials, they are not considered natural insulants because of the way they are manufactured. Examples of mineral insulating materials are glass wool, rock wool, cellular glass, calcium silicate boards and expanded clay.

As their name suggests, synthetic insulating materials are made from man-made substances such as polystyrene, usually based on petroleum. Examples of synthetic insulating materials include expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), polyurethane (PUR) and polyisocyanurate (PIR).

Natural or ecological insulation isinsulation based on materialsrenewable raw materials, i.e. materials of organic origin such as hemp, sheep's wool, cellulose and wood. Compared with synthetic and mineral insulation materials, they have a better ecobalance and good insulating properties. Our comparison table gives you a quick overview:

What are the advantages of Gutex ecological insulation?

Eco-friendly wood fibre insulation is durable, comfortable - and comes from a natural carbon sink

Building with wood is not only one of the oldest forms of construction in the history of mankind, it's also an active contribution to climate protection and the preservation of our living space. And that's not all: if you insulate a building withecological wood fibre insulation from Gutexyou protect yourself against heat, cold, noise and mould growth - and against excessive energy costs. Insulated with wood fibre, your home will also give you a great deal of pleasure in terms of design.

Any questions?

In our FAQ section, you'll find all the most frequently asked questions on the subject of ecological construction and renovation with wood fibre insulation - and the answers are, of course, provided at the same time!

Good for you, good for us all

Environmental benefits of ecological insulation

If you want to build sustainably and actively protect the climate - even beyond the energy savings achieved by insulation - then wood fibre insulation is the solution.

Wood is the most durable of all building materials

By using wood, you are also using the carbon stored in it as a component of the CO2- for at least 40 to 50 years per cycle of use. So when you choose Gutex wood fibre insulation, you're opting for a comfortable and healthy home, and making a contribution to preserving our living space, the earth. As our wood only comes from certified forests around our factories, we can guarantee that more trees grow back than we harvest economically. To maximise this enormous sustainability value, we process it to environmentally-friendly standards.

Everyone wins

You win, the environment wins
  • We only use PEFC-certified wood: more wood grows than we consume as a raw material, and with the new trees planted, the absorption of CO2starts again.
  • In accordance with DIN ISO 50001, we are committed to reducing our energy consumption and constantly improving our energy efficiency.
  • We produce our own renewable energy and operate a cogeneration plant, photovoltaic panels and a biomass facility.

Hand in hand with nature

Trees filter the greenhouse gas CO2from the air and store carbon as a component of CO2we transform this wood into insulation - and building owners and renovators have it installed by our specialist partners in accordance with the rules of the trade, and therefore on a long-term basis.

Why insulate with wood fibre?

Protection for you and protection for the environment.
For now and for the future.
A contribution to preserving our living space.

 

This is the Gutex effect.

Naturally healthy

The health benefits of ecological insulation

A dream for every room

Enjoy a healthy indoor climate

If you have a damp area in your home, you can't insulate it with wood fibre insulation!

Setting the heating to five is still not a panacea for mould: fungi grow on cold wall surfaces, where moisture from the warm air in the heating system settles. Withgutex wood fibre insulationyou'll keep your walls warm and open to diffusion, and effectively prevent mould and draughts.

Discover the benefits of humidity for your well-being

How comfortable we feel in a room also depends on the humidity of the air. At a temperature of 20 degrees, we consider a relative humidity of around 50% to be pleasant. Below 40%, we find the air too dry, and above 70%, we find it stuffy.

Given that the humidity of the air between our four walls varies as a result of our breathing, cooking, showers, plants, etc. as well as the weather, the best solution is to live in ecological wood-fibre insulation: not only does it keep the inside of the outside walls warm, but it also absorbs water from the air and releases it as required, regulating the humidity of the air to a comfortable level and protecting against mould formation at the same time.

Qualities of wood fibre

Wood fibre can do many things - for example, contribute to a healthy indoor climate and excellent living comfort. Why? Because :

No excess humidity, no mould

Compared with petroleum-based insulation such as polystyrene or polyurethane, wood fibre insulation is around 15 to 20 times better at wicking away moisture, thanks to its openness to diffusion.

Quiet, please!

Put your home on silent mode

Your home: a haven of peace and tranquillity

Construction noise, road noise, aircraft noise: when noise levels rise, quality of life declines. Yet peace and quiet are a prerequisite for feeling at home. Gutex wood fibre insulation absorbs and insulates noise - no matter where it comes from: outside, upstairs, downstairs or in the next room.

Noise? it won't come into your home

Noise is annoying and, in the long run, even dangerous to our health, which is why it's all the more important to give our hearing a rest, especially in the home. Our wood fibre insulation gives it a wonderful break, because it absorbs noise in the best possible way. This applies both to airborne noise, caused by planes, cars or loud music, and to impact noise, which can occur when walking on laminate or parquet floors. It even reduces the sound of pipes considerably.

10 dB less, 50% of volume

Used consistently, our systems and products can reduce the noise in your home by around 50 dB. That's huge, because we already perceive a difference of 10 dB as being half as loud.

Too much noise makes you sick

We can close our eyes, but not our ears, so we have to move away - or turn away from the noise. The pain threshold for our ears is 120 dB, which can be reached in the vicinity of an aeroplane. But street noise at 70 dB can also make us ill over time.

Why insulate with wood fibre?

No stale air in the house.
To be able to relax in total tranquillity.
And even on hot summer days, get a good night's sleep.


This is the Gutex effect.

It's safe and secure.

The benefits of ecological insulation for your safety

Wood fibre? Really hot.

Don't let anything burn

Sparks, lightning, a short circuit in a pipe? What happens if a fire breaks out one day? Gutex wood fibre insulation has a fire resistance time of up to one and a half hours in proven constructions: if it does burn, it burns slowly and gently - and does not ignite immediately. It may not save your party, but it can save lives.

You'll certainly sleep more peacefully

Some fossil fuels drip burning from the facade and produce highly toxic smoke. In the event of a fire, ourwood fibre insulation boardsthis slows the passage of the fire and gives the occupants more time to escape. It has also been proven that wood fibre insulation panels contribute to the fire resistance of building components, as they significantly delay the passage of temperature. And as they burn only slowly, the building component benefits from a longer volumetric resistance than that of certain other insulation materials.

Do you have a roof problem?

Safe - whatever happens

The climate changes - with Gutex wood fibre insulation, your home can withstand all the consequences: our roof underlay panels are not only rain-resistant, they can even withstand extreme hail, as confirmed by TÜV Rheinland: hail resistance class 4 for Gutex roof underlay panels from 35 mm upwards and the highest class 5 for Gutex Ultratherm from 60 mm upwards.

You're perfectly protected, even in bad weather

Many buildings are ill-prepared for the increase in heavy rain and hailstorms. And this is how it can happen: first, the storm partially uncovers the roof, then the hail destroys an underroof that is too poorly designed and the protective fabric can no longer absorb the rain that starts to fall. Moisture seeps into the building components and into the rooms.

 

Gutex roof underlay panels are so stable that they can even withstand high mechanical stresses. And what about rainwater? The panels are hydrophobic, so they drain any rainwater away through their surface. Wind and rainproof roof underlays of this kind are possible for almost all roof structures and designs - and are always a wise investment, because they significantly increase the durability and safety of your roof.

Keep a cool head

Is the heat keeping you awake?

Not with wood-fibre insulation, because with wood-fibre insulation you'll be able to get a good night's sleep, even on hot summer days.
Do you break out in a cold sweat when summer rolls around? Because you can already see yourself tossing and turning in bed without being able to sleep? Gutex wood fibre insulation provides perfect protection from the heat and keeps high temperatures well outside, so your rooms stay pleasantly cool for longer, allowing you to relax - even under the roof.

Start the day well-rested, even in summer

At temperatures above 26 degrees, it's hard to think of a good night's sleep. Fortunately, Gutex wood fibre insulation absorbs heat much better than conventional insulation materials, so you're not only well protected from the cold, but also from the heat.
 
Did you know that people who insulate with wood fibre reduce the number of excessively hot hours in their homes by up to 65% a year?
 
This is the finding of scientific studies that have compared the summer thermal protection of wood fibre insulation with that of mineral insulation.

Ideal if the hot weather stays outside

Compared with conventional insulation materials such as hard foam or mineral wool, Gutex wood-fibre insulation has the lowest thermal conductivity: it delays the penetration of outside temperature to the inside the longest.
 
Because it absorbs heat from outside thanks to its high specific thermal storage capacity of 2,100 J/kgK, buffers it for a long time and only releases small quantities of it inside (amplitude attenuation). And because the heat escapes again at night, the temperature varies much less, even under the roof.
 
So your four walls stay warm in winter and cool in summer.

Why insulate with wood fibre?

Having thought about the unthinkable, you can relax in peace.
No need to worry about fire or weather protection.


This is the Gutex effect.

Good for you and your wallet

The benefits of ecological insulation for your finances

A chilly atmosphere?

Put some warmth in your life

Does it feel just as uncomfortably cold with just as many draughts inside as outside? Does your flat not warm up properly despite the heating being on full blast? With Gutex wood fibre insulation, you no longer lose precious ambient heat through the façade. This saves energy, emissions and money - and gives you a comfortable home with warm walls and floors.

Your feet will never get cold again

Room comfort is the result of the interaction between the ambient temperature, the temperature of the room surfaces, air movement and air humidity. Wood fibre insulation has a positive influence on all these factors: the heating heat passes through the walls, is temporarily stored by the wood fibres and is released back into the room, so that it cools down more slowly when the heating output is reduced. And you don't just save on heating costs! Because we feel best when the temperature of the walls and the air do not differ by more than 3° C.

A makeshift patch-up?

Benefit from sustainable value retention

If your house is already a few years old, you can make the most of it with a Gutex façade insulation system that's tailored to your taste, robust and durable. And because it wicks away moisture, protects the building structure and prevents vegetation from growing, you'll even be pleasing your grandchildren!

If your home is over 30 years old, it's time to renovate.

An old facade is greyish, cracked, overgrown with moss and fungus and is hardly able to preserve the substance of your home. Cracks and spalling are caused by building movements, settling or wear and tear. Wear and tear in turn results from the interaction between the different building materials and the influences of temperature and humidity.
 
The consequences can be serious: the masonry is damaged and waterlogged, and you feel it inside the house too - especially as a damp façade insulates less well.
Not wasting energy?

Saving everywhere - except comfort

If your house is already a few years old, you can make the most of it with a Gutex façade insulation system that's customised, robust and durable. And because it wicks away moisture, protects the structure of the building and prevents vegetation from growing, you'll even be pleasing your grandchildren!

Stop heating through the window

In Germany, we consume around 41% of energy in buildings, 80% of which is used for heating. So if you want to cut your household budget significantly, you need to reduce your heating requirements: our environmentally-friendly thermal insulation significantly minimises the amount of heat escaping through your four walls. And not only does this pay for itself quickly, it also pays off - in the form of attractive subsidies. What's more, you become less dependent on rising fossil fuel prices.

Sustainable savings

A house insulated with Gutex can save you almost half the heating costs generated by poorly insulated buildings in winter - under optimum conditions.

Why insulate with wood fibre?

When a house becomes a home: warm, comfortable, cosy.
A dream home with a future.
With more money in your pocket.


This is the Gutex effect.

Good advice, better living

Ask for advice

Whether you're a builder, a craftsman or a retailer, we're here to help.

Would you like to find out more about our products and systems? Do you have any questions about our sales conditions and distribution channels? Or would you like to receive a personalised quotation? Whatever your needs, we're here to help.

Insulate well.

We are Gutex: a 4th-generation family business employing over 300 people, focused on quality, innovation, sustainability and long-term success. Our aim: to offer you a home with excellent living comfort.

Ecological, energy-efficient, natural and good.