Insulation

Insulation is a permanent way to make your home more energy efficient, by regulating the temperature within the house against the varying outside temperatures.

Relying less on artificial temperature control reduces greenhouse gases by heating and cooling a house naturally instead of using electric power to do the same job.

Insulation is measured on an R-rating scale: that is, how resistant to temperature change it is. The higher the R value, the higher the level of insulation. For example, an R-rating of 2.5 can reduce your home energy bills by up to 50 percent.

It’s worth checking the recycled material content of the insulation you choose. Currently, some brands of polyester insulation contain up to 80 percent recycled PET (the plastic commonly used in drink bottles). Some brands of cellulose fibre contain 100 percent recycled paper. Fibreglass insulation usually contains between 25 and 60 percent recycled glass.

Getting the most out of insulation

• Fibreglass batts are the most common materials used for insulation. Reflective paper is also effective, and many people opt for a combination of both.
• Alternatives include treated cellulose fibre, wool batts, paper waste, rockwool, polyester batts, polystyrene, and composite aluminium/recycled plastic. There are even air-cell types that appear similar to bubble wrap plastic sheets.
• Insulation can be installed in the roof, as well as in wall cavities and under the floor. When renovating, take advantage of the opportunity to install insulation into your home.
• Some types are heat reflective and can be quite thin. Other types rely on bulk to do the job, and can be up to 15cm thick.
• Some factors to consider when installing insulation are whether it will interfere with wiring, and whether it will be exposed to water.
• A leaking roof will cause fibre batts to become waterlogged and heavy. This could cause water damage to your home, not to mention structural damage if the ceiling could not support the extra weight.
• Much of Queensland is rated warm-humid: in naturally ventilated house ceilings, use a minimum of R 2.5 insulation. In centrally heated or air conditioned houses, use a minimum of R 3.0 insulation. In tropical locations this increases to R 3.5.
• Wall insulation in all cases should be R 1.5 or better.

• Don’t forget the windows; various forms of double glazing are effective insulators and there are excellent direct coating systems that reflect substantial amounts of heat from the glass.

Installing insulation

Most types of installation can be self-installed. If you are planning to install it yourself, read the instructions carefully. However, for best results, insulation should be installed by a professional.

Caution: Fibre-based insulation such as fibreglass batts is hazardous to install, as contact with skin or breathing in the fibres is dangerous. If you are installing fibreglass batts yourself, then make sure you have all the correct safety equipment such as dust mask, goggles, gloves, and clothing that covers all your skin. Also, fibreglass insulation should be avoided if there is any chance of the fibres entering your living space.