Why Insulate?

Cool in Summer and Warm in Winter

Insulation basically prevents the loss of heat in winter from your home to the outside and prevents the hot air of summer from entering your home. This is because insulation placed in the floors, attics and walls resists heat flow.

Heat flow is a critical element in your energy usage. Heat naturally moves from warmer places to colder places. In winter, the heat produced by your heating system naturally moves from the warm home interior into the unheated spaces such as attics, garages, basements or directly outdoors. To compensate for this, your heating system must run more often to keep the home’s temperature constant. In summer, when the outside temperature is warmer than the interior of the home, heat will flow into your home making your air-conditioner work harder to keep the house cool.

By correctly installing the appropriate amount of insulation, this heat transfer can be reduced, due to insulations’ heat flow resistance, and thereby saving you money on your utility bills.

Understanding R-value?

How is it measured

Insulation is rated by its R-value. This is a measure of its thermal resistance, or how well it holds back warm or cool air, the higher the R-value, the better. Bare concrete foundation walls are about R-1, while attic insulation in newly built homes usually measures about R-38.

R-value is proportional to the insulation’s thickness, but it also depends on the type of material and its density. The more air pockets an insulating product has, the higher the R-value. For example, R-38 attic insulation may be 12 inches of fiberglass batts, 12 inches of rock wool or 10 inches of cellulose.

Be aware that insulation R-values can be measured in two ways. One as a measure of the product as a stand alone item and the other as a ’system measurement’. The system measurement looks at how the product is installed and adds together components such as trapped air space, size of enclosed gap, house construction etc.

Safety First?

Never work alone!

• Be EXTREMELY careful around wiring. If you are using staples and knives we cannot emphasis enough how much care needs to be taken. There is a risk of electrocution especially when using foil products. You may wish to turn the power off at the mains before installing but be aware this may not turn off all power going into the home. If you do this you will need to check each foil sheet for electrical current before declaring it safe.
• It pays not to insulate over wiring if possible, especially older types. This is a common sense approach as overloaded wires need to be able to cool.
• Don’t allow polystyrene to come into contact with any wires as a chemical reaction between the two can lead to deterioration of the wire.
  
• Take great care around plumbing. A small knock can cause a costly visit from a plumber or worse still long term damage to your home. Always install insulation in a way that will allow water to escape should there be a leak
• You need adequate lighting to see what you are doing. We recommend a head light as well as general lighting. Always use an isolator for your lighting.
• Be careful not to install insulation over heat sources such as downlights (and transformers), chimney flues and vents. The general rule is the 150mm gap around all such sources but this may need to be larger depending on the heat generated.
  

Installation basics?

A few things you should know

The simplest insulation for the do-it-yourselfer is probably fiberglass batts with a vapor barrier. New “no-itch” fiberglass products make the job less hassle. Exterior walls and cathedral ceilings can be insulated with rigid foam insulation.

Wear protective gloves and masks.

When installing insulation in the attic, a vapor barrier must be present on the warm side of insulation to prevent moisture problems. The attic must also be properly ventilated.

When installing multiple layers, puncture the vapor barriers on the upper layers.

Don’t squeeze the batts to fit - compressed the insulation has no insulating value.
Get into all the small spaces and corners.

Don’t open the batts until you are ready. It is compressed at the factory and may expand 500% when opened.

Split the insulation partially when covering wires or it will not expand fully and will leave a gap behind the wire.

Install insulation between the rafters of the attic floor, not the ceiling, unless the attic is used as living space.

Install new batts at a 90 degree angle to any existing batts to minimize gaps.

Recessed lights or fans that protrude into the attic space should not be covered by insulation and insulation should not cover vents or louvers.