Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Insulation
Does my home need insulation?
Yes, practically all homes need, or at least benefit from, thermal insulation. Insulation helps to keep your house cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and can also significantly reduce your power bills.
What’s the difference between thermal and acoustic insulation?
Thermal insulation restricts heat transfer, whereas acoustic insulation restricts sound transfer, or sound reverberation. The combined product is thermal acoustic insulation, which is effective in both reducing heat and noise transfer.
How much does delivery cost?
Delivery tcosts depend on the amount of insulation ordered and your location. Some companies will have flat rates for shipping to major cities. Delivery to other towns and regional centres will vary.
Do I need to be home when the insulation is delivered?
If you’re not able to be home or on site to receive the delivery of insulation, typically you would need to provide specific instructions for the courier to know where to leave the insulation. Some couriers do not allow materials to be delivered without a signature. It’s important that you notify, at the time of ordering, if you will not be home and if there is restricted vehicle access to the delivery address.
I have a limited budget for insulation – which areas of the house should I prioritize?
If you’re insulating an existing house, then your options will probably be limited to ceiling insulation, and possibly underfloor insulation, if the floor is raised off the ground. Insulating the ceiling will have the biggest benefit overall, so this should always be first priority in any home insulation project. If you’re building a new house or renovating, consider insulating the walls also. Together with the ceiling insulation, this will provide an effective ‘blanket’ around the whole house. Underfloor insulation will also reduce heat and cooling loss, and will contribute to the overall saving on power consumption. Next consider internal wall insulation. This reduces sound transmission between rooms, and is commonly installed in the walls of bedrooms, bathrooms, laundries, children’s playrooms etc.
What does R-Value mean and how much do I need?
R-Value measures the material’s resistance to heat transfer. A higher insulation R-Value means a greater resistance to heat transfer. The recommended R-Value will depend largely on the climate you live in, and a number of other factors.
I’m installing my own insulation, should I wear a mask, goggles and gloves?
While glasswool and polyester insulation are considered to be safe products, it is always recommended that you wear appropriate PPE, in particular when working in dusty ceiling or underfloor environments, or when installing glasswool insulation above your head.
I’m not sure how much insulation I need to buy?
For ceilings and underfloors, you will need to estimate the total ceiling area, by multiplying the width by the length. Then multiply this by 0.9, to allow for the fact the timber framing also uses up some of the space in the ceiling or underfloor.
A similar principle applies for calculating how much wall insulation you need, except you will also need to count the windows and doors, and deduct these from the total area first, before multiplying by 0.9.
Is there any point in insulating between floors of a double storey house?
If you’ve building or renovating a double or multi-storey house, then there may be good reason to considering insulating the mid-floor, i.e. between the ceiling of the ground floor and the floor of the second storey. The main reason to insulate between floors is to reduce the noise transfer between floors. Thermal acoustic insulation is very effective at reducing airborne noise – such as children shouting or loud music. There may also be a thermal benefit, in particular if most of your time will be spent either in the upper or lower level of the house. In that case, any indoor heating or cooling appliances will also work more effectively, e.g. cool air from your downstairs air-conditioner won’t be so quickly transferred through the ceiling and into the rooms above.
Is polyester insulation better than glasswool?
Both polyester and glasswool (also called fibreglass) insulation are highly recommended products and very effective in reducing heat transfer. They are both safe products to install and handle. Polyester is typically more expensive, but has two attributes which arguably could cause it to be considered a ‘premium’ insulation product. Polyester has practically speaking no breathable fibres, and as such may be favoured by people suffering from asthma or severe dust intolerance. It is also completely ‘itch free’ to handle and install, whereas most people experience at least a minor temporary itch, eg. on their wrists, after handling glasswool insulation for a few hours. For a more detailed discussion on these two types of insulation, please check out our blog.