What is GreenStuf Insulation?
GreenStuf Insulation is the most popular brand of polyester insulation sold in New Zealand. It is manufactured locally by Autex, and is one of the most environmentally friendly and pleasant to work with insulation brands on the planet!
GreenStuf is typically manufactured to order, and due to the bulky nature of the product, most of our customers prefer to get it delivered directly to their home or work site.
GreenStuf polyester insulation segments and rolls come in a variety of thicknesses and R-Values, and for all the most commonly required home insulation applications.
GreenStuf Insulation for Ceilings
Ceiling insulation is by far the most important insulation, from a heat/cold (i.e. thermal) perspective. In the absence of properly installed ceiling insulation, there is practically nothing to stop the indoor warm from escaping up and out in the cold winter evenings. Conversely, on a hot summers’ day, your air conditioner will need to work at least twice as hard to keep you cool indoors. GreenStuf is available in rectangular polyester segments called “pads” and in ceiling insulation rolls, often referred to as ceiling “blanket.” While the thermal insulating performance between the two is almost identical, the installation process is somewhat different.
In an obstruction free ceiling space or where you intend to lay the insulation on top of the ceiling joists – the GreenStuf Insulation Rolls will probably be your best option.
In hard to access roof spaces with more obstructions, or if you will be installing the insulation between the joists, you’ll probably find that the GreenStuf Ceiling Insulation Pads are usually the best option.
GreenStuf Insulation for Walls
All the Autex GreenStuf Wall Insulation we sell comes in pre-cut, rectangular segments (i.e. “pads”) which are designed to fit snugly between the vertical timber wall studs. If you’ve never worked with polyester insulation before, then you’ll be thoroughly impressed by the handling and feel of GreenStuf. Being made entirely from polyester, GreenStuf is zero-itch, and as an added bonus, doesn’t even require a knife to cut it to length. (You will need a share knife or scissors to trim it width-ways if that’s required.)
GreenStuf Underfloor Insulation Rolls
All GreenStuf insulation is manufactured from the same, super soft, polyester material. The underfloor insulation rolls are no exception to this. GreenStuf Underfloor Insulation is installed slightly differently compared to ceiling and wall insulation. The insulation rolls are stapled to the sides of the floor joists, i.e. from underneath the floor. This is of course only possible if the underfloor areas is physically accessible – fortunately many houses with a raised (i.e. exposed) underfloor area also have sufficient clearance to allow underfloor insulation to be installed from underneath.
GreenStuf Sound Solution – Pads & Rolls
GreenStuf Sound Solution is easily recognisable by its bright blue bag. As with all acoustic insulation products, its main purpose is to help control and reduce the transfer of noise between the various areas of the home. GreenStuf Sound Solution Rolls are perfect for installing between floors, and depending on the available space, may be installed in one or more layers. The thicker the layer, the more effective GreenStuf Sound Solution is at blocking unwanted sound. When thinking about acoustic sound insulation, most people prioritise the internal walls and mid-floor of the house. This makes a lot of sense, and bedrooms, bathrooms, laundries and noisy TV-rooms are typically first on the list. There is however a case to make for installing GreenStuf Sound Solution in the external walls also – especially if the house lies in close proximity to a noisy road, or if noisy neighbours are likely to cause concern. It is far cheaper to insulate during the building or renovating stage, compared to the work and cost of opening up finished walls to insulate them at a later point in time.
Key Benefits of GreenStuf Polyester Insulation
Although several glasswool insulation brands have made good headway in increased softness, less dust etc., it’s unlikely that they’ll ever come close to a product like GreenStuf. Although polyester insulation is definitely not the cheapest insulation alternative available, our most discerning customers overwhelmingly choose GreenStuf for the following 3 reasons.
- Zero-Itch. This is not a marketing ploy, the material used to manufacture Autex GreenStuf is so soft and itch free you could make your bed in it, and sleep quite comfortably at that!
- No PPI required*. Unlike most other brands, GreenStuf requires no gloves, eye protection or other personal protective equipment.
- Allergy friendly. Autex GreenStuf contains no breathable particles, and as such is a proven favourite among asthmatics or those suffering from acute dust allergies.
*When working in old ceiling spaces etc. PPI such as eye protection might be required due to the environment you’re working in.
What Does It Cost To Insulate with GreenStuf
GreenStuf isn’t the cheapest insulation brand on the market. To help you make an informed decision on whether GreenStuf is the right choice for you and your family, we’ve prepared a helpful table, demonstrating the cost of insulation for a moderately sized home with the minimum required R-Value in Auckland for the Ceiling and Underfloor, and the minimum recommended R-Value in the external walls.
The floor and ceiling area of the house in this example is 180 m2, and the total external wall area to be insulated (excluding doors/windows etc.) is 102m2.
Area | m2 to cover | m2 required | Other potential benefits |
---|---|---|---|
Ceiling | 180 | 180 | Some acoustic benefits (heavy rainfall noise etc.) |
External Walls | 102 | 92 | Some acoustic benefits (outdoor/neighbour noise) |
Underfloor | 180 | 162 | Avoid “chilly floorboards” in winter |
The total cost of GreenStuf insulation you’d need for this project is shown in the table below:
Autex Product | R-value | Installation | Cost inc. GST |
---|---|---|---|
Greenstuf Ceiling Rolls | R2.9 | Lay the insulation rolls across the top of the ceiling joists | $2,762 |
GreenStuf Wall Segments | R2.2 | Install rectangular segments between vertical wall studs prior to plaster | $1,658 |
GreenStuf Underfloor Rolls | R1.5 | Staple rolls to side of the floor joists, just underneath the floorboards | $1,675 |
Total Cost of Insulation: | $6,095 |
Environmentally Friendly Insulation
Autex GreenStuf is an exceptionally environmentally friendly product for the following reasons and more
- Made entirely from polyester, much of which comes from recycled plastic bottles
- All off-cuts are recycled back into the manufacturing process
- When installed, GreenStuf insulation effectively reduces the energy required to heat and cool the house, which contributes to minimising greenhouse gas emissions.
Autex Greenstuf… exceptionally environmentally friendly product…
Check out the below video explaining the GreenStuf insulation manufacturing process.
How to Install GreenStuf Underfloor Insulation
Installing GreenStuf underfloor insulation is not difficult, and as mentioned earlier, no PPI (personal protective equipment) is required to handle the product itself.
Check out this helpful video which shows how to install GreenStuf Underfloor.