For some DIY renovators, working with insulation installation is not something they do every day. Quite often these people have done a bit of research and discovered that their home doesn’t have adequate ceiling insulation. They go up through the manhole, carry out some measurements and buy Pink Batts or Earthwool insulation. The reason they go with Pink Batts insulation is to make use of the free delivery offer in New Zealand. Additionally, they decide to save a few dollars by installing it themselves. They’re not exactly thrilled about the prospect, but best not to think too much about it – it can’t be that bad.
All Ready to Go, Or Not
The insulation arrives and they’ve got everything else they need; gloves, knife and dust mask. They brace themselves to get started and what do they find? The bag of Pink Batts insulation won’t fit through the manhole… They haven’t even started on the job and there are problems already. This was not part of the plan!
Getting Someone to Help You May Solve the Problem More Quickly Than You Think
As with any insulation job, it is always recommended to work together with another person. In the situation described above, it could simply be that you are pushing the Pink Batts bag straight into some angled timbers. If you climb through the manhole first and get someone to push the bag up to you, you may be able to angle the bag away from whatever is blocking its path. This would be by far the easiest option.
You Might Have to Bite the Bullet and Split Open the Bag of Pink Batts Insulation
The rule of thumb in DIY insulation is only to open the insulation bag once it’s in the area that you need to insulate. The reason being that Pink Batts is much easier to carry around in its bagged state and it takes up more space when it expands. If, however, you are working on your own, you may unfortunately have to open the bag and carry the individual batts through individually. This is a tedious and time consuming task, but may be your only option.
Think Safety and Don’t Take Risky Short Cuts
Some installers choose to pull back a few roof tiles and load the bags through the roof. They’ll do anything to avoid splitting open the bags that won’t fit through the manhole. This method is not recommended practice for safety reasons, as the risk of falling from a height is great. Although the prospect of passing each insulation batt through the manhole might seem unbearable, it is by far the safer and recommended option. Having someone there to help you will make the job less daunting. Just make sure that the person passing up the insulation batts is wearing eye protection and a dust mask as many Pink Batts fibres will detach themselves and float down in the process.