1. Decide on the insulation materialInsulation products come in 2 main categories - Bulk and Reflective (Bulk and Reflective Insulation is sometimes combined into a composite material).
Health Issues: some types of Insulation are very dangerous to your health and should not be installed in your home. Installers of fibreglass batts have to wear protective clothing for a very good reason - prolonged exposure to fibreglass particles can cause respiratory problems. An installer only has to work with this material 40 hours a week - your family will spend most of your breathing moments in that home, exposed to these toxic fibres (the batts break down over time). This leaves the health-conscious buyer with a choice of the following insulation options:
2. How much Insulation do you need?Measure out the dimensions of the area you want to insulate - length, width, height of roof cavity if you have one. Insulation suppliers will quote you a square metre rate (e.g. height by width for each wall for wall insulation). You need to let us know which state and town you live in and we can work out the amount of insulation you need (R Value needed). Go to this Government Web site for "Australia's guide to environmentally sustainable homes" - PDF (411kb) 3. Which brand do I choose?There are many different brands of insulation available. To compare the insulating ability of these products look at their R-value - this measures resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the level of insulation. Products with the same R-value will provide the same insulating performance if installed as specified. We recommend the use of fibre-free, highly effective composite insulation. The R-rating of this insulation varies by installation but includes:
The main benefits of this insulation material compared to other common insulation solutions include:
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