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Insulation for Homes

 There is a diverse range of products on the market today.  Selecting appropriate thermal insulation and acosutic insulation should not be left to the last minute or left up to the builder to solve.
 
Home insulation is essential in keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer.  A well insulated home is up to 10 degrees warmer in winter and up to 7 degrees cooler in summer and can save as much as $300 per year in reduced energy costs. In addition, when you use less energy in your home, you reduce the amount of pollution in the air and so help conserve our precious energy resources.
 
Insulation is the material that will either make your house comfortable and energy efficient or uncomfortable and costly to run. Insulating your home is an issue that should be given thorough consideration.  Solartex is about helping you make the right decision by choosing the right insulation.
 
Items to consider:
  • Local climate.  Click here for map of climate zones. 
  • House orientation 
  • House construction material
  • Function of each room and its proximity to adjacent rooms above and below 
  • Local Building rules and Regulations
  • Minimum Code and standards. 
  • Personal Health and Safety 
  • Energy efficiency
  • Environmental impact  
How Insulation Works
Insulation is essential for keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer.  A well insulated home is up to 10 degrees warmer in winter and up to 7 degrees cooler in summer and can save as much as $300 per year in reduced energy costs. In addition, when you use less energy in your home, you reduce the amount of pollution in the air and help conserve our precious energy resources. 
 
Insulation provides a barrier to heat flow into and out of your home. In summer, insulation reduces the amount of heat entering through walls and ceilings, keeping rooms cooler. In winter, insulation helps to keep warmth inside your home, and prevent it from escaping through ceilings, or from entering through floors.
 
Types of Insulation
There are two types of insulation products that work in different ways:
  • Bulk insulation: Generally a bulk or fibrous batt that works by trapping pockets of still air within its structure. This air provides a barrier or resistance to heat flow.eg:  Polyester, fibreglass,  Loose fill products.
  • Reflective insulation works by reflecting heat away from its highly reflective aluminium foil surface. To work effectively, reflective insulation must face a still airspace of at least 25mm.  The two porperties of foil are reflectivity (95~97%) and emmisivity(5%~3%) ability to re-radiate. examples of reflective foil laminate insulations (RFL) concertina foil batts.
  • Composite insulation: A combination of reflective and bulk/fibrous insulation blanket or rigid polystyrene boards
Areas which should be considered:
  • Ceiling Insulation - saving 20% to 40% on heating and cooling costs.
  • Roof Insulation - Unsarked tile roofs allow a massive amount of radiant heat into roof cavities and rooms.
  • External Wall Insulation - saving an additional 10% to 60% on energy costs.
  • Internal Wall Insulation - Acoustic Insulation to reduce sound transmission
  • Under Floor Insulation - saving another 5% to 20% on energy costs.
  • Between Floor Insulation - Acoustic Insulation to reduce sound transmission.

Existing homes can easily have insulation installed in the ceiling and under timber floors if crawl space is available. External wall insulation can be insulated during re-cladding or re-plastering.

R Values:
The R value of insulation is a calculation of its thermal performance and a measure of the material's ability to resist heat flow. The higher the R value the higher the ability to resist heat.  CAUTION:  Just because a batt is thicker and has a higher R value, does not mean that it is the best insulation for the application. ie: narrow 90mm external clad wall spaces are sometimes best suited to reflective foil products and not filling up the space with a 90mm fibrous batt. The problem of a conducted heat path through the wall will create a hot internal wall in turn creating a hot room.  This also applies to raked ceilings.

Product (material) R values: supplied with bulk insulation products and represent the product only

System (Total) R value: supplied with reflective foil insulation and installed in a construction as specified by the manufacturer.

Solartex - "Helping you choose the right insulation"

Contact Solartex For your Under floor Insulation on (02) 9971 4600