Regardless of whether you're building a new home, or have just discovered that ceiling in your current dwelling is un-insulated - roof batts are always priority number 1. A surprising amount of homes have no insulation in the ceiling, a surprising factor considering that roof-spaces account for the most heat transfer all year round. If you have ever tried crawling up into the ceiling space on a hot summers day (this is not recommended) you will realise that it can be a veritable furnace. Ordinary ceiling lining (such as gyprock or other plasterboard) has very poor insulating properties. A survey in 2009 of Victorian households found that 17% of households were unsure if their home was insulated or not. While this figure is likely to be lower today in the 'post-rebate' days, it is reasonable to assume that many ceilings still have no insulation. If your ceiling feels warm or even hot to touch on a hot sunny day, then you can be almost certain that the ceiling (or at least that section of ceiling) is un-insulated. Visually inspecting through the manhole with a torch should confirm the presence of any insulation and what condition this is in.

 

Wall insulation serves a similar function as ceiling insulation, and when installed in combination, these two provide what is sometimes referred to as a 'thermal envelope' around the home. Insulation batts should always be installed in all the external walls of the homes of new buildings. Wall insulation is about priorities, about what is important to you, either as a person living in the house, or as the person who pays the heating or cooling bills. As builders and home owners become increasingly conscious about cost of living pressures, and also about their future environmental footprint, wall batts are becoming more the norm and less the exception in both domestic and commercial building projects. While the overriding purpose of insulation wall batts is to control temperature transfer between inside and outside, an increasing number of owner builders are realising the benefits of also insulating the internal walls. Internal wall insulation ensures that the air-conditioner, gas heater or even the old fashioned fireplace are not expending their energy heating and cooling rooms which are largely unoccupied during the day or night.

 

Acoustic wall batts are denser than ordinary insulation, and serves the dual purpose of insulating against both heat and airborne sound. While acoustic insulation is most commonly used in the internal walls of the home, they can also serve a useful purpose in the external walls, in particular in areas prone to excessive road traffic noise.

 

The effects of underfloor insulation are highly noticeable in particular during winter. While the majority of heat loss does occur through ceilings, windows and walls, a raised under-floor will also allow heat loss to occur, and the solution to this is of course underfloor insulation batts, installed neatly between the floor joists.

This is the most common type of insulation material used in residential and commercial buildings all over the world. Glasswool is made from up to 80% recycled glass material and is heated to high temperatures and then spun into fine fibers giving the appearance of sheep’s wool. Glasswool insulation is also referred to as fiberglass and earthwool insulation. At Pricewise Insulation, choose from a huge range of products from big brands such as Knauf Earthwool Batts, Fletcher Pink Batts, Bradford HP Gold Batts.