Frequently Asked Questions
 

FAQs

Why should I insulate my home?

Insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow. It helps to keep the heat in during winter and out during summer. Accordingly, insulating your home can significantly reduce your energy consumption, which reduces your carbon footprint and saves on your heating and cooling bills. Insulation also helps to reduce the transfer of unwanted noise from outside and between rooms.

What insulation is required under Australian Building Regulations?

The Australian Building Code requires new homes to have an adequate level of insulation relative to where you live and other factors. For example, a building in a colder climatic zone may require a higher R-value insulation installed more extensively throughout the home in comparison to temperate zones.

Increasingly, homeowners and renovators are opting for higher R-values to improve energy efficiency and lower their carbon footprint. With the cost of energy rising in Australia, installing sufficient wall and ceiling insulation is arguably the best investment homeowners can make.

A useful reference for Australian Building Code requirements regarding insulation is the Sound Transmission and Insulation in Buildings Handbook.

What is an R-Value?

The thermal resistance rating, or R-value, is a measure commonly used in the building and construction industry to determine a material’s ability to resist the transfer of heat. The higher the R-value, the greater resistance to heat transfer.

How much insulation do I need?

Our insulation pack calculator will help you work out the area to be insulated and provide a recommendation on the number of packs required for your project.

Which is better, blow-in insulation or batt/roll insulation?

Great question! As the name suggests, blow-in insulation is a type of loose-fill insulation that is literally blown into a wall, ceiling or floor cavity. Blow-in insulation is great for non-uniform, or hard-to-access spaces. It does require specialised blowing equipment and can only installed by an approved Installer.

Batt or roll insulation is easy to install and requires zero specialised tools. It comes in varying sizes and thicknesses, depending on the application and R-value, that you can cut to size and install yourself.

I have a skillion roof, which insulation is suitable?

Installing insulation in a skillion roof is similar to installing insulation in a wall and will noticeably reduce the amount of heat transferred. Most people use wall insulation in skillion roofs as there is limited space. The most common products are R2.5 or R2.7 90mm high density wall batts or if there is enough space, two layers of R2.0 75mm high density wall batts.

Can I install insulation myself?

Yes! We provide general safety instructions and precautions for home owners, as well as product-specific installation instructions.  We also have a range of helpful DIY videos that will help you feel more comfortable to safely install our products. Do not attempt a DIY project until you have first completed an extensive risk assessment.

Can I insulate my existing walls without ripping off the dry wall?

If you have a double-brick cavity home, our silicone-treated glasswool insulation, Supafil®, can be blown directly into the brick cavity by a professional installer. This is an ideal solution for when batts cannot be fitted.

If you’re looking to fit bulk insulation yourself, we recommend viewing our wall insulation install video, which has useful tips on how to install wall insulation to existing homes.

* Please note that blow-in insulation is suitable for double brick masonry construction only and cannot be used on brick veneer or weatherboard houses.

Can I insulate my underfloor?

Your construction type will determine whether it is possible to install underfloor insulation, and your climate zone will determine which R-value is appropriate.

For an accessible underfloor, Earthwool® FloorShield underfloor batts are a great option. These are pre-cut to fit between the joists of timber floors and can be simply strapped in place.

For more information, view our underfloor insulation install video.

Will installing insulation help with noise control and acoustics?

All thermal insulation will reduce noise transfer to some degree, however acoustic insulation is specially designed for soundproofing purposes. Installing acoustic insulation to external walls is ideal for reducing noise transfer from road traffic, barking dogs and noisy neighbours. Likewise, installing acoustic insulation to internal walls and mid-floor cavity around your kitchen, bathrooms, media room and laundry will help to reduce noise transfer.

Can I compress insulation to fit inside a smaller wall cavity?

We do not recommend compressing insulation to fit inside a smaller cavity. Knauf Insulation manufactures a range of both ceiling and wall products to suit specific applications. The risk is that, as the insulation material is manufactured to loft to the nominal thickness to achieve the desired R-value, the insulation may bow plasterboard linings.

Is your insulation packaging recyclable?

Our MasterBags are made from 100% polypropylene (PP – 5), and the rest is low-density polyethylene (LDPE – 4). Both types are recyclable, however you should check with your commercial or municipal waste services provider.

Why is glasswool the healthier choice?

Glasswool is odourless, rot proof, does not sustain vermin, and will not encourage the growth of fungi, mould or bacteria. In comparison to other products on the market today, our glasswool is made using ECOSE® Technology, a plant-based binder with no added formaldehyde or synthetic dyes, making it the healthier choice.

What is Knauf Insulation doing to reduce the environmental impact of its products, processes and packaging?

Here are Knauf Insulation, we continue to reduce our environmental impact per cubic metre of product despite our output increasing to record levels in the past decade.

We have set ourselves four important long-term goals for the future and made solid commitments to show how each goal will be achieved. For more information, please read the Knauf Insulation sustainability strategy, For a Better World.