DIY insulation for your home

Insulating your home is one of the best things that you can do to protect the environment. Energy use creates 'greenhouse gases' like carbon dioxide, which are implicated in global warming and changes in climate. Insulation saves a vast amount of energy compared to non insulated homes by drastically reducing the amount of heating and cooling that is required to keep the house comfortable. But just how do you go about insulating your own home?

Types of insulation for your home

There is more than one type of insulation. Choose the one that best suits your needs.
Home insulation fits into two categories; bulk and reflective insulation. Here is more information:

• Bulk insulation comes in the form of batts of fibrous material; wool blend, glass fibre, rockwool and polyester.
• Reflective insulation is thin layers of reflective metal foils and comes in two types, reflective foil laminate and reflective foil laminate with bulk wool blankets.
• Reflective insulation is commonly used under porch or deck roofs. The bulk types are all suitable for home ceiling insulation, with glasswool and rockwool being probably the most efficient and cost effective.
• You may be eligible for a rebate when installing insulation. See your state government website for more information.

How to insulate your home

The procedure depends a little on the type of insulation you are using. Follow these basic steps for ceiling insulation.

• Accurately measure how much insulation you will need and decide on what type best suits your home. If you are using polyester or wool blend batts you will need thicker batts to achieve the same R - value (degree of insulation) than for glass or rock wool batts. Ensue that your measuring includes filling in all gaps
• Before you buy, find out what R value you need for what part of the country you live in. Also, ensure that the insulation you buy complies with Australian fire standards
• Collect the tools you will require; sharp knife, cutting board, protective gear (goggles, dust mask, long sleeves and gloves), insulation poker, step ladder, torch and knee board
• Place the packs into the roof area, packing them into all gaps and working from the furthest point away from the manhole, to the hole
• Use your knee board, place over at least two of the joists at a time, to fit the batts inbetween the joists. Use the poker to push the batts into the gaps
• Leave a minimum clearance of 25mm around chimneys, vents and downlights, and do not cover light transformers as this may cause a fire

Installing home ceiling insulation is simple. Wall and floor insulation should best be installed during the building process.

DIY home insulation

Insulating your home is both an easy DIY task, and one of the most useful home renovation jobs that you can do. Insulation saves money and the environment, as it drastically reduces the amount of energy you will need to heat and cool your home.