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Insulation Types
Well, In general terms, insulation is any material that helps prevent heat flow or noise in and out of your home.
Most of the building elements of your home will have some sort of insulating effect, bricks, plaster board, tiles, tin, carpets etc all help to reduce heat & noise transfer between outside & inside your home.
Specifically, when we talk of home insulation we mean products that are specially designed just to provide your home with an increased resistance to heat flow or noise, or both. Home insulation products can be broken down into 2 main types, Reflective or Absorptive (Bulk) insulation. Some products are a combination of both types.
Most of the building elements of your home will have some sort of insulating effect, bricks, plaster board, tiles, tin, carpets etc all help to reduce heat & noise transfer between outside & inside your home.
Specifically, when we talk of home insulation we mean products that are specially designed just to provide your home with an increased resistance to heat flow or noise, or both. Home insulation products can be broken down into 2 main types, Reflective or Absorptive (Bulk) insulation. Some products are a combination of both types.
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Reflective Insulation - Usually comprises of a thin layer of shiny aluminium foil laminated onto a substrate of plastic or paper, that resists radiant heat flow due to its high reflectivity and low emissivity (ability to re-radiate heat).
to the shiny surface. Dust settling on the reflective surface greatly reduces performance, so it is essential to face reflective surfaces downwards or keep them vertical. The anti-glare surface of single sided foil sarking should always face upwards or outwards. The thermal resistance of reflective insulation varies with the direction of heat flow through it |
Reflective Insulation |
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Bulk Insulation - Comprises a mass of fibrous material that traps 'still' air within little pockets in its structure to resist the transfer of convected and conducted heat through its mass. Its thermal resistance (R - Value) is basically the same regardless of the direction of heat flow through it.
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Bulk Insulation |
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Composites - As the name suggests, Composites are an amalgamation of reflective insulation and bulk insulation, designed to take advantage of both insulating methods. Within each category of insulation there are many different products and materials available. |
Composite Insulation |
Reflective Insulation Type Products
Wall Wrap / Sarking - A thin layer of aluminium foil adhered to a paper or plastic substrate to form a thin, flexible, reflective sheet that is wrapped around the external wall or roof structure of a building prior to the final finish being applied.
The shiny surface must face inwards towards an air gap of at least 25mm for the insulation to perform correctly. Joints between sheets and around wall or roof penetrations such as doors, windows or skylights should be taped to improve the insulating performance and create a moisture barrier between the outside and inside of the structure.
The R - Value stated for reflective insulation is a 'system R value', meaning it requires other elements of the structure to achieve the R Value stated, most importantly the air gap.
Bubble Wrap - Comprising of 2 layers of plastic that encapsulate small bubbles of air (commonly used as packing material) adhered to a foil facing on 1 or both sides.
Used in exactly the same way as Wall Wrap / Sarking but benefitting from an added insulating effect from the air bubbles within the plastic. Again joints between sheets and around penetrations should be taped for maximum benefit.
Concertina Batts - a structure comprising of 2 or 3 sheets of foil faced cardboard kept apart from each other.
The shiny surface must face inwards towards an air gap of at least 25mm for the insulation to perform correctly. Joints between sheets and around wall or roof penetrations such as doors, windows or skylights should be taped to improve the insulating performance and create a moisture barrier between the outside and inside of the structure.
The R - Value stated for reflective insulation is a 'system R value', meaning it requires other elements of the structure to achieve the R Value stated, most importantly the air gap.
Bubble Wrap - Comprising of 2 layers of plastic that encapsulate small bubbles of air (commonly used as packing material) adhered to a foil facing on 1 or both sides.
Used in exactly the same way as Wall Wrap / Sarking but benefitting from an added insulating effect from the air bubbles within the plastic. Again joints between sheets and around penetrations should be taped for maximum benefit.
Concertina Batts - a structure comprising of 2 or 3 sheets of foil faced cardboard kept apart from each other.
Bulk Insulation Type Products
Batts & Rolls - The most popular form of bulk insulation is Batts & Rolls, which are designed to easily fit between the most common joist spacing in residential and commercial buildings.
Batts & Rolls are essentially a mass of fibrous material that has been pre-formed into blocks or blankets using a thermo bonding method. (the use of heat to melt and form the fibres into the required shape)
Batts & Rolls are available in a choice of materials, all of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. The most common being:-
Polyester - A safe, non-toxic, itch free fibre that because of its non-hazardous properties is used extensively in the medical, food, apparel, bedding, carpet & furniture industries, as well as the building industry.
Light weight yet with very high tensile strength, polyester fibres are matted together to create a very effective insulation product.
Again, possibly the only drawback with polyester is that it is not the cheapest product.
Fiberglass (Glasswool) - essentially made from sand and recycled glass bottles, these little fibres made from glass are bound together via a binding agent to create a highly effective insulation material at a very low cost. Because of its low cost, Fibreglass is the most commonly used insulation material in the world.
There are many brands of glasswool insulation available in Australia, knowing the difference can be useful:-
Bradford Gold Batts - Australian made, to meet the Australian Standards
Fletcher Pink Batts - Australian made, to meet the Australian Standards
TradeFit Insulation - Australian made, to meet the Australian Standards
Earthwool Insulation - A trade name for Knauf Insulation glassfibre insulation. Made in one of Knauf's overseas factories, usually USA or Russia.
Blow In or loose fill - another type of bulk insulation product that comprises of loose clumps of cellulose (usually mashed up newspapers) or fibreglass fibres that are blown into the loft space or wall cavity.
Like all bulk insulation, the effectiveness of blow in or loose fill insulation is dependent on the products ability to create little pockets of trapped air within its structure. The higher the number of these little pockets of air the more effective the product is at resisting heat transfer through it. Generally, the thicker & denser the product the higher the number of these little pockets of air and therefore the better insulating effect.
However, unlike a preformed insulation product like batts, rolls or sheets, the density, thickness and integrity of the product structure is difficult to control with blow in or loose fill insulation. Therefore, when installing blow in or loose fill insulation, it is imperative that a method of analysing the density, thickness and integrity of the product in place is employed to be sure it will meet the insulating effect required. Likewise, it is also imperative to ensure that the product will not be able to be moved by wind or any other means once installed, as any disruption to the product will change the insulating effect.
Batts & Rolls are essentially a mass of fibrous material that has been pre-formed into blocks or blankets using a thermo bonding method. (the use of heat to melt and form the fibres into the required shape)
Batts & Rolls are available in a choice of materials, all of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. The most common being:-
Polyester - A safe, non-toxic, itch free fibre that because of its non-hazardous properties is used extensively in the medical, food, apparel, bedding, carpet & furniture industries, as well as the building industry.
Light weight yet with very high tensile strength, polyester fibres are matted together to create a very effective insulation product.
Again, possibly the only drawback with polyester is that it is not the cheapest product.
Fiberglass (Glasswool) - essentially made from sand and recycled glass bottles, these little fibres made from glass are bound together via a binding agent to create a highly effective insulation material at a very low cost. Because of its low cost, Fibreglass is the most commonly used insulation material in the world.
There are many brands of glasswool insulation available in Australia, knowing the difference can be useful:-
Bradford Gold Batts - Australian made, to meet the Australian Standards
Fletcher Pink Batts - Australian made, to meet the Australian Standards
TradeFit Insulation - Australian made, to meet the Australian Standards
Earthwool Insulation - A trade name for Knauf Insulation glassfibre insulation. Made in one of Knauf's overseas factories, usually USA or Russia.
Blow In or loose fill - another type of bulk insulation product that comprises of loose clumps of cellulose (usually mashed up newspapers) or fibreglass fibres that are blown into the loft space or wall cavity.
Like all bulk insulation, the effectiveness of blow in or loose fill insulation is dependent on the products ability to create little pockets of trapped air within its structure. The higher the number of these little pockets of air the more effective the product is at resisting heat transfer through it. Generally, the thicker & denser the product the higher the number of these little pockets of air and therefore the better insulating effect.
However, unlike a preformed insulation product like batts, rolls or sheets, the density, thickness and integrity of the product structure is difficult to control with blow in or loose fill insulation. Therefore, when installing blow in or loose fill insulation, it is imperative that a method of analysing the density, thickness and integrity of the product in place is employed to be sure it will meet the insulating effect required. Likewise, it is also imperative to ensure that the product will not be able to be moved by wind or any other means once installed, as any disruption to the product will change the insulating effect.
Composite Insulation Type Products
Composites are an amalgamation of a bulk insulation product and a reflective insulation product, designed to benefit from both insulating methods.
The most common composite thermal insulation type products are:-
Roofing Blanket - A bulk insulation roll with a foil facing adhered to one side. Most commonly fibreglass or polyester bulk insulation. Specifically designed for use under tin or tiles in residential and commercial buildings.
Foilboard - A polystyrene sheet with a foil facing adhered to one side. Most commonly used in wall or underfloor applications.
The most common composite thermal insulation type products are:-
Roofing Blanket - A bulk insulation roll with a foil facing adhered to one side. Most commonly fibreglass or polyester bulk insulation. Specifically designed for use under tin or tiles in residential and commercial buildings.
Foilboard - A polystyrene sheet with a foil facing adhered to one side. Most commonly used in wall or underfloor applications.
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