Selwyn_Times: June 29, 2022

22
Your guide to all things Real Estate
in the Selwyn District
Create a ‘thermal envelope’ in your
home – check out your options
Everybody loves a cosy warm home
in winter, so if you’re wrapped up in
layers, you may realise your home could
be warmer. Using effective insulation
in your house is like using a blanket or
putting on your coat, beanie, gloves and
socks!
Windows, ceiling, floor and walls all
form a ‘thermal envelope’, the barrier
between the heat and the outside climate.
Better thermal resistance is achieved with
effective insulation with a high R-value.
Your home can be insulated using glass
fibre, wool, mineral wool, polyester,
polystyrene, paper-based insulation or
foam spray. Usually, installation occurs
during the construction of a new home;
however, retrofitting insulation may be
done on existing homes.
Glass fibre, one of New Zealand’s
most well-known insulation materials,
is made from recycled glass and comes
in a roll to cover the ceiling joists or
cut into segments to fit between timber
framing in your wall or ceiling. With a
long-life span, it is resistant to pests and
non-combustible. Installing glass fibre
can be a DIY project, using adequate
safety precautions, if you can handle
the itch! Some downlights are suitable
for covering, but others require a gap to
prevent a fire.
Wool is loose insulation mostly
made from recycled waste wool. This
sustainable, eco-friendly, cost-effective
product decomposes naturally over time.
However, it is combustible in a fire and
does not dry as effectively as fibre.
Mineral wool insulation is similar
to glass fibre but made from natural
materials instead of glass. It also doesn’t
absorb water, is fire resistant, denser and
heavier than fibreglass, and will settle
over time.
Polyester or blends with wool are
non-itchy and come in rolls or segments
to fit between framing timbers. Polyester
insulation (without wool) is made from
45 per cent recycled plastic and is strong
and long-lasting. It is non-flammable and
non-dusty but more expensive than glass
wool.
Polystyrene can be manufactured
in rigid foam sheets of expanded
polystyrene to insulate floors, walls
and ceilings. The sheets need to fit
tight against joists to ensure maximum
insulation. Polystyrene doesn’t rot,
and disposal can be an issue; it is also
flammable.
Paper-based insulation is the cheapest
product made from macerated paper
(recycled newsprint) with a fire retardant
added. Blown into ceilings, it may blow
around or settle over time and get dusty.
It will rot if it gets wet, and rats and other
nest-builders will love this to insulate
their homes in your ceiling!
Spray foam insulation is polyurethane
foam invented by NASA. Specialists
apply the foam to surfaces with a spray
gun creating an air and moisture barrier
when it expands and hardens. It also
won’t sag or settle over time and can be
retrofitted in existing homes.
With the range of insulation materials
available, keeping your home warm and
dry can be easily achieved.
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C O M P L I A N T
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Call into one of our Lifemark and Homestar certified Christchurch
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greenhomesnz.co.nz 0800 33 0000
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