Insulating your home

1. What types of insulation are available?

The most popular type of insulation is glass wool, which commonly comes in the form of pink batts. Also available are polyester insulation and glue-in insulation, both of which are used in house insulating in Australia.

2. What about insulation blankets?

Insulation blankets are another type of glass wool insulation which can be used when insulating your home. They come either with or without a layer of foil on the top and bottom. The foil-covered blankets are known as 'normal faced' insulation.

3. Can I install insulation in an existing home?

Yes; and the good news is that you can do it yourself. The bad news is that insulation can usually only be installed in the ceilings in an existing home, as it's too hard to get into the walls.

4. How do I prepare for installing insulation?

Assuming that you're using batts when undertaking house insulating, it's important to check the distance between your ceiling studs before purchasing the batts. You will need a sharp knife and a cutting board, a kneeling board (that spans at least two ceiling joists), gloves, a dust mask and goggles. You may also need extra lighting.

5. How do I install it?

First, work out how many packs of batts you need and pass them through the manhole. Once in the ceiling, place the kneeling board across at least two ceiling joists. Starting at the furthest point from the manhole, lay the batts between ceiling joists, making sure that there are no gaps left at the joins between batts. Continue until the entire ceiling area is covered. Offcuts can be used to fill small gaps.

6. Staying safe

Never walk on plaster ceilings, and make sure you only stand on the ceiling joists. Be careful about the ceiling's wiring - where possible, place the batts underneath electrical wires.

Click on to add an item