Choosing to insulate your home is a smart investment which can pay itself off in around 3-5 years. Home insulation can drastically reduce energy losses in both summer and winter and can cut your energy bills by up to half!
The best time to insulate your home is during the construction phase or during a major renovation project. Check out the information below for expert tips and ideas for how to insulate a house effectively.
Need further reading material? We’ve also put together an ultimate insulation guide answering all your insulation questions.
What are the most important areas to insulate in a home?
To experience the many benefits of insulation, we recommend that you insulate all areas of your home. The most important areas to insulate are the areas which lose the most heat in winter and gain the most heat in summer.
The roof and ceiling space is the biggest culprit, responsible for as much as 30% of a home’s heat loss and gain. Next in line are the exterior walls which are responsible for up to 25% of the heat loss and gain followed by the floors at 10%.
You should also consider interior wall insulation and mid-floor insulation between floors of a multi-storey home. Insulation in these areas can help you heat and cool your home more effectively. By using specialised acoustic insulation, you can create a calm and welcoming indoor environment for the whole family.
Don’t forget to choose the right R-Value! R-value is a measure of the thermal resistance in an insulation batt, so the higher the R-value the greater the insulating capabilities.
How to insulate my home during construction?
Installing insulation in new builds is easy and convenient. Before the flooring is laid and the plaster is hung on the walls or ceilings, insulation batts can be fit between the timber joists and secured in place.
You may need to obtain a minimum energy rating for your new home as outlined in the Government’s Energy Report. This means you’ll need to choose a minimum insulation R-value for the various areas of your home, depending on where you live.
How to insulate my house after it has been built?
If your home doesn’t have insulation or if it’s an older home, installing new insulation can help improve the energy efficiency and indoor comfort of your home.
Increasing the ceiling and underfloor insulation in your existing home can be done at any time when there is appropriate access to these areas. If you already have ceiling insulation, it’s worth taking a look at its condition and deciding whether you should replace it or top it up for extra thermal resistance. Ensure that any existing home insulation is not wet, moist or mouldy as this will compromise its insulating performance.
The best time to retrofit wall insulation is during a major renovation. Insulation batts must be fitted while the wall cavity is exposed, before the plaster is hung. Learn more about ML Windows at https://www.mlwindows.com.au/windows