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About 850,000 homes built
before 2000 have inadequate insulation. This means that the
average temperature is likely to be lower than recommended
for a healthy home, is it more likely to be damp, and will
certainly cost more to heat during winter.
34% of the heat of a home is lost through the ceiling, and
around 13% goes out through the floor. If you have old
draughty windows and doors, you will loose even more heat.
There are several options when it comes to home insulation:
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ceiling
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walls
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under floor
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window double glazing
Materials
There are many options when it comes to selecting your
insulation material. You need to consider the amount of
material that you will need, the cost of installation, and
the amount of wastage. You also need to consider the ‘R
value’ of the material, or the ability of the material to
retain heat. The higher the ‘R value’, the better the
material.
Material options include:
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wool insulation
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polystyrene
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glass and mineral wools
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paper based insulation
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polyester
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reflective
Many of these come as either loose fill, blankets or in
segments. Consider if the material contains recycled
products, and how long it lasts for.
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What does it cost?
It cost on average around $3500 to insulate the ceiling and
floor of a 100 metre square house.
Funding and financing
options are available to homeowners.
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Last page update: April 2011 |
