Wall Insulation – Standard or Upgrade?
The ‘standard’ specified will typically be based on minimum energy efficiency regulations – so in order to meet this standard, a minimum R-Value will be required. It’s not really an option to ignore this standard, and it wouldn’t be in your interest to do so either. Thermal wall insulation plays a key roll in maintaining a stable and comfortable indoor temperature through-out the year, and over the life of the home can translate into substantial energy cost reductions. The question of whether or not to upgrade, is actually a question of whether or not you’d be better off with a higher-than-minimum wall insulation R-Value. To a large extent this comes down to personal preference, and the cost of any wall insulation upgrade. Increasing from a standard or ‘minimum required’ R-Value in the walls will no result in a further massive reduction in electricity usage, nor can it be expected to significantly influence the temperature within the four walls of a home which doesn’t use air-conditioning or heating appliances. However there will be some difference, which for many home owners is sufficient justification to increase by at least 0.5 of an R-Value.
Thermal or Thermal & Acoustic?
While thermal insulation is primarily designed to restrict temperature transfer, thermal+acoustic insulation such as GreenStuf SoundSolution also minimises the noise levels moving between the walls. The two main considerations here are
- traffic noise
- noisy neighbors
The position of the house, and the proximity of any current (and future) potential noise factors will usually make it fairly easy to decide if and where the acoustic option should be prioritised.
Internal Wall Insulation Cost
Internal wall insulation is usually of a hi-density nature, and as such will typically cost a bit more than ordinary insulation. It is typically installed between bedrooms, bathrooms, laundries and TV/Media rooms.There is however one oft-overlooked beneficial aspect of internal wall insulation – temperature control between rooms. Think for a moment about the amount of time your family will spend in the different ‘zones’ of the house. Bedrooms would typically be unoccupied during the day – so do you want to pay to unintentionally heat and cool these 24/7? Heat and cold move relatively quickly through uninsulated wall panels, so just closing the doors between the rooms won’t really suffice. Insulating your internal walls with either thermal or thermal+acoustic batts is a great step towards achieving optimal energy efficiency within your home!
..and finally – which Brand of Wall Insulation?
Obviously the wall insulation price is an important factor to consider. GreenStuf polyester wall insulation is not the cheapest brand on the market, however we believe it’s one of the most pleasant and comfortable insulation product to work with. Being manufactured in Australia entirely from PET plastic fibres, GreenStuf wall batts are totally itch free, and can easily be torn to length, making the insulation installing process a breeze. Also worth mentioning for the extra health conscious: GreenStuf contains no breathable fibers, and is 100% recyclable.
The wall insulation batts from GreenStuf come in several R-Values as follows, with each R-value/width combination having its own unique item number.
- R1.0 Greenstuf Polyester Wall Batts/Insulation – 75mm thick
- R1.5 Greenstuf Polyester Wall Batts/Insulation – 90mm thick
- R2.0 Greenstuf Polyester Wall Batts/Insulation – 90mm thick
- R2.5 Greenstuf Polyester Wall Batts/Insulation – 90mm thick
