What is the best type of underfloor insulation | by ecoMaster
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- www.ecoMaster.c...
Many of us have ceiling insulation to keep our homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. But what about underneath our homes? After all, the floors are the same size as the ceiling.
If your home has an uninsulated timber floor, then it could be increasing your energy cost and reduce your comfort.
Timber floors are just 19mm thick. It’s not very well known but timber is a poor insulator. That means that heat will pass through it readily. So in winter, your expensive heating will be continuously lost through the floor. Not only that, but your own body heat will be lost through the floor. That’s because your feet makes such good contact with that surface. Depending on the construction of your home, you could have excessive heat gain through your floor in the summertime and this will make it more difficult to keep your home cool on those hot days.
The answer is to insulate under the floor. There are number of materials that can be used to do this. For example, occasionally we come across fiberglass batts held up with chicken wire, strings or packing straps. This is not effective nor permanent as the batts often sag and are not held firmly against the floor. They gain moisture and are taken away by rodents for nesting material. Rigid foam or plated reflective batts rely on still air layer between them and the floor in order to be effective. In practice, this is very difficult to achieve.
At ecoMaster, our philosophy is to use the best available material and installation practices to ensure you get an effective job that last the lifetime of your home. That’s why we only use polyester insulation. This consistently high quality product comes in long rolls and that means fewer joins making it even more effective. It’s heat-bonded so it doesn’t rely on formaldehyde glues which off gas and may deteriorate over time. It doesn’t absorb moisture, it’s non-allergenic and the fibres are very strong which means, it can be stapled in place.
Our installation technique holds the insulation firmly against the floor to give you maximum insulation value that will withstand the test of time. Our installation teams can take care of the whole thing for you or if you are a DIY-kind-of-person, we can supply you with the material and installation instructions so you can get on with quality job yourself.
A well-insulated floor will make your home more comfortable, cheaper to run and better for the environment too.
www.UnderfloorInsulationAustralia.com.au
www.ecoMaster.com.au
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I want to buy this were in Pennsylvania can I get this???
Hi Lyn, Thank you for your question. We are so sorry. This insulation is not available outside of Australia. :-( Cheers ecoMaster
Does it Catch fire?
No. It is not legal to sell any insulation in Australia that will carry a flame. If the insulation comes into direct contact with flame, it will shrink away but stop as soon as the flame is removed.
Hi Guys -
Underfloor insulation seems to concentrate on retrofit to an existing home.
What about for the case of a brand new installation, where there's opportunity to perhaps make some smarter decisions? Any particular recommendations from a new build aspect?
Yes, ecoMaster does focus on existing buildings. You can certainly install underfloor insulation in a new build. Fitting from the top is easier than crawling under the floor. It is the same technique, just stapling to the top of the joist rather than the bottom of the joist.
What about spray foam?
Hi Matthew!
Spray foam is not a DIY solution.
Goodbye Heating Vents are quick, cheap and effective - AND DIY! :-)
Is that available in the UK ?
Sorry - No. It is only available in Australia and New Zealand. :-(
@@ecoMasterAu Just my luck, many thanks for your reply , keep safe
Where do I buy this insulation in U.S.?
Hi Wanda, Sorry our insulation is only available in Australia.
Flammability rating for bushfire prone areas in Australia?
Great question Shedasaurus and of keen interest to every Australian! Polyester insulation is non-flammable and meets all the relevant fire standards for BCA compliance including downlights. Have a look at this blog that explains a little more about the fire rating www.ecomaster.com.au/fire-rating-of-polyester-insulation/
and shows exactly what happens when our polyster insulation is impacted by blow torch!
Is it just cheap easy and has a green color to make it fit the Eco craze?
Steven, Our polyester is not "cheap and easy". :-) It is a beautiful product that we are very happy to work with. The manufacturers use up to 85% recycled content and have always done so. This is not a "jump on the bandwagon" product. The colour of the insulation does vary a little depending upon what ratio of recycled vs new product.
We don't see 'eco' as a "craze". We are committed to long term sustainability by working with householders who wish to be a lot more comfortable in summer and warmer in winter while saving significants amounts on their energy bills. We use the best products available to achieve a life long solution.
but I have thick carpets
Yes Jack. Carpet will make some differrence. Without carpet your floors will rate approximately R0.7. With underlay and carpet, your floors will rate R1.0. With underfloor insulation, your floors will rate R3.5 if you use R2.5 underfloor insulation. Please read this blog post that explains the ratings in more detail. www.ecomaster.com.au/underfloor-insulation-r-value-explained/
Is it flammable?
How does it hold up to rodents?
Rodents do not seem to like it and, in nearly 2 decades of using this product we have had 2 rodent incidents when we were using a different fixing technique. Since we have changed to stapling the batts into place, we had not had a single rodent issue.