Over many years of providing insulation to Western Australian home owners AIS has, for your convenience, compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions.
Q. WHY SHOULD I SPEND MY MONEY ON INSULATION?
A. IT BENEFITS YOU IN 5 WAYS.
- Saves you money by reducing the energy that is required to satisfactorily heat your home in winter and cool it in summer. In fact, ceiling insulation alone can decrease annual energy costs for heating and cooling by up to one third.
- Provides you with a more comfortable home. Insulation can reduce summer temperatures by at least 7oC and maintain winter temperatures at least 10oC higher than otherwise.
- Makes your home quieter by reducing the amount of exterior noise entering through ceilings and/or walls.
- Improves the resale potential of your home. A properly insulated home is an important selling feature for many buyers.
- Helps the total environment. Insulation reduces household energy use, which in turn reduces the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy. The result is lower greenhouse gas emissions.
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Q. WHAT THICKNESS OF INSULATION SHOULD I USE?
A. CAUTION!
DO NOT SELECT YOUR INSULATION ON THE BASIS OF THICKNESS, BUT RATHER BY ITS THERMAL RESISTANCE OR ‘R-VALUE’.
- For the same thickness two different insulation products may differ in insulation effectiveness. The difference is caused by the composition of each product.
- All insulation should be chosen on the basis of its R-Value.
- R-Value is the measure of the ability of insulation to resist the flow of heat.
- The higher the R-Value the greater the insulation effectiveness.
- The R-Value recommended for any area represents the most cost-effective thermal rating for the user.
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Q. SHOULD I VENTILATE MY ROOF SPACE?
A. YES. PROPER ROOF SPACE VENTILATION PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS:
In winter –
- Reduces condensation forming, where warm, moist air from exhaust fans rises and meets a cold surface.
- Reduces corrosion and timber damage from condensation.
In summer –
- Reduces heat build up in ceiling spaces.
- Reduces heat load on your ceiling insulation.
- Saves on electricity by reducing the load on your air-conditioning.
AIS Home Insulation recommend that a roof ventilator always be installed when:
- Sarking is used under tiled roofs.
- Metal deck roofing is installed.
- There is any evidence of condensation in the roof space or in ceilings.
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Q. HOW IS THE INSTALLATION COMPLETED?
A. IN THE FOLLOWING WAY.
- The installation team arrive and identify themselves.
- Installers gain access to roof space by removing several roof tiles or lifting roof sheeting or through a manhole. The method used depends on the characteristics of the home.
- If batts – packs of batts are transferred to roof space and unpacked as required. All batts are carefully laid between the ceiling joists so as not to cover any electrical wiring or products which could overheat (downlights or ceiling fans, etc).
- If loose fill – material is blown into the roof space by pneumatic blowing equipment via large hoses. Barriers are placed around downlights and ceiling fans etc.
- Care is also taken to:
- Cover the entire ceiling space;
- Ensure that ceiling joists are still visible for future safety;
- Insulate any bulkheads;
- Observe good workmanship to AS 3999.
- All roof sheeting/tiles or manhole openings are replaced.
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Q. HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE IS IT GOING TO MAKE?
A. A BIG DIFFERENCE.
ALL INSULATION CAN IMPROVE YOUR COMFORT LEVELS, POWER COSTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
In winter –
- Keeps homes up to 10°C warmer.
- Reduces heat loss from the home (through walls and ceilings) by up to 70%.
- Reduces heating costs.
In summer –
- Stops up to 70% of summer heat entering through ceilings.
- Keeps homes at least 70C cooler.
- Reduces the costs of operating air-conditioning.
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Q. WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE AIS HOME INSULATION PRODUCTS?
A. FOUR VERY GOOD REASONS
- The AIS Group is leading the home insulation market with the most comprehensive range of products for domestic, commercial and industrial applications.
- Written guarantees are provided for all manufactured products.
- AIS Home Insulation is a part of Australasian Insulation Supplies Pty Ltd, an Australia wide supplier of insulating materials with a commitment to product quality, technical service and customer satisfaction.
- AIS Home Insulation offers all insulation types for you to choose from, and service.
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Q. IS GLASSWOOL OR ROCKWOOL INSULATION SAFE?
A. YES.
ALL GLASSWOOL AND ROCKWOOL BATTS SUPPLIED BY AIS HOME INSULATION EASILY SATISFY AUSTRALIA’S HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS, THE MOST STRINGENT IN THE WORLD.
- Allegations that glasswool or rockwool insulation is going to be another asbestos are totally misleading and wrong.
- The types of fibre that make asbestos so dangerous are absent in Glasswool Batts and Rockwool.
- Nearly 50 years of medical and scientific research worldwide has failed to show any causal link between lung cancer and fibreglass fibres.
- Animal inhalation studies have failed to demonstrate any similar health problems from glasswool and Rockwool to asbestos.
Only glasswool and Rockwool insulation products:
- have been thoroughly researched for both long and short term health effects;
- have a proven track record of over 60 years use worldwide.
- Authorities worldwide do not believe any risk to health exists for people with glasswool or Rockwool Batts correctly installed in their roofs.
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Q. IS THE INSULATION GUARANTEED?
A. YES
ALL INSULATION PRODUCTS ARE GUARANTEED BY THE MANUFACTURER.
- A thermal resistance (or R-Value) for Batt insulation which will be maintained for the lifetime of the home.
- Insulation which will not rot, mould or otherwise deteriorate.
- The best possible fire rating under Australian Standard 1530.3 for glasswool and Rockwool
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Q. DON’T YOU GET GAPS WITH BATTS?
A. NO
All Batts, when installed correctly, butt up against the ceiling joists.
The only ‘gap’ are the ceiling joists themselves, which still provide some degree of insulation.
- Most batts are manufactured in a range of sizes to fit common joist spacings, so that very little trimming should be necessary.
- Most batts are manufactured slightly oversize to ensure a tight fit between joists.
Joist Widths |
Actual Space |
Batt Widths |
600 mm |
570 mm |
580 mm |
450 mm |
420 mm |
430 mm |
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Q. WHICH TYPE OF INSULATION IS BEST?
A. ALL INSULATION IS GOOD. SOME ARE MORE SUITED TO CERTAIN APPLICATIONS. CHECK THE CRITERIA FOR YOUR SPECIFIC CONSTRUCTION OR USE.
| Glass- wool Batts |
Water Repellant Batts |
Rock- wool Batts |
Poly- ester Batts |
Sheeps- wool Batts |
Cellulose Loose- fill |
Granu- lated Rock- wool |
Reflec- tive Foil |
Poly- styrene | |
| Flat Internal Ceilings |
Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Catherdral Ceilings |
No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Raked Ceiling under Skillion Roof |
No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Brick Cavity Roof |
No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Stud Partition Wall A) Internal B) External |
Yes |
No Yes |
Yes Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
| Acoustic Insulation | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Sarking A) Internal B) External |
No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes Yes |
No |
| Games Room with Patio Roof |
No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Workshop/Shed A) Walls B) No Ceilings |
No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes Yes |
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