INSULATION

The need to reduce energy consumption combined with the desire of homeowners to cut costs and enhance their quality of life means that, right now, insulation is a critical topic for specifiers.

Up until now, Australia’s climate policy debate has centred mainly around energy sources.

The focus has been on whether we will shift from our current reliance on fossil fuels to renewables, and if so, when and how quickly.

Another key factor - energy efficiency - has received less attention. Even though – at least in the construction context – it has just as important a role to play in a low carbon future as renewables, we don’t hear much about it.

And we don’t hear much about the fact that one of the best ways to reduce energy use is by installing insulation. As the Victorian government points out, insulated homes can cut energy usage and its associated costs by

40 - 50 percent. What’s more, because of these reductions, these products will pay for themselves in five to six years.

Energy efficiency isn’t insulation’s only positive. It delivers other benefits like reducing moisture in homes and, in the case of acoustic insulation, making living spaces more liveable and reducing stress.

In other words, insulation is an important consideration for anybody building or designing a house. The good news is that the products on offer in this space are only improving, making it simpler for Australians to not only reduce their ecological footprint but to create liveable homes for themselves and their families.

So, what are these products, and who are the key players in this important market?

KINGSPAN

In the insulation market, Kingspan’s products include Kooltherm K18 Insulated Plasterboard, a high performance, fibre-free rigid thermoset, closed cell phenolic product.

The product’s insulating material is sandwiched between a front-facing, tapered edge gypsum-based plasterboard, and a reverse facing of low emissivity foil autohesively bonded to the insulation core during manufacture.

One of the key benefits of Kooltherm K18 Insulated Plasterboard is that it provides a continuous thermal line for the walls of homes and therefore, improved performance as compared to products that can only be installed within a frame.

Made in Australia, it is easy to handle and install, Codemark certified for NCC Compliance and has Group 1 NCC Fire classification. It allows for quick-response heating and cooling, and is resistant to the passage of water vapour.

KNAUF INSULATION

Knauf Insulation offers a range of thermal and acoustic systems for walls, roofs and floors.

However, unlike other manufacturers,

Knauf offers Earthwool – a brand that features Ecose Technology. A sustainable binder that contains no added formaldehyde, this technology is certified by Eurofins Gold as an ‘outstanding material’ according to Volatile Organic Compound’s (VOC) indoor Air Quality emissions regulations.

Softer than traditional glasswool products and therefore easier to handle and install, Earthwool products are odourless and are brown in colour.

They are manufactured using up to 80 percent recycled glass bottles and contain no