b'responsible renovating words: Jo Gaultkeeping out the coldThe right insulation can transform a cold, draughty, damp house into one thats warm and dryand it will dramatically shrink your power bill.Insulation is not something we have been very diligentmore than breglass and can be slightly trickier to cut but aboutinthepast.Sure,wereatoughlot,butthewont cause skin irritations. benets of effective insulationwarm, dry homes andWhen buying these products be aware of the R value, lower energy billsare encouraging people to begin towhich is the rating materials are given for their insulation take it seriously. abilitythehighertheratingthemoreeffectivethe The Government is also taking insulation seriously andinsulation.Itsnotquiteassimpleasthat,however. inOctober2007introducednewminimumstandardsDepending on where in the house the insulation will be regarding the insulation of properties. The biggest changeused and also where in New Zealand you live, there will is the requirement for double-glazing in all new buildingsbe different R value requirements. A full list of minimum and major extensions in the South Island and Centraland best practice requirements can be found at www.Plateau area of the North Island. This alone will meanstandards.co.nz. 30% less energy is used to keep these homes warm.If you have a low-pitched roof, you may be wondering If youre about to renovate an old villa, youll probablyhow on earth you can t insulation material into such a nd it has no form of insulation at all. But dont despair:tricky space. This is where loose ll insulation is perfect, renovation is the perfect time to install insulation. Anas it gets blown in by machine and will ll every nook uninsulated home will lose about 42% of its heat throughand cranny. the ceiling and roof, 24% through walls and 12% eachMaterialchoicesforthismethodincludemacerated through windows and draughty doors. Surprisingly, onlypaper made from recycled newspaper, with a re retardant 10% is lost through the oor. Based on those gures, itadded. This is the cheapest option though it has a couple makes sense to look at insulating ceilings rst. of downsides, such as moisture retention if theres a leak There are several methods to choose from. If youre doingand it can settle over time, thereby losing some of its the work yourself you need to look at blanket segmentseffectiveness. or rolls of insulation, either in breglass, polyester or wool.Mineral wool is more expensive, but unlike the paper Fibreglass, made from 80% recycled glass, is probably thewont create dust or settle and isnt a re risk. Estimating preferred option for its effectiveness and value for money.how much material is needed to ll the required space The only downside is that it can cause irritation to skin,and create the right R value is critical. Its a job that needs eyes, nose and throats, so always use gloves, a mask andto be carried out by a professional.goggles when handling it.ReseneItsalsoworthlookingatwallinsulationifyoureBiancaPolyester, wool or a mixture of the two also come inundertakinggeneralhouserenovations.Withtimber- ReseneBilly Thandy rolls to run out in a roof space or cut into segmentsframed construction, insulation can be placed within the Resenefor tting between framing timbers. They tend to costframe, though you may need to increase the frame size inBluegrass72 |'