FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CELLULOSE INSULATION:
Q. Does cellulose prevent the common problem in Australia of
badly installed insulation?
A. Yes. Cellulose has a clear advantage over batt type insulation,
which is cut off-site & sometimes doesn’t snugly fit the space
between ceiling joists. This installation problem is known as thermal
bridging or thermal short-circuiting and can substantially reduce
insulation batts’ effectiveness. This problem is common throughout
Australia, because it’s always difficult to fit insulation batts into
ceilings with no gaps between the batts & the ceiling joists.
For example, installing an R3.0 insulation batt in your ceiling with a 4% gap
between the batt & the ceiling joist reduces the batts insulation
performance by 50% to R1.5. By choosing ‘no-gaps’ cellulose insulation,
you’re home is guaranteed to receive the insulation performance as
advertised.
Q. Does cellulose prevent the common problem in Australia of
insulation products not reaching their advertised performance
after they’re installed?
A. Yes. When Australian manufactured batt-type insulation products
are installed in thicknesses greater than the ceiling joists, the
uninsulated areas left above the ceiling joists substantially reduce the
batts’ advertised insulation performance.
For example, in hardwood timber ceiling joists at high insulation
levels of R 4.0 and above, batt insulation performance can be
reduced by up to 45% to R2.2 by the heat rising up through the
timber joists.
Q. Are there any Building Code of Australia with ceiling plasterboard
load limits which do not accommodate cellulose insulation?
A. No. Independent CSIRO testing shows that 10mm and 13 mm
plaster board can easily accommodate the 10kg/m2 imposed load
while satisfying the deflection limit specified in AS/NZS 2785:2000.
Q. Which insulation is best for the environment?
A. Cellulose Fibre Insulation. The Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of the
environmental impact of all insulation products during their total life
cycle (i.e. from their manufacture to their removal at the end of the life
of a building) shows that cellulose is the world’s leading
environmentally friendly insulation. It’s satisfying for consumers to
know that a house insulated with cellulose insulation will:
- Use less energy to heat or cool your living space, and
therefore...
- Pays for itself in around 5 years due to reduced energy bills.
Importantly, cellulose insulation also contributes to the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions through the use of less of Australia’s fossil
fuel-based (e.g. coal) energy resources.
Q. What are cellulose insulation’s fire safety properties like?
A. Excellent. Because it’s an organic material, cellulose is treated
with fire retardants. It is the only common wood fibre based
residential and light commercial construction material that always
receives such treatment. This process makes cellulose insulation one
of the safest construction materials on the Australian market.
Scientific studies of actual fires and demonstration burns have proven
that the dense fibre structure of fire-retarded cellulose actually slows
the spread of fire, protecting ceiling joists & plaster from the spread of
fire. This results in a fire being contained at its ignition point, thus
preventing further damage.
Q. How does cellulose insulation perform in achieving noise
reduction between rooms?
A. Cellulose is an Australian market leader in the reduction of noise
between rooms, including between upstairs & ground floor rooms.
Most sound between rooms travels up through the ceiling & is
reflected down into adjoining rooms. Cellulose can reduce up to 66%
of sound between rooms, making your living environment
substantially quieter. Cellulose is the world’s most environmentally
friendly insulation because:
- It’s manufactured from 83% environmentally friendly recycled
materials
- The energy used in its production (i.e. its embodied energy) is
up to six (6) times less than other insulation materials
- It’s rated as having the world’s-best insulation product life cycle
analysis
Q. Does cellulose insulation improve your personal living
comfort?
A. Yes. Yes. Cellulose keeps a home warmer in the winter and cooler in
the summer. A home’s inside temperature may change by as much
as 6-8 degrees, therefore giving you a more comfortable living
environment all year round.
Q. Is cellulose insulation easily installed?
A. Yes. Cellulose is easily installed by ACIMA members’ trained staff
in accordance with Australian building standards.
Cellulose insulation’s benefits include:
- It’s dense but lightweight and will not put undue strain on
ceilings or walls.
- It prevents the common batt insulation problem loss of
performance due to poor installation.
- It provides energy efficient insulation seal for your ceiling which
means less use of your fans, coolers, air conditioners and
heating units, resulting in low energy bills.
Q. Does Cellulose insulation comply with Australian building
regulations?
A. Yes. Cellulose insulation complies with all Australian State and
Federal building regulations and is engineered to:
- Comply with AS/NZS4859.1 ‘Materials for the thermal insulation
of buildings’, which is the Australian product standard for
cellulose insulation.
- Last the life of your home.
- Resist rodent & vermin infestation.
Q. Does cellulose insulation attract insects & vermin?
A. No. Cellulose is treated with non-toxic ‘harmless to-humans’ fire
retardants which also repel vermin and insects. Other Australianmanufactured
insulation products are known to harbour vermin &
insects.
By installing cellulose insulation in your home, you’re joining
millions of satisfied consumers worldwide.
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