Ceiling insulation is one of the best investments you will ever make towards the energy efficiency of your home. In 2018 it can be almost strange to consider the fact that a few decades ago, it was quite normal for houses to be built without any insulation. Today there are probably still millions of New Zealand homes without adequate wall insulation, and this is likely to remain the case for some time yet – after all, it can be a costly process to open up a wall cavity and to re-plaster and paint the wall once the insulation has been installed. The number of homes without ceiling insulation is likely to be a lot less, but there are still many homes without any insulation in the roof space. The effects of this are felt especially during the hottest and coldest months of the year, and of course each time the electricity bill comes around.
If you’ve made the wise decision to book an insulation supply-and-install, here’s a quick run-down of what to expect from the insulation installers.
“How early can we start?”
Don’t be surprised if you get asked this question in advance. Experienced installers know all too well how hot it can get up in the roof cavity, and if given a chance will be happy to knock on your door at 6am and get started. Once they start, they don’t stop until the job is done, usually by around lunch time.
Access through the ceiling manhole
The ceiling manhole is usually the most convenient access point, these are often located in a laundry or hallway, but it may also be found in another part of the house. Pink Batts insulation comes pre-packaged in large bags, and installers will typically pre-load the ceiling with enough un-opened bags to do the entire job in one go.
Once the last bag has been loaded up the installation process begins. One bag at the time is split open, and the insulation segments fitted deftly between the ceiling joists. Starting at the outmost edges of the roof, the installers work their way backwards towards the access manhole. A sharp long bladed knife serves to cut away any excess length to ensure a snug fit. Many of the off-cuts will then be re-used to fill other gaps – for example the gap caused by excessive spacing between the ceiling joists. The final piece of insulation is laid carefully to ensure that it falls on top of the manhole cover once this is closed (some installers may even cut a matching piece of insulation and glue it to the manhole cover.
The after-job clean-up
After a job well done, only the clean-up remains. The left-over scraps are stuffed into large empty Pink Batts bags and these, together with any un-used bags are loaded into the installers vehicle. Most insulation installers will prefer to bring along some extra bags rather than risk running short by even just half a bag.
Installing insulation in old roofs is tough work, so if you have some chilled drinks on hand both during and after the job is finished, you can be sure that the insulation installers will appreciate it!
Pricewise Insulation New Zealand 