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insulation cost western australia

As one of the greatest improvements over the last 50 years in the field of thermal efficiency, insulation has made its mark all across the world, becoming a staple in buildings of all sorts. From homes, to warehouses and offices, insulation has found itself as a stalwart in almost all modern properties. The majority of newly constructed properties in Western Australia today will be constructed with insulation being fitted during the building phase.

There are many reasons for this, with the most common sense one being that it is not practical to now build without ensuring that basic climate-based protections are provided for inhabitants—keeping them guarded from our current highly volatile weather conditions. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that we are keeping our properties as equipped as possible to keep us in comfortable temperatures. Much of this is because of the way modern civilisation has neglected to care for our planet, resulting in climate change and global warming. The earth’s natural response is reflected in the strong imbalance in weather conditions we see today.

When it comes to insulation, older homes that weren’t originally insulated during construction can be insulated after the fact and enjoy all the benefits that modern homes get to experience. This process is known as retrofitting and is possible in almost any property. Insulation itself is installable in different areas of the structure of a building, and costs different amounts, based on the particular insulation chosen.

Insulation Cost in Western Australia

Today, we are here to help you in knowing what you might be looking at in terms of costing when it comes to buying insulation in Western Australia in 2019. This price guide will detail the investment required for various insulation types, covering the:

  • Underfloor Insulation Cost in Western Australia
  • Cathedral Ceiling Insulation Cost in Western Australia
  • Cavity Wall Insulation Cost in Western Australia
  • Garage Insulation Cost in Western Australia
  • Caravan Insulation Cost in Western Australia

There are various factors that determine how much insulation will cost in Western Australia, including:

The Specific Type of Insulation Being Fitted

There are a handful of popular and effective insulation materials that are commonly utilised. Which one you select will play a role in the total cost of your insulation purchase. The most widely used insulations are:

  • Foil Insulation (also known as reflective insulation): In most cases, foil insulation is a simple material made with a paper core and aluminium on one side. When installed, the aluminium side will face outside the property, acting to reflect heat away from it. For extra effectiveness, some foil insulation has a honeycomb core to assist with reducing heat gain.
  • Batt Insulation: Commonly constructed from fibreglass or cellulose, batt insulation is designed with air pockets across it in order to eliminate heat from entering your building. For extra effectiveness, some batt insulation is created with a reflective surface, similar to foil insulation
  • Spray Insulation: As the name suggests, spray insulation is a type of insulation that comes out of a can. It is a foam that is sprayed into the crevices and areas that need insulating, and it is very effective. We recommend that this particular insulation is only installed by professionals.
  • Loose Fill Insulation: Loose fill insulation is usually installed in ceilings. It is blown in to an area in order to insulate it, and does a great job of not disturbing any structures or finishes. Again, we recommend this type of insulation be installed only by professionals.
  • Insulation boards: Not used as commonly due to their rigid nature, these boards are sometimes used in underfloor insulation. Some of these boards also utilise the best of foil insulation by having an aluminium back.

The R Value of the Insulation

You can’t delve too far into the topic of insulation without touching on R values. If you’ve started researching insulation, you’ve surely heard the term being thrown around. But what exactly is an R value?

The R value of insulation refers to the level of thermal efficiency it provides. In other words, it’s the level of effectiveness of the insulation. The higher the R value, generally the more the insulation costs. It is crucial to select the right R value rating or else your home will not be correctly insulated, resulting in a lack of temperature balance and protection against external weather conditions. While logic may reason that it is best to get the insulation with the highest R value, it is often not necessary. Each home, city and climate is different, and depending on several unique factors that vary from home to home, the highest R value may not even be needed. In order to determine the right insulation for you, it is best to have your home or office professionally assessed.

As a rough guide, these are some sample prices taken for batt insulation, to give you an idea of what costs you are looking at per R value:

  • R 2.0 batts: around $35 to cover 8.17m2 of wall or ceiling space
  • R 2.5 batts: around $58 to cover 7.0m2 of wall or ceiling space
  • R 5.0 batts: around $72 to cover 5.5m2 of wall or ceiling space

Whereas, foil insulation costs, without specific R values, are roughly:

  • $115 for 1350mm wide by 60m long plain foil
  • $28 for a 16 pack of 1.2m long by 450mm wide pleated foil insulation
  • $80 for R-1.8 batt backed foil insulation for roofs, providing 12m2 coverage

Depending on how hot or cold the temperatures where you live get, you might require R 5.0 batts. Though they cost more to cover less area, you will probably recoup your investment in the long term by running your heating and air conditioning less. If your city’s climate is pretty moderate, the R 2.0 batts might be enough. Again, it is best to get your property checked out and use common sense.

Who’s Installing?

Installation costs can add up when it comes to insulation. However, it is important to remember that your priority here is safety. Only install insulation if you are confident and qualified to do so.

If you choose to DIY, we suggest only to do so for reflective and batt insulation (if you know what you are doing). When doing walls, it is recommended that batt or reflective is fitted before the walls actually go up (during construction). If you need to do it after the fact, walls can be insulated well using spray insulation, especially if a home has partially removable cladding. When it comes to doing spray insulation, we highly recommend that only a professional installs is. It requires special equipment and trained experts should be able to do it in such a way that it fills the spaces without overflow, which is undesirable. This might be in the walls or even the floors of your property.

When it comes to loose fill insulation, we again strongly suggest that only professionals with the proper equipment undertake such a task. In some cases, they will use fibreglass, which is known to irritate the skin. For the sake of safety, appropriate long sleeve clothing, gloves and a face mask should be worn during installation. Afterwards, the material should not be tampered with due to its potential for irritation, which is why it is usually only installed in ceiling cavities.

These basics of what influences the price of insulation will provide you with a good foundation in understanding what insulation costs in Western Australia. To get into more specific and detailed pricing, contact us today on 1800 354 717.

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