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TIP STORE: HOUSEHOLD: Insulation

​Fake Double Glazing

Approximate $ Savings: $10

​ I have put bubble wrap on the western windows of our unit. Bubble side facing the window and taped all around the edges on the glass so it won't peel the paint when we move out. This has cut the afternoon heat by at least half; especially good considering it is our bedroom and a big window. Contributed by Jodie Crowe, 9th January 2014

​How to Insulate a Garage Door on a Tight Budget

Approximate $ Savings: $129 minimum

I recently moved into a new home with a double garage. Although the garage ceiling is insulated, I still noticed that it was hot in summer and icy cold in winter, as the garage roller door itself conducted the heat and cold. A friend had the same problem and had purchased polystyrene sheets from Clark Rubber and lined their garage doors to great effect. This resulted in savings on heating and cooling, and a significant reduction in heat variations within the garage itself. As money was in short supply and costs coming at me from every direction, I was not prepared to outlay the money to insulate the garage doors when the money was needed elsewhere. However, with the delivery of new furniture and flat pack items, many of which came in boxes with large 1.5cm thick sheets of polystyrene, I decided that rather than add to the land fill sites, I would use those sheets to insulate my garage doors instead. I cut the sheets to the actual size of the cavity and slightly bevelled the edge on the bottom to ensure a better fit. Then I slid in the sheets from the bottom and bowing them slightly, gently pushed them under the lip at the top. I repeated the process until all the door was covered. Care should be taken with the centre cavities as there is a cross beam that gets in the way. If the polystyrene is too thin it doesn't work and just flies away when you open the garage door on a windy day. Sometimes it has taken a couple of sheets to fill those cavities as they are quite long. If you are worried about the gaps, white tape works wonders. It took awhile, and it may not look as neat as my friend's, but it is just as good, and does the job well. If you don't have any polystyrene, then just ask at the furniture shops. They unpack all the time for display items and will only be throwing it away.
​Contributed by Julie Ismail, 8th July 2010

​Take Advantage of Insulation Rebate Program In Rental Accommodation

The weatherboard house we rent used to become extremely hot in summer but worse still extremely cold in winter and I had huge energy bills I've never experienced before, even when I lived in much older houses with draughts. I recently had doorknockers come around and offer to insulate the house under the government's insulation grant. It's a fantastic recent offer in which the government pay the company up to $1200 to install insulation in your home or rental property (you simply ask your landlord to sign one document to express their approval). Be wary of the doorknockers because they try to charge you an additional amount like $100 by claiming your house is a bit too large for the grants terms and conditions, but in fact even a house of just over 100sq metres should not cost you anything at all. I used a company called Neco, they installed 3.5R insulation all for free (and even gave me a free gift hamper of other eco friendly products valued at $50). Now every time we walk into the house we can instantly feel the difference. It's significantly cooler when outside is hot and significantly warmer when outside is cold (I got to test this with the very unstable Melbourne weather recently). Best of all, my energy bills will be significantly lower! I hope this tip can help others too, especially those living in the East like I am where Neco can install for free and then even provide a free hamper.
​Contributed by Maria Katergaris, 8th February 2010

​$1600 Insulation Rebate for Low Income Earners

The recent Federal Government Stimulus package is offering up to $1600 to low-middle income earners to install insulation in their houses. Many insulation companies are offering to put the insulation in at no cost as the subsidy would evidently cover the cost of insulation and installation in most cases. It is estimated that the savings to an average household is about $200 a year in energy bills.
​Contributed by Fay, Broadford, 6th October 2009

​Blow In Insulation

​If there is an exhaust fan in the ceiling, or if you are prepared to cut a hole in the ceiling of a flat roofed home you can have loose insulation blown into the roof. Much cheaper than removing the whole roof. Contributed by Christine, Preston, 6th October 2009

​Insulating Roof Paint Ideal for Flat Roofs

There is an insulating paint available that you could paint or spray onto the tin roof, called Mascoat. This paint is available in Australia.
​Contributed by Belinda, Bayswater, 7th October 2009
​Website: www.mascoataustralia.com

​Re-cycled Paper, Another Great Type of Insulation

We had our sunroom's flat tin roof insulated with pump-in recycled paper. This is very efficient and fills all the crevices between the ceiling and the roof. it is vermin and fire safe.
​Contributed by Rosemarie, Moorebank, 7th October 2009

​DIY Insulation Using Styrofoam Batts

Re: insulating a tin roof - My husband has insulated our patio tin roof with sheets of styrofoam. The sheets are cut to size, ours being 3metres long by 2 metres wide, and fixed onto battens. It's amazing cool it is now in summer and how cosy it is in winter. Styro foam dealers can be found in the Yellow Pages.
​Contributed by Joy, Palm Beach, 7th October 2009

​Rockwool Insulation

You could have Rockwool pumped into the roof space. But they will still need to partially open up a sheet between each pair of rafters. Rockwool is fire resistant and has very good insulating properties and been around for years. Similar to Insulfluff.
​Contributed by Julie, Ferntree Gully, 7th October 2009

​Painting a Tin Roof Helps With Insulation

If your roof is currently unpainted, you can paint it white - Solarcoat or a similar product is the best option. The reflective properties will cut heat dramatically. I believe there are other coating products available which are more effective, but to my knowledge you have to pay someone to apply them. Batts are certainly the best option, and you may as well paint while you're up there!!!
​Contributed by Toni, Alice Springs, 9th October 2009

​DIY Insulation Job

It depends on whether you have a ceiling inside or not. My tip applies if you do not already have a ceiling, or, I suppose, if you're prepared to take down your existing ceiling. I used a staple gun to staple wire running perpendicular to the rafters in order to support the batts. Then, working inside the rooms, I fed the batts in between the rafters, using the wires to support their lengths. After that, I again used the staple gun to nail Sisalation (the silver insulating foil material they put in roofs) to the rafters. The Sisalation became a silver ceiling for my rooms. I cut little squares of old lino to place between the staple and the Sisalation to give the stapled areas more strength. My unbearable hot building became wonderful in both summer and winter. And I loved the silver ceiling, but I suppose you could then gyprock it again, but that might be expensive if you don't have the skills to do it yourself.
​Contributed by Lee, Green Head, 11th October 2009

​Insulation Rebate Helps With the Cost

There are government grants at the moment and it won't cost you anything to insulate your home up to $1600 in value. Check out websites for government rebates for insulation.
​Contributed by Mar, Langwarrin, 13th October 2009

​Check Out Government Rebate

If you have no insulation, or any existing insulation is less than 2.5 deep, check out the Government rebate of $1600.00 for home insulation, you should qualify. The rebate includes batts and installation and will only cost you something if the total bill goes above the rebate amount.
​Contributed by Mary, Netley, 6th October 2009

​Carpet Underneath

A friend found a whole lot of second-hand carpet tiles and stapled them to the underside of his wooden floor. No more heat loss through the floor in the areas he could get to.
​Contributed by Ray, Armidale, 18th July 2009

​DIY Insulation Caution

I just have a caution about the recommendation to put polystyrene boxes under the floor as insulation ... I considered this when I decided to insulate our house, but decided against it, due to the fire risk. Polystyrene is EXTREMELY combustible and I suspect that using it as insulation would likely be illegal in many council areas due to the extreme risk posed in the event of a fire. Just something to consider in this age of litigation.
​Contributed by Anne Secombe, 16th July 2009

​DIY Underfloor Insulation

​Regarding the under floor insulation a friend of mine has carried this task out in the following manner: using prefabricated 3.0 bats she attached them to silver insulation foil sheeting in the corresponding size to the bearers, and then rolled them up silver side out, with batt attached inside. This was done in such a fashion due to the limited space beneath her house. Once under the house with the prefab batt, unroll and attach with an air staple gun. T his method should eliminate rat/vermin problems also. A handy hint: if space is limited and you don't handle confined spaces well, fit a trapdoor in floor Contributed by Dianne, Curlwaa, 9th July 2009

​Fruit Boxes Stop Draughts

​Cut up Styrofoam boxes to go between the bearers, that's all the ones advertised on TV at the moment are. We used our boxes from the Crisco hampers last year to insulate the vent/lid/wind up thingy on the caravan this year. You could also ask supermarkets and greengrocers for old broccoli boxes. If you were prepared to go one room at a time you could probably get enough for free. Contributed by Joy, Werribee, 9th July 2009

​Create a Space for Batts Under the Floor

When we had a problem with the cold coming up through the floor my husband bought thin planks from the hardware store and nailed them to the wood cross structures under the house. We then slipped in Fibre Batts (which we also bought from the hardware store) and the planks held them firmly in place. Before we did this I used to have a cold chill coming up through the floorboards which made the house like an icebox since we have done this we have a nice warm house.
​Contributed by Sheila, Elanora, 15th July 2009

​Polyester Batts Make Underfloor Insulating a DIY Job

Under our timber floors, we used polyester batts. Very similar to the fibreglass ones people put in the roof, but no need to wear protective clothing when installing, as there are no irritating fibres. We used a staple gun to fix them, as they are just the right width to fit between the floor joists. They cost about 33% more than fibreglass, but they are so easy to install, you can do it yourself and save on installation cost. Then sit back and watch your heating bill shrink!
​Contributed by Tracey, Saratoga, 9th July 2009

​Supplier of Underfloor Insulation for Home Handyman

Look at www.expol.com.au , they supply underfloor insulation, made of polystyrene foam, which works well and their design is DIY friendly as the foam is designed to fit between the floor joists of the house without needing to be glued or nailed etc - just a couple of hooks holds it in.
Contributed by Robyn, Endeavour Hills, 9th July 2009
​ Website: www.expol.com.au

​Builder's Trick to Insulate Under the Floor

To insulate under floorboards economically yourself, you can buy the insulating silver/blue sisalation that builders often use in roofs etc. This can be then stapled under the floorboards, which provides insulation and stops dampness/coldness rising up.
​Contributed by Tracey, Aldinga Beach, 9th July 2009

​Get Advice from the Experts When Insulating Under the Floor

You could find out from insulation companies' websites and brochures the products that they recommend. I work for a transportable building company - some time back we started using a product called pro-therm or e-therm which goes under the flooring of the buildings, between the flooring and the steel chassis frame. It also makes the floor a bit better to walk on. If you are friendly with anyone who works at a building company, you may be able to pick up some offcuts - perhaps enough just to do one room and cut a little of your cost.
​Contributed by Toni, Alice Springs, 9th July 2009

​Underfloor Insulation Can Be a DIY Job

I have heard that you can put bats under the floor in between the joists. I have also heard that they make foil sheets that you can put between the joists. So perhaps you could put the bats between the joists and buy some sarking? (the foil stuff they put under the cladding on houses) and put the sarking over the bats and staple on. This should give you really good insulation. I would be very careful of electrical cords that may be under the house.
​Contributed by Merilyn, Brocklehurst, 9th July 2009

​Modular Type of Underfloor Insulation is Cheaper for DIY

Having a weatherboard house and floorboards we are going to insulate the same way (the bedrooms are freezing at night especially). There is a company called EXPOL underfloor insulation, they supply insulation which is like a strong polystyrene that clips in together snugly between your floor joists. Apparently very effective, non allergenic and flame retardant too. Their number is 1800 86 33 73. Website http://www.expol.com.au/insulating_floors.htm If you measure the approximate space of your rooms (each room length x width then add each total together for the total area of the space you want insulated) they will give you an approximate idea of how much it will cost. Cheaper of course if you self-install. When we called, the best part was them telling us we could actually purchase the insulation in panels from Bunnings and do it ourselves, just clip them into place. (Just need to check we buy the right size, there are 4 sizes depending on the width of our joists) We intend to do one room at a time to make it easier to afford. While we haven't done it yet and can't tell you how well it works, it seems for us the best (and cheapest) option so far. Good Luck!
Contributed by Bernadette, Greensborough, 9th July 2009
​Website: http://www.expol.com.au/insulating_floors.htm