Is stringing of timber studs necessary when installing wall batts? (Residential)

Yes, unless Enviroseal is used as a wall wrap on the outside of the frame.

R-Value of Thermofoil: Does the orientation and position of the reflective foil influence the R-value?

Yes, the R-value of reflective foil depends on the orientation of the foil, ie. horizontal or vertical and the direction of heat flow. Air spaces of 20mm minimum are required for reflective foil to be effective. Foil laid over a ceiling lining with insulation on top has no R-value, it acts only as a vapour barrier.

Can ceiling batts be used in walls? (Residential)

Ceiling batts are too thick and not rigid enough to be fitted into studs without compression (and subsequent R-value). Wall batts have a water repellent added whereas ceiling batts don't. Where higher R-values are required, the use of an R2.0 glasswool or rockwool wall batt is required along with EnviroSeal fixed to the outside of the stud.

R-Value of Metal Deck Roof Structures: What factors influence the R-value of a metal deck roof? (Commercial Roofing)

The installed R-value of the glasswool and foil are dependant on the thickness of insulation and the degree of compression of the blanket under the metal deck. A still airspace created by a ceiling increases the R-value of the foil component particularly for summer conditions where heat flows downward.
 

Can insulation reduce condensation and mould growth on ceilings of a bedroom?

When correctly installed, insulation can assist in reducing condensation and mould problems by keeping internal surfaces warmer. Other factors that should also be considered are ventilation, low room temperatures and high humidity levels in the house.

Will insulation fitted into timber studs eliminate noise transfer between rooms?

Glasswool and rockwool assist in muffling noise, to eliminate noise transfer between rooms requires attention also to the appropriate layers of Gyprock plasterboard and close attention to eliminating flanking noise. It is the overall system, not just the insulation that should be considered.

What are the best options for reducing noise being transferred from the first floor to ground floor of a house?

Two types of noise need to be considered here: airborne noise and impact noise.

Airborne noise is reduced by increased mass of the system, such as 2 layers of 16mm Fyrchek fixed to the ceiling joists. An R2.5 or R3.0 Glasswool or Rockwool batt will also improve the floor/ceiling noise reduction.

Impact noise, eg. footstep noise, is best reduced by the use of carpet and underlay and the use of Gyprock resilient mounts and furring channel.

Will cavity rockwool insulation installed in a wall eliminate outside noise from entering a house?

Rockwool will absorb some noise in the cavity but for best results needs to be incorporated with heavy mass materials such as bricks and Gyprock plasterboard.

Are glasswool and rockwool a health hazard and can they cause cancer?

Glasswool and rockwool are now manufactured using the latest bio-soluble formulation and are assessed as non-hazardous. Bradford Insulation's rockwool and glasswool are not classifiable as carcinogens to humans.

Bradford Gold and Bradford SoundScreen insulation has been recognised as safe for asthma and allergy sufferers by the National Asthma Council Australia's, 'Sensitive Choice' program. Please see Product Health & Safety for more information.

What is the correct position of the foil when laying Anticon?

In temperate areas the foil vapour barrier faces into the warm side of the building.

Do foil laps need to be taped on Anticon?

Only in areas where high humidity conditions are likely to be encountered in the building and there is a chance of moisture vapour then travelling through the insulation to the cold metal roof, eg. swimming pools.

Installation of Gold batts requires careful attention to sealing gaps between insulation and studs or joists. Why is this so important?

Even if only 5% of an area of wall or ceiling is left uninsulated then up to 50% of the potential benefits may be lost. Similarly holes, tears or joins in reflective insulation should be taped.

Insulation specifications are often presented in terms of density. What are the densities of Bradford products?

Bradford Insulation makes a range of Glasswool and Fibertex Rockwool products to suit any airconditioning application. Densities have importance sometimes for application and mechanical reasons, but of equal or often greater importance, is the performance properties of the materials. Where possible the performance specifications of the Insulation (e.g. thermal conductivity, sound absorption coefficients, compression's resistance) should be specified or sought.

There is quite a range of Ductliner type insulations, which one should I use?

All Bradford Ductliners will provide good insulation for thermal efficiency and condensation control. The question of which one is related to:

1. Sound absorption characteristics: Generally speaking all Ductliners perform excellently in the mid to high frequency range. In the low frequency range absorption increases with thickness and/or density. The final choice will be influenced by the amount of absorption required.
2. Compression resistance/smoothness of internal surface: As density of insulation increases so does resistance to "quilting" due to pinning. This has significance in high velocity ducts, where a smooth flat surface is desirable to minimise friction losses, turbulence and air noise. Most commonly Tel-Glasswool Supertel is used although for higher compression resistance Glasswool Ultratel or Rockwool Ductliner are recommended.

What type of pipe insulation is best?

Bradford Handitube, Glasswool and Rockwool pipe insulation are each best suited to meet the following design criteria for particular applications.
   
Operating temperature
For low temperatures down to -40^oC Bradford Handitube is recommended due to its inherent low vapour permeability when installed with a suitable vapour barrier.

For operating temperatures up to 450^oC, TEL Glasswool Pipe Insulation or Rockwool Pipe Insulation may be used. Rockwool is recommended in the upper temperature range because of its greater thermal resistance and compression resistance under operating conditions.

For high temperatures up to 650^oC Rockwool Pipe Insulation is used.

At the lower end of the industrial temperature range, the lightness and resilience of TEL Glasswool Pipe Insulation are distinct advantages for the installation process.

Cost control
For "large" pipes (200mm diameter or greater) Fibermeshª 650 may be cost effectively substituted for Rockwool Pipe Insulation, particularly on large projects and where damage via mechanical compression (e.g. personnel climbing over pipework) is a minimal risk. Generally an extra 13mm insulation thickness is required for performance comparable with pipe insulation.

What thickness of insulation is needed?

This depends very much on the operating temperature of the system, the desired level of control of heat loss (or gain), maximum surface temperature for personnel protection, and condensation control.

In addition, the reflective properties (surface coefficient) of the insulation cladding affects heat loss and surface temperature at a given insulation thickness.

If you are specifying for an industrial project see our minimum thickness calculator.

Why is Fibermesh 650 recommended generally when blanket insulation is to be used on pipework?

Flexible blanket insulation has much less compression resistance than Rockwool Pipe Insulation. This is partly related to lower density and partly to the flexibility itself. It is important that insulation compresses minimally in service, since compression means insulation reduction. Therefore the high density Fibermeshª 650 is recommended for pipe insulation where a blanket is preferred. The superb flexibility of the product ensures close contact around pipe circumference and the mesh reinforcement assists stability.

OH&S - Has fibreglass been banned in the USA?

This rumour has been around for nearly 20 years. The answer then was no and it is still no.

OH&S - Is fibreglass the next asbestos?

A Fibreglass (or glasswool as it is now called) insulation has been in use around the world since the mid -1930’s. Glasswool insulation has been comprehensively researched over more than 30 years and the World Health Organisation has concluded that glasswool does not pose any serious health hazard.

OH&S - Will I get itchy installing glasswool?

The great benefit of creating an insulation product out of glass fibres is that they are inert and strong to provide lifetime performance. However when the fibres are cut to shape the factory some sharper edges and a small amount of loose dust is generated.These may cause minor temporary irritation for some people during installation. This is a mechanical irritation not chemical – it can be relieved by washing with soap and water or avoided by installing with dust mask and long sleeve shirt as recommended by Bradford.

After installation there is no risk of irritation if left undisturbed. In general roof spaces and building sites are dusty environments and Bradford recommends protective equipment be worn when working with any material in these spaces.