Which Material

Types of insulation
There are two main types of insulation - bulk insulation and reflective foil insulation. Some insulation products also use a combination of bulk insulation and reflective foil to achieve their insulating effect.

Bulk insulation
This is the type of insulation that most people are familiar with . The insulation material itself is usually fibreglass mineral wool (also called rockwool), , synthetic fibre (polyester) or sheep`s wool. These products come in two forms, either in long rolls (called blankets) that must be cut to fit the length of space, or in precut lengths (called batts).

Blankets usually come with a moisture barrier, foil or plain paper backing and batts can come with or without backing. If there`s easy access to the space needing insulation, batts are a common choice material. In vertical stud walls, blankets are cut and stapled in place or batts are fitted into the stud wall spaces.

In a horizontal space like a roof space, blankets or batts are simply laid between the timber joists.

Glasswool is certainly the most widely used type of roof insulation in Australia and Glasswool batts work by trapping the transfer of heat in your roof space and thus keeping temperatures within your home up to 7 degrees cooler in summer and up to 10 degrees warmer in winter. Batts are designed to fit snugly between ceiling joists and can easily be cut and butted together in order to avoid gaps which lessen the barrier effect. Benefits of glasswool are as follows:

Cooler in summer
Warmer in winter
Provide additional accoustic properties (sound proofing).
Non combustible
Vermin and mildew resistant
Non hazardous
Last a lifetime

Loose fill
Loose fill insulation has no backing and is supplied loose. It is simply poured or pumped into a wall cavity or the roof space. Since there`s no cutting, fitting or stapling it`s one of the fastest and easiest forms of insulation to install. A water resistant grade of loose fill should be used to insulate external cavity walls. Loose fill materials include mineral wool and cellulose. Cellulose fibre is made from recycled paper that has been chemically treated to resist fire, rot and vermin. The advantage of loose fill insulation is that it is not restricted to standard sizes or shapes. The areas between the ceiling joists are filled, blocking gaps and preventing any seepage of heat.

Rigid insulation
Rigid insulation comes in precut boards that are used primarily in new home construction. They are also ideal for insulating areas such as raked ceilings, solid brick external walls, under wooden floors and around concrete slabs. Extruded polystyrene boards are most commonly used because of their rigidity and strength. Although the boards are good insulators, they lose effectiveness if installed without a tight seal between them.

Reflective foil insulation
Reflective foil insulation has an ability to minimise radiant heat transfer. It can also act as a water proofing membrane under a roof and as a moisture barrier in roofs and walls. Foil is often bonded to rockwool batts, foam batts or plasterboard, providing insulation benefits in both directions. Foil is available in single or multi-layered forms. In the multi-layered form, the air pocket between the layers provides some extra insulating benefit. When using single layer reflective foil under a tiled or metal roof, bulk insulation may still be needed at the ceiling level to achieve a good level of insulation through all seasons. For it to work effectively, a gap of about 25mm is required between it and the associated material.

What is an R-Value?
To compare the insulating ability of the various products available look at their R-value, which measures resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value the higher the level of insulation.

Where we work:
If you are looking for a local company in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney Brilliant Insulation provide services and work in the following areas: Insulation Bondi, Insulation Bondi Beach, Insulation North Bondi, Insulation Bondi Junction, Insulation Paddington, Insulation Vaucluse, Insulation Rose Bay, Insulation Darling Point, Insulation Dover Heights, Insulation Double Bay, Insulation Point Piper, Insulation Woollahra, Insulation Watsons Bay, Insulation Potts Point, Insulation Rushcutters Bay, Insulation Elizabeth Bay, Insulation Bellevue Hill, Insulation Bronte, Insulation Tamarama, Insulation Queens Park, Insulation Clovelly, Insulation Coogee, Insulation Randwick Insulation Kensington, Insulation South Coogee, Insulation Maroubra, Insulation Malabar, Insulation Little Bay, Insulation La Perouse, Insulation Alexandria, Insulation Annandale, Insulation Barangaroo, Insulation Beaconsfield, Insulation Camperdown, Insulation Centennial Park, Insulation Chippendale, Insulation Darlinghurst, Insulation Darlington, Insulation Dawes Point, Insulation Elizabeth Bay, Insulation Erskineville, Insulation Eveleigh, Insulation Forest Lodge, Insulation Glebe, Insulation Haymarket, Insulation Millers Point, Insulation Moore Park, Insulation Newtown, Insulation Potts Point, Insulation Pyrmont, Insulation Redfern, Insulation Rosebery, Insulation Rushcutters Bay, Insulation Surry Hills, Insulation Sydney CBD, Insulation The Rocks, Insulation Ultimo, Insulation Waterloo, Insulation Woolloomooloo, Insulation Zetland.