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There’s nothing like the feeling of putting your feet up in your toasty living room as cold weather whirls outside. New Zealand winters can get pretty darn chilly. This poses a bit of a headache for many homeowners as a lot of old houses don’t have adequate insulation. In fact, thermal house insulation wasn’t required in new homes by law until 1978!
A lot of homeowners decide to put off re-insulating their home as they assume they need to fork out top dollar for a contractor as part of a larger house renovation. This is just not the case! With the right advice and equipment hire, you can take on DIY wall insulation, DIY underfloor insulation and even DIY ceiling insulation. But how do you actually insulate your home yourself? What is the cheapest way to insulate?
With help from our friends at Pink® Batts® the only glass wool insulation manufacturer in NZ, this guide will equip you with everything you need to know about DIY home insulation. Here’s what we’ll cover
The benefits of good insulation
The different kinds of home insulation
Why you should insulate your home yourself
Tools needed for DIY home insulation
How to install Pink® Batts® or other glass wool insulation
Other tips for insulation your home
Let’s get heated!
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High Demand Product: We suggest making a booking for this item in advance.
Low Stock Call First
High Demand Product: We suggest making a booking for this item in advance.
Low Stock Call First
High Demand Product: We suggest making a booking for this item in advance.
When doing your research on the Healthy Homes Standards and house insulation, you’ll undoubtedly stumble across the phrase R-value. But what does this actually mean? And no, it’s nothing to do with being a pirate. Put simply; R-value stands for thermal resistance rating. Technically speaking, it’s a way of highlighting or measuring how good a given material is at not transferring heat. So, if a material has a high r-value, it’s seen as a better insulator.
Top tip: Nearly all insulation products, whether that be Pink® Batts® insulation or other eco insulation, show their R-value. That way, you can make a smart purchasing decision.
There are many benefits to having proper house insulation. Some benefits you may already know, like having a warmer home. Other advantages may surprise you.
We’ll start with the obvious point. House insulation can help to keep warm air inside your home. A warm home can lead to a more comfortable and healthier living situation, given there is less mould and a drier environment. What you may not know, is that an insulated home can lose 18% to 25% of heat through the walls.
As we’ve discussed, the main reason for insulation is to prevent heat flow. But this works both ways. Think of how a chilly bin works. A home with adequate insulation works the same way by keeping hot air outside. This way, your home will be nice and cool during the hotter months.
In today’s day and age, more than ever, the cost of heating adds up quickly. Whether firewood for a fireplace, electricity for a heat pump or gas for a heater, it’s never cheap. Thankfully, a warm home with insulation helps prevent this valuable heat from escaping. As a result, you don’t have to spend as much money on heating.
As part of the Healthy Home Standards that were introduced in 2019, all residential buildings need to meet standard NZS 4246. This standard covers energy efficiency and installing bulk thermal insulation. The level of insulation that’s required as part of this standard will depend on several variables, including:
Proper insulation can also help with soundproofing. This can be a big reason to reinsulate your property if you live close to a busy road or in a particularly loud area. A lot of insulation options will also show their soundproof rating.
These are just some of the reasons to insulate or reinsulate your home. A warm home can also add to your property's overall value.
You’re probably familiar with Pink® Batts® insulation, but there are also many other brands and types of insulation to consider. What you choose may depend on your home, budget or desired R-value.
Loose-fill insulation is a fantastic option if you do not want to damage or remove your current wall lining. Essentially, loose-fill insulation is small foam or fibreglass particles that can be pumped into your wall or ceiling cavities with a hose. This particular method is commonly left to a professional.
Glass wool is one of the more popular forms of home insulation in New Zealand. Pink® Batts® is often a common example of this. One of the reasons glass wool or glass fibre insulation is so popular is that it’s very cost-effective compared to some other alternatives. Pink® Batts® is also environmentally friendly, given that it’s made from nearly 80% recycled glass. This glass is then formed into bio-suitable glass wool.
If you’re looking for an alternative to glass wool wall insulation, look no further than polyester. Both glass wool and polyester insulation have similar properties and heat resistance. Polyester also lasts a long time, so it can sometimes be reused. Polyester insulation is itch-free, unlike most glass wool. However, polyester is often seen as slightly more expensive.
Spray foam is normally a form of insulation that's best left for a pro. It’s commonly a chemical product that, once sprayed, expands into a given space. As an added benefit to being a great insulator and fire-resistant, spray foam can also help to increase your wall’s structural integrity. However, unlike loose-fill insulation, you will still need to remove your wall lining. For tips on this, read our super-simple guide to re-lining a room.
Wool is another option for insulating a warm home. The pros of wool include that it has a very high R-value, and it’s often better at soundproofing than glass wool. The cons of wool include that it’s a heavier option. This can make it harder to install, and it’s often seen as a more expensive DIY insulation option.
Whatever product you choose, ensure it meets healthy homes insulation standards. It’s also worth noting that there is a ban in New Zealand on installing or repairing foil insulation. This ban is for residential buildings where there are existing electrical installations.
There are several reasons why it’s a good idea to tackle DIY home insulation. For a start, contractors don’t come cheap. Getting stuck in installing your home insulation can help you save money you would’ve spent on labour. As well as that, installing insulation yourself can mean better quality control. Although you may assume all contractors do a good job, there are cowboys out there.
Assuming that your wall lining is already off and prepared for DIY insulation, there aren’t too many pieces of equipment you need to get the job done. Tools and safety equipment for warm home insulation include:
Insulation like glass wool can be harmful to your health. You must keep safety top of mind and wear the correct safety gear when handling it. Essentially, the less skin that glass wool can come into contact with, the better.
Glass wool like Pink® Batts® insulation in your walls, is one of the most common and easiest DIY insulation options. Before getting started, it’s a good idea to get a sparky to check your wiring. Your walls being bare is the perfect chance to check electrics and wiring and move any light fixtures or power points. This can help to prevent any accidents or potential damage during installation, or in the future. If you’re insulating as part of a new construction, it’s recommended that insulation is installed once the cladding system is already completely finished.
Keeping safety top of mind, start by turning off the power. This way, you won’t encounter any unfortunate shocks along the way. This is also an excellent point to ensure your insulation product and all cavities are dry.
Using your straight edge or measuring tape, measure the gaps between your wall studs and joists where the insulation segment is meant to be going. How many packs of insulation product you need will depend on whether the distance between your studs and joists follows the new 450mm guidelines or are the old 600mm apart.
Top tip: To determine how much insulation you need for a given wall, you’ll need to get your calculator out. Pink® Batts® has a handy online tool to help you figure out how much product you need.
Now that you have the measurements from your wall, you’ll need to measure your insulation segment. Whether it’s Pink® Batts® insulation or another alternative, you’ll need to pull out your product and lay it out. Then, measure your segment with an overhang no larger than 10mm than the size of the gap you previously measured. Pink® Batts® recommends a 5mm overhang for a good friction fit.
Next up, use your craft knife and straight edge to cut your insulation segment to size. Given the material, glass wool insulation is straightforward to cut. Use off cuts to work around pipes, windows, wiring and around doors. Partially cut insulation and stuff it around electrical cables and small diameter pipes.
Finally, you’ll want to get your insulation segment and install it in the gap between your wall studs and joists and ensure it is a snug fit. wall studs and joists. Ensure there are no gaps, folds or compression of the insulation product for optimal performance. You may want to use your finish stapler to hold the insulation in place. Be sure not to cover any vents to allow unhindered ventilation.
Top tip: Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when tackling DIY underfloor insulation, DIY roof insulation or DIY wall insulation. Other helpful online resources are available for installing different types of insulation.
Insulation is one of the essential ingredients for a warm home. In saying that, there are other ways you can help with keeping the heat in your home, including:
Here are your frequently asked questions about DIY home insulation.
This will depend on how big of a DIY insulation job is on your hands, and if you’re working on an old house. Fibreglass wool insulation is often seen as one of the most cost-effective options, given the price of materials vs its R-value. It’s also cheap and easy to install yourself. Consumer NZ also has many other helpful ways to stay warm for less.
If you retrofit insulation in your home no building consent is required for the ceiling or floors.
However, you are required to have building consent for installing insulation in external walls. If in doubt, contact a LBP or a professional installer team such as PinkFit to understand if your home requires extra considerations around insulation installation.
Find more information on whether you require building consent or not here.
In New Zealand, you need both to meet healthy home standards. If you’re looking to take on DIY ceiling insulation, it’s a bit trickier than your walls.
A warm home can play a significant role in living a healthy and comfortable life, so insulation is essential. Many people don’t realise that with the right advice, you can install insulation yourself. Although the process will vary depending on where you’re installing and the type of insulation you choose, the end goal is the same.
One of the most common forms of DIY insulation is using a glass wool product in your walls. Now you should feel confident to do this on your own. If you need gear or equipment for any DIY home reno projects, browse our range online and then pick up gear from your nearest Hirepool branch. If you feel you're not up to the task to get your home warm, dry and healthy yourself, visit Pink® Batts® to get the job done.
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