Building an Home Extension

If you are constructing a new home, insulation installation is crucial for your overall comfort throughout the year. The right insulation will also function to ensure increased energy performance of your residence. However, some homeowners make the mistake of selecting the first insulation materials that they come across without bearing in mind the long terms effects of their decision. Read on to learn a few tips on how you can ensure maximum efficiency of your insulation installation.

Consider thermal bridging 

The main frame of your construction tends to act as a thermal bridge. This effect is particularly noticeable in colder climates, as the frame will conduct heat, which ends up bypassing your insulation. Homeowners who are constructing using steel frames should be more mindful as this since steel has a high conductivity rate when compared to other materials. If you do not factor in the thermal bridging ability of the frame of the house, the heat loss and gain in your home will be considerably high. To counter the thermal bridging, there are a couple of things that you could do:

• Ensure that isolating strips made from polystyrene are installed in between the cladding of your home and the frame itself.
• Ensure that you opt for bulk insulation profiles for example polystyrene boards; these can be fixed on either the interior or exterior of the frame to reduce its thermal bridging capacity.

Consider vapour barriers

The main aim of vapour barriers is to ensure that moisture does not breach your insulation. There is a vast assortment of vapour barriers that you could consider during insulation installation. Some of the more common options that homeowners choose include plasterboard that comes with foil backing or polyethene sheeting installed as a protective layer on the insulation. Once the vapour barrier is installed, it is important to make sure all joints are sealed shut by glue to decrease any chances of moisture damage. Some of the reasons why vapour barriers may be crucial to our insulation installation include:

• If you live in an area that is prone to high humidity such as the coastal regions in Australia.
• If your roof design does not allow for adequate ventilation, leading to moisture becoming trapped.
• If you have a metal roof that is prone to developing condensation as the temperature changes, a vapour barrier would be essential on the underside of the roofing.
• If you live in an area with predominantly cool climatic conditions that cause interior and exterior temperatures to vary significantly, which increases the chances of condensation occurring inside your home.