Bradford have one of the most experienced, well established and comprehensive network of installers across Australia. Bradford installers complete stringent training to ensure Bradford insulation is installed safely & effectively. Bradford also provides the most comprehensive warranty in the market place with a lifetime cover on performance of product (70 years).
Glasswool batts come in standard widths and lengths that match standard joist spaces. With ceiling insulation the batts are usually brought into an existing ceiling access and fit snugly between ceiling joists to achieve maximum thermal insulation.
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.
The density of glasswool products used in residential applications varies depending on the use of the product. Ceiling batts are normally in the range of 8 – 10kg/m3 whereas wall batts need to be stiff so as not to slump in the wall cavity and these products are typically 12kg/m3 or more. Acoustic insulation products are typically in the range of 25 – 30kg/m3.
Glasswool and rockwool are similar products that perform similar functions. Glasswool takes molten glass (made from around 80% recycled glass) and put this through a fiberising process to create a mat of varying thicknesses and densities. This mat has millions of air pockets created and this provides an effective insulation against the transfer of heat. Rockwool is made in a similar way from molten volcanic rock (basalt) rather than glass. The main differences between glasswool and rockwool from a performance perspective is that rockwool cannot be made a low densities like glasswool can. The minimum density for rockwool is around 30kg/m3. However, rockwool has the advantage of being able to be used at much higher operating temperatures – up to 850°C compared to 350°C for glasswool. Mineral wool is a term that describes both glasswool and rockwool.
Bradford recommends using Gold Hi Performance Batts for optimum thermal performance. Bradford suggests increasing your studs to 120mm or 140mm from 90mm to allow for more insulation value. Bradford Gold Hi-Performance wall batts are available in R-Values of R2.0 to R4.0.
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.
SoundScreen will absorb much of the noise entering a home from outside, but noise tends to find a “path of least resistance” and so elements like windows, gaps around doors and windows and even the construction of the doors will have an effect. Double glazing, solid core doors and door and window seals will all play a role. Increasing the thickness of Gyprock plasterboard will also assist in managing the entry of external noise.
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 installing Bradford R3.1 High Density SoundScreen and replacing standard Supaceil with 2 layers of 16mm Fyrchek fixed to the ceiling joists. Impact noise, such as from footsteps, is best reduced by the use of carpet and underlay and the use of Gyprock resilient mounts and furring channel.
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
There are many Bradford products that will help reduce the risk of mould and water damage in your home. The Bradford Enviroseal™ ProctorWrap™ range of vapour permeable membranes are highly permeable, yet also water tight. These products are designed to allow moisture to pass through them whilst preventing the entry of wind driven rain and dust from the outside environment both during and after construction. Bradford Anticon combines Bradford glasswool blanket with an impermeable foil facing, which protects your home from the condensation that can form under metal roofs. The Edmonds range of home ventilation products all work hand-in-hand with insulation, to create a more comfortable and energy efficient home. It is also important to eliminate recessed light fittings. Duct kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans should direct air outside.
Combining glasswool and reflective insulation in a single product, Bradford Anticon has been specifically designed to provide superior thermal insulation, noise reduction and condensation control for metal roofs. Bradford Anticon is specifically designed for temperature control in homes with metal roofs. It is comprised of a glasswool blanket adhered to a foil facing. This reduces radiant heat entering a home during summer, and helps prevent condensation in winter. Installing Bradford Anticon under your metal roof also helps reduce unwanted noise from heavy rain and other sources by up to 13dB. Bradford Anticon is available in a variety of thicknesses so you can choose the level of insulation that best suits your needs. Anticon’s bulk insulation blanket is made from non-combustible fibres and is ideally suited to sealing ember entry points at ridges, valleys and fascia’s to meet the BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) requirement for metal clad roofs in bushfire areas.
In temperate areas the foil vapour barrier faces into the warm side of the building. In most parts of Australia this means the foil facing should be down (towards the interior of the building). However, in tropical areas such as Northern QLD, we recommend an extra layer of vapour barrier to be applied lapped and tapped to the outside to reduce condensation in humid environments. In tropical areas such as Northern Territory, the vapour barrier should face the external roof sheet or wall cladding to control condensation.
It is best practice to tape the foil overlaps when installing Anticon products under metal roofing. This ensures the integrity of the vapour barrier.
This depends on the system used and direction that the heat travels. Reflective insulation products are effective at resisting radiant heat but less effective with convective heat. Therefore, they work better in summer (heat down) situations than winter (heat up). As a basic “rule of thumb” roof sarking in a ventilated pitched tiled roof with a flat ceiling can provided added R-value of around R1.8 in summer and reflective wall wraps (when combined with a non-ventilated still air space in the stud void) can add around R1.1 in summer.
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.
It is very difficult (and sometimes impossible) to insulate cathedral ceilings after they have been built.
If the cathedral ceiling has exposed rafters then it’s virtually impossible to insulate without a major structural change to the roof. If the rafters are not exposed (i.e. they sit behind the ceiling lining), then a cathedral ceiling can be insulated with Bradford batts by removing either the roofing material or the ceiling lining but obviously this is a difficult and expensive process and would only be cost effective if a re-roof was being done for other reasons or if other alterations were taking place that required the ceiling lining to be replaced.
Insulation in Australia must be tested as per the standard AS/NZS4859.1. There are different tests for different types of insulation. For the most popular insulation which is glasswool, which we market as Bradford Gold Batts, we test in an apparatus that the claimed thermal performance (R-value) of the product is the same as what we claim on the packaging. This is done in the factory as part of our quality control process.
Having established that the thermal performance is accurate, we then use this in modelling to estimate how much energy a home will need to achieve a comfort level of between 22 – 26 degrees Celsius. Because a well insulated house requires less energy to achieve this comfort range this helps improve the energy efficiency of the home.
