Here are the steps for retrofitting insulation batts in your existing home. Be mindful that homes of a certain age are likely to have hazardous materials in their makeup that could be released when modifying or removing them. Assessing your home for the presence of asbestos or similar compounds is the very first thing you should do before starting a DIY refurbishment/retrofit insulation project. Before installing your insulation batts, make sure to properly prepare your walls by removing the internal wall lining, this is best done by removing the wall lining entirely. Before doing so, however, you need to call in an electrician and a plumber to remove and make safe all outlets of electricity and plumbing. Throughout New Zealand, poorly insulated homes cause numerous health issues every single year. In the late 90s, the Trust saw a chance to help address the issue – and our involvement with the Retrofit Insulation Programme began.
Installing wall insulation batts can be tricky but following these steps will help ensure a successful installation process and will keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer! The only other alternative to retrofit insulation into walls without having to remove the wall lining at all is to use a specifically designed pump to blow in loose-fill cellulose insulation from the outside and the top. Using wall insulation in your ceiling is a great idea if you have a flat-pitched roof with minimal space inside. Wall insulation is also a great solution for insulating between the first and second floors of your home. This is because Wall insulation has the same thermal properties as ceiling insulation in a thinner insulation Batt.
In most houses, insulation can be reasonably easily added to roof spaces and under timber framed floors. It is more difficult to retrofit insulation to walls. Retrofitting wall insulation also requires building consent unless the local council has made an exemption for this work. If you are unsure whether or not installing more insulation in your home would be a good idea, one place you could look for help (at no cost) is the Eco Design Advisor service offered by the councils in Auckland, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, Nelson, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Another option is using HomeFit, a service developed by the New Zealand Green Building Council.
