Top 6 Issues that will Slow the Installation of Insulation
Installing insulation isn’t always a breeze – sometimes factors that are outside of the installers’ control can drastically affect the process resulting in a more expensive and prolonged installation process. Whether you’re a builder, owner-builder or tradie, there are a few things that insulation contractors such as ourselves dread seeing when doing a job in Melbourne – here are the top 6 ones.
1. Inadequate scaffolding
Particularly important for two-storey homes, scaffolding is essential for insulation contractors to be able to appropriately wrap a home in housewrap. But it needs to be set up properly. If the scaffolding – be it mobile or fixed – is positioned incorrectly then it may present a potential safety risk to the installers and cause further delays as the scaffolding will need to be redone correctly. In cases such as this, the contractors would have to return another day – which could end up costing you further and wasting everyone’s time.
2. Issues with studs
Two common issues relating to studs make insulation installation quite challenging, stud centres not aligning with batt sizes and steel studs. Typically, stud & truss centres should be set at 450mm or 600mm with studs and either 450mm, 600mm or 900mm with trusses. It’s not uncommon, however, for carpenters to disregard the requirements of installing insulation and implement their own measurements. The second stud-related issue is steel studs, which are quite difficult to work around and could also incur a 2x – 3x higher fee. This is because steel studs rarely ever allow for standard batt sizes and require each batt to be cut to a custom size – which is very time-consuming.
3. No void protection
When working on a two-storey property with voids, it’s crucial that some form of void protection is established otherwise insulation batts cannot safely be installed in the void’s upper walls and ceilings. Void protection should be standard practise on a building site. If there is a lack of adequate protection, then insulation contractors will be required to come back another day and charge extra for the return trip. To avoid these extra fees over a small amount of insulation, ensure that all voids have adequate protection prior to the contractors’ arrival.
4. Lack of subfloor clearance
An element that’s often overlooked is the 600mm clearance requirement from the bottom of the bearer to the ground when it comes to installing subfloor insulation. This is to ensure there’s enough room for contractors to navigate with the insulation batts. Unlike electricians or plumbers, who work with smaller materials and equipment, an insulation contractor needs room to install a 450mm wide batt (at the minimum) below the floor using the equipment required to install it such as hammers, screw guns, saddles and floor straps.
If there is less than 600mm of clearance than the process is also extended as the installer will be unable to bring a full bag under the area – forcing them to instead open it outside and lug the individual batts a few at a time. This makes for a very unnecessarily inefficient installation process.
5. Herringbone bracing
Herringbone bracing occurs between parallel rows of studs to secure them more efficiently and prevent any twisting from occurring whilst also bracing the wall. That being said, it’s a nightmare for insulation contractors because the cross-braces mean standard batts won’t fit between the joists. This means that installers have to cut each batt to fit the available space (much like with steel studs) which can, unfortunately, be very time-consuming.
6. First-floor access and manholes
Installing insulation on the first floor of a building without any staircases or secure ladders in place will slow down the entire installation process as the simple task of transporting the bags of batts from the ground floor up will be quite difficult. Similarly, small manholes in ceilings can be extremely challenging to navigate as well as troublesome when insulation bags need to be brought up into the roof cavity.
Are you looking for insulation contractors in Melbourne?
If you’re looking for insulation contractors in Melbourne, then Insulation Essentials is at your service. We provide quality installation services as well as sell all the insulation products you’ll need for your new build. What’s more, now that you’ve read this article you can ensure the worksite is adequately prepared for our installation services – ensuring a smooth and seamless process that will streamline your construction schedule.
If you’re interested in enquiring further about our services, then you can fill out the contact form on our website or give us a call on 03 8339 7111.