Loose fill blown in

Press, 12 June 1984, Page 28

Loose fill blown in

Old newspapers are being packed into homes by the thousands — but they are no longer readable. Treated with chemicals and torn into bits and pieces at a Waltham factory, the newspapers form a material called “Insul-fluf.” This is pumped into ceilings, and sometimes walls, to act as an insulator. The general manager of Ergonomic Specialists, Ltd, in Beckenham (Christchurch), Mr Rod Beuth, said about 127 kilograms of paper was needed to fill the ceiling of an average home. When Insul-fluf is produced, it is forced into bags. On the job site, two men — working from a small van — put the packed-down material through a “teaser,” and a fan blows it through a hose running from the van to the ceiling.

The insulation is spread in the ceiling to a depth of 10 centimetres (about 4 inches). Mr Beuth said the workers would allow a little more depth, as the Insul-fluf was likely to settle over 10 years by about a centimetre. The material is guaranteed for the life of the building it is installed in. “We’ve had a couple of people ring up to say they got into their roof for the first time in 10 years and there was only about 5 centimetres left. “This wasn’t a result of settling. W'hen the material was put into the house the depth was only about 7.5 centimetres,” Mr Beuth said. With higher heating costs today, greater insulation was considered necessary, he said. The company gives priority, at this time of year, to existing homes, and is “having trouble keeping up” with orders. It takes about an hour for workers to complete a ceiling in the average home. Insul-fluf installed in a 100 sq m ceiling would cost about $385. This was at least $lOO cheaper than batts, Mr Beuth said. The annual return on investment could be up to 35 per cent, depending on the hours of heating, he said. Insul-fluf is tested for combustion. Mr Beuth said it would smoulder for about 5 seconds but would not burn and would act to stop fire spreading. It had a consistency similar to wool and would not drift around the ceiling. “It would take a howling gale through the roof to shift it,” Mr Beuth said. Insul-fluf was not toxic, did not contain asbestos or other harmful materials, and acted as a repellent to mice, rats and birds. Mould

did not form in insul-fluf, he said. It would not be installed when it could be in contact with metal, and all water pipes in the ceiling would be lagged. About 40 per cent of the heat from a building escaped through the ceiling. Insul-fluff was an ideal insulator as it filled all the spaces in a ceiling, leaving no gaps. Insul-fluf is said to warm, up a room by as much as 18 degrees. The average improvement is probably 8 to 12 degrees. In summer it works to keep heat out and has been found to be especially helpful in homes with an iron roof. Usually installed in ceilings, Insul-fluf is occasionally put into walls. This is a longer job, more expensive, and can only be done in weatherboard homes. Holes have to be drilled around the top of a wall and the Insul-fluf is forced down. “If we are doing a job in the ceiling of a home which has nothing between the weatherboards and an inferior internal lining we would suggest insulating the cold side wall. That would make a big difference to the heating bill,” Mr Beuth said. Ergonomic Specialists say it is easy for the householder to tell if the home is losing heat. They suggest looking for dirty marks on the ceiling forming a grid pattern. These dirty marks are dust particles left behind as heat has risen and escaped through the ceiling. It is economically sensible to improve any insulation in a building, the company points out. Additional insulation material can be installed with the “top-up method,” and the customer only pays for the extra insulation used.