Practical insulation for existing homes

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 50

Practical insulation for existing homes

Everyone knows now how important, it is to insulate a home, and houses built today must be] insulated according to Government regulations. Unfortunately, neither the knowledge nor the regulations were there:2o years ago. Those with older, uninsulated homes are faced with a choice between massive heating bills, taking their walls ! apart to install; , insulation, or spending winter] huddled beneath numerous layers of warm clothing. I ; ’ ■ I ' I |Or at (least they were, until thd one ( insulator which can be practically installed into | existing walls became available in New Zealand. ; | That insulator is Airfoam,! a urea formaldehyde ;(foam (manufactured by Ciba-Geigy and ’distributed in tiiis country by the Airfoam Insulators franchises. I . | After!l drilling small holes in the :wall, the installers inject] the foam, (which j has about the same‘Consistency as shaving foam), intel the wall, filling the cavity between inner’and outer cladding. The | ’ holes ’ are then plugged,! sealed and the surface (repainted. I Depending on the size of the job, it can .usually be finished within a day. The foam sets in minutes, forming a firm, resilient filling containing millions of tiny bubbles of still air.

It takes up to five days to "cure,” or, set(( completely, j and although there may | be some unpleasant odour during this time, lt|can be avoided by proper ventilation. ; Airfoam has the! same basic dffect’ as an i eiderdown, minimising tlie air’s circulation and therefore the loss I of the heat it carries. ' ; : - ]| ■ Airfoam, ; howevler, is more] effective than the good ;old feather quilt. It does not pack! or settle to leave! uninsulated; gaps. Foam installed 15! to 20 ago has been found to be just as (effective as when it was first installed. It is completely , main-tenance-free, attracting neither insects, I vermin nor [water. The:! initial water-content of the foam is 4 per cent by volume — too low to affect a building’s structure —/ which evaporates quickly. Once dry, I the foam sheds water (rather than absorbing it. (There have been no reported cases of Airfoam causing;! dampness? •./ /!■ ,] It can be also installed without a vapour barrier,! as it allows (the wall to breathe. . ij •I ■ ’ : 1 ‘ 11 Airfoam ] has’ been! i tested for fire resistance!; by the Building Research ; Association df New Zea-1 land, the Standards ] Association and Auckland 1 University. It does not ( release toxic i fumes, and I although it will char and,

, (■ ■ i : . i lose its weight and volume 1 in a fire it will not melt or burn. There are few houses which cannot be insulated with Airfoam. The installers w 11 carry out an inspection of the (home beforehand to make sure there( are no (problems. I Brick] Summerhill stone, ; i stucco, concrete block and weatherboard are all compatible. Airfoam have ! been ; operating in Christchurch for nearly 10 years, (and the product; has been in use im Britain for about 35 iyea lf :i7.h/J ' : It has recently been the : source of some controversy | here, after a complaint; was ( made to (the i television ; , programme ’ "Fair;; Go”; by a ChHstchurch woman. ! ||! Ml i ' (’ The Ministry of Energy, the [‘Building Research Association and the Standards I Association have all investigated the case and found; no substance to “Fair Go’s” claims. “Fair Go” I has been asked by both’ the Standards] Association and! the ; Airfoam company tel reI tract: its statements, ]but has |so,lfar: refused to] do S °- I ' 11 ’ Airfoam; is presently being installed in ithe Christchurch Town . Hall’s Jam'es Hay Theatre, and althbiigh the job is yet to be completed, the savings, on (heating are already ! I dramatic. ■( |