Summer is here and so is the heat! While a day out at the beach or a refreshing dip in the pool is enjoyable for all, coming home to a stifling warm home at the end of the day is not. As families across the country enjoy an action-packed summer of sport on TV, air-conditioning units will be working overtime to bring some cool relief, sending energy consumption and bills soaring. But one way to beat the heat while saving on electricity costs this summer is to install high-quality glasswool insulation in your home.
Understanding heat transfer: How does your home heat up in the summer?
Insulation is most commonly associated with keeping buildings snug in the frosty winter weather. However, it is also equally effective at maintaining a cooler home in the sizzling summer heat, with insulation serving an important role in limiting the transfer of heat from the outside to inside.
Our homes are exposed to three common types of heat transfer, which increase in intensity drastically during summer:
- Radiation –energy emitted by the sun comes in contact with an exposed surface, like a roof or exterior wall, and heats the surface. The heat energy is captured by the outer surface and passes through into the house.
- Conduction – heat moves through one material to another via direct contact. For example, heat passing through wall materials – the outer timber/brick to the interior plasterboard to the living space.
- Convection – when a hot surface comes into contact with air that is cooler, the air gets hot and rises upwards while cool air settles down, creating a continuous flow that displaces the cool air. For example, the heat generated from a home appliance like a kettle or an iron.
Once heat enters the home, it will flow throughout open spaces and into cooler areas – like the interior ceiling – replacing cool air until the interior temperature is the same throughout the house, and outdoors. This is why minimising heat gains is key to creating a home comfort zone and why insulation is just as important in summer.
Staying cool with insulation
In the heat of summer, insulation acts as a barrier that prevents heat from entering while keeping the cool air inside. Australian roofs, often exposed to relentless sun, can see attic temperatures soar above 50 degrees Celsius. Without proper ceiling insulation, this extreme heat permeates into your living spaces, pushing cooling systems to their limits.
Earthwool® Insulation is designed to provide outstanding thermal performance and minimise heat transfer. Made of millions of tiny air pockets, it traps heat as it passes through, reducing the rate of conduction, convection, and radiation.
Not only does insulation keep your home cooler for longer, it also helps combat rising energy costs. Compared to no insulation, a well-insulated building with no gaps and optimal R-values can reduce energy consumption by up to 45% in the middle of summer!
Whether you’re building a new home or looking to top up existing insulation, Earthwool® Insulation offers suitable solutions for all jobs:
- Earthwool® Ceiling Batt: Comes in a wide range of R-values up to R8.0, to give you the optimal thermal performance for your climate zone. Pre-cut in rectangles, it is designed to fit conveniently and snug in most ceiling joists and deliver a single layer with no gaps.
- Earthwool® Wall Batt: soft, easy to handle and comes in numerous thicknesses to suit 75mm and 90mm timber frames.
- Earthwool® Multi-Use Roll: offers a superior all-round solution, suitable for topping up existing insulation to ensure adequate coverage and no gaps.
Earthwool® Insulation products are lightweight and incredibly easy to transport and lift into the ceiling space for easy installation, making them ideal products for DIY projects. They are also manufactured with ECOSE® Technology, a plant-based binder featuring no added formaldehyde that generates low-levels of dust, resulting in a better experience for the installer and delivering improved indoor air quality.
In this summer’s contest against the heat, insulation is key to helping you get over the line and ensure you can enjoy the summer of sport from your home comfort zone. Head to your local Bunnings Warehouse to get started!
