How to DIY wall insulation in your home

If you are building or renovating, installing wall insulation can help reduce the energy usage required to maintain the heat in winter or keep your home cool in summer, saving you on your power bills. 

What you need

TOOLS:

  • Sharp knife and cutting board
  • Polypropylene string
  • Staple gun and staples

    Installing wall insulation in timber framed construction

    • Turn off power at the fuse box before starting the installation and place a warning tag to prevent power being turned back on prior to the completion of the install.
    • Friction fit Bradford Black wall insulation in wall cavities.
    • For external walls, stringing is recommended when installing Bradford Black wall insulation to ensure the insulation cannot bridge the cavity.
    • Start at the underside of the top plate, 75mm in from the vertical stud.
    • Staple polypropylene string to the underside of the top plate as far back as the thickness of the insulation.
    • Drop the string to the top of the nogging, tensioning before stapling.
    • Run the string towards yourself and turn it to the underside of the nogging and staple.
    • Drop the string to the bottom plate, tensioning before stapling.

    Electric cables and equipment

    • Electric cables and equipment partially or completely covered may overheat and fail.
    • Lay insulation with electrical wiring and equipment, such as transformers, on top. For excessive runs covered by insulation seek advice from an electrician as to whether cardboard spacers or similar would be required to allow air circulation.
    • Electrical wiring must not be completely surrounded by insulation without prior approval from a licenced electrical contractor. Partially surrounding of electrical wiring is acceptable as long as the wiring has been done in compliance with AS/NZS3000 post 1984.
    • For more information regarding the installation of insulation around electrical cables and equipment, please refer to AS3999.