BRANZ

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

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Phone:

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Technical Editor:

Trevor Pringle ANZIA

Technical Reviewer:

Eddie Bruce

Calculations, Graphs and Tables:

Dr Ian Cox-Smith MASH RAE and Dr Michael Camilleri

Cover Photograph:

Patrick Reynolds

Design and Layout:

David Ronalds

Printed by:

Printlink, Petone, Wellington

ISBN:

978-1-877330-51-3

First Published:

May 1995

Fourth Edition:

May 2010

Copyright:

BRANZ Ltd, 2010

Address:

BRANZ Ltd

1222 Moonshine Road RD1, Porirua 5381 Private Bag 50908 Porirua 5240

New Zealand

Fax:

+644237 ll71

BRANZ Bookshop:

www.branz.co.nz

Funded hv BRANZ

BRANZ I j ill II'! tt1:tnl n II it I ;{MOO) j8 t1@!ij

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is of a general nature only, BRANZ Ltd does not accept any responsibility or liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary or punitive damage, for any loss of profit income or any intangible losses, or any claims, costs, expenses, or damage, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), equity or otherwise, arising directly or indirectly from, or connected with, use of this publication, or reliance on information contained in this publication,

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, This document is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 to the holders of the copyright. Reproduction of any substantial passage from the book, except for review or the educational purposes therein specified, is a breach of copyright of the author and or publisher. This copyright extends to all forms of photocopying and any storing of material in any kind of information retrieval system. All applications for reproduction in any form should be made to BRANZ Publishing, Private Bag 50908, Porirua City, New Zealand,

Any Standard referred to within this publication can be purchased from Standards New Zealand by phoning 04 498 5991, or by visiting www.standa-ds.co.nz.

Please note, the BRANZ books and Bulletins mentioned in this publication may be withdrawn at any time. For more information and an up-to-date list visit BRANZ Bookshop online: www.branz.co.nz or phone BRANZ 0800 80 80 85, press 2.

2

BRANZ

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

r.

MiENTS
II
Delinilions 5
1 IntroducUon 1
2 Statutorv ReQuirememlls 8
New Zealand Building Code 8
Compliance Documents 8
Insulation requirements 8
New Zealand Standards 8
3 How InsulatIon W~u'ks 10
Air entrapment 11
Reducing radiated heat loss 11
4

Insulation for new housing 13
Insulation for existing housing 13
Steel framing 13
5 Instalnation 14
6

R-Values of components v built systems 18
Schedule method of NZS 4218 18
Calculation method of NZS 4218 18
Modelling method of NZS 4218 19
Verification method 19
., Indicative R~'alues 01 Selected 20
General construction components 20
Glazing 20
Window frames 20
Recessed light fittings 25
8 How to use ihis Guede 21
Graphs 27
Tables 28
Drawings 28
<:»
Useful sources of information 28
9 Rool Construction 29
10 Wall Construction 66
11 FloorConstruclion 108 3

BRANZ

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

Tables

Table 1 Properties of Insulating Materials

Table 2 Installation Tips by Insulation Type

Table 3 Installation Tips by Location

Table 4 Insulating Existing Houses

Table 5 Indicative R-Values of General Construction Components

Table 6 WERS Ratings and R-Values of Complete Windows

Table 7 Insulation material R-value required to maintain construction R-value with CA-rated down lights with manufacturers intructions

4

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Acceptable Solution

A solution that must be accepted as complying with the Building Code.

Annual Loss Factor, a thermal design guide for New Zealand houses. A solution that is compliant with the Building Code but is not part of the Compliance Document.

Building Performance Index, a definitive measure of the heating energy required for a specific house design. It has a precise definition detailed in the Hl Compliance Document which is available on the Department of Building and Housing website www.dbh.govt.nz

Building Code The regulations made under section 400 of the Building Act 2004.

ALF

Alternative Solution

BPI

Compliance Document Has the meaning given to it by section 22 of the Building Act 2004. Section 22 states:

"22. Compliance document for use in establishing compliance with Building Code-

(1) The chief executive may, by notice in the Gazette, issue a document for use in establishing compliance with the Building Code (a Compliance Document).

(2) A person who complies with a Compliance Document must, for the purposes of this Act, be treated as having complied with the provisions of the Building Code to which the document relates.

(3) Subsection (2) is subject to any regulations referred to in section 20."

EPS HL IGU

Expanded polystyrene Heat loss.

Insulating Glazing Unit, a double or triple pane sealed glass unit. Thermal conductivity, k-value, is the intrinsic property of a material that indicates its ability to conduct heat. The units are W/mK or W/moC

k-value

low-e

Low emissivity glass has a thin film of metallic oxide coating that allows the passage of short wave solar energy into a building, but prevents long-wave energy produced by heating systems and lighting from escaping outside. Low-e glass allows light to enter while also providing thermal insulation.

The resistance to heat flow of a given component of a building element. It is equal to the air temperature difference (DC) needed to produce unit heat flux (W/m2) through unit area (m2) under steady conditions. The units are m20C/W or m2K/W.

R-value = thickness (m)/k-value.

R-value

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BRANZ

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

Thermal break

Thermal bridge

U-value

Verification method

WERS

6

BRANZ

A "thermal break" prevents heat moving from one body to another. It must be installed on the external side of the framing member.

A "thermal bridge" occurs where heat is more easily able to move from one body to another.

U-value is a measure of air-to-air heat transmittance (loss or gain) due to thermal conductance and the difference in indoor and outdoor temperatures. As the U-value decreases, so does the amount of heat that is transferred through the material. The lower the U-value, the better the insulation. The U-value is the reciprocal of the R-value.

A method by which compliance with the Building Code may be verified.

The Window Efficiency Rating System rates the performance of windows, including frames, in various climate zones.

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The BRANZ House Insulation Guide is intended primarily to help designers assess the thermal performance that can be expected for given levels of insulation and common construction options.

The graphs and tables can be used in two ways:

• To find the construction R-value (the R-value of the built system) for a given level of

insulation; and

• To find the level of insulation required to achieve a desired construction R-value.

There is more than one way to meet the performance requirements of New Zealand Building Code clause H 1 Energy efficiency.

The data used to create the graphs has been calculated using methods based on

NZS 4214:2006 Methods of determining the total thermal resistance of parts of buildings. NZS 4214 can be used to calculate the performance of construction types not included in this Guide.

This Guide also outlines the generic properties of insulation and advises on good installation practices. It does not discuss thermal mass heat storage.

BRANZ

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

BRANZ

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

UTORY IREMENTS

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~! calculation and a modelling method for demonstrating compliance with H 1. The Standard differentiates between solid and non-solid wall construction. Minimum required R-values for solid wall construction are less than those for non-solid wall construction. However, required minimum roof insulation performance is greater.

Details of the schedule, calculation and modelling methods for determining insulation are given in section 6 of this Guide.

NZS 4214:2006, Methods of determining the total thermal resistance of parts of buildings, provides methods of determining the thermal resistance (R-value) of building components and/or specific building materials.

NZS 4243.1 :2007, Energy efficiency - Large buildings - Building thermal envelope SNZ/PAS 4244:2003, Insulation of lightweight-framed and solid-timber houses, provides guidance for designers on the selection of wall and roof insulation levels, as well as window thermal performance, to provide some options that give energy efficiency beyond that required by the Building Code.

NZS 4246:2010, Energy efficiency - Installing insulation in residential buildings, provides guidance to insulation installers in order to help achieve the design thermal performance and thermal durability of building elements, as well as minimizing the risk to installers.

AS/NZS 4666:2000, Insulating glass units, sets out the requirements and guidelines for the selection and installation of insulating glazing units in buildings.

New Zealand Building Code

All insulation to new housing construction must comply with the Building Code, with specific regard to clauses HI Energy Efficiency and E3 Internal Moisture.

Compliance Documents

Compliance Documents may provide either a prescriptive means to achieve the required performance, or a verification method such as a calculation or test procedure that provides an approved way of complying with the Building Code.

For internal moisture, the Acceptable Solution to E3 (E3/ASl) stipulates the minimum thermal resistance (R-values) for roofs and walls. These must be met irrespective of HI compliance, and set the minimum thermal resistances (R-values) for housing for the prevention of fungal growth.

For energy efficiency, the Acceptable Solution Hl/ASI (2007) refers to NZS 4218:2004 Energy efficiency - small building envelope (Sections 3.1 or 3.2), but modifies the R-value tables in this Standard. Note that this Standard was reviewed in 2009,

and although published by Standards New Zealand it had not yet been cited by the Department of Building and Housing at the time this Guide went to press (May 2010).

NZS 4218 Section 3.3 (Modelling method), is one of the verification methods for HI (H 1/ VM 1) Another verification method is the BPI which can be calculated using BRANZ ALF. Hl/ASI elsewhere makes reference to NZS 4214, this Guide and the BRANZ ALF method as methods of determining the thermal resistance (R-value) of building components and/or specific building materials. The Tables for the verification method are also modified in the HI Compliance Documents. See pages 18 and 19 for more details.

BRANZ Bulletin 522 H 1 Compliance Options is an explanation of how clause HI and the HI compliance document work together.

Insulation requirements

The Building Code sets the minimum level for the energy efficiency of residential buildings in Clause HI. This requires that the Building Performance Index (BPI) of the complete envelope of a house does not exceed a set figure. The R-value information gained from this Guide can be used with calculations to show compliance with the HI Compliance Document.

For all construction the roof, wall, floor and glazing elements should be considered together to contribute to the overall thermal performance of the whole building. While the Building Code prescribes minimums, installing additional levels of insulation will further improve comfort levels and reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.

New Zealand Standards

NZS 4218:2004, Energy efficiency - Small building envelope (as modified by the HI Compliance Document Third Edition, 31 October 2007) provides a schedule,

8

9

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HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

3 H

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Where heat is lost in a building depends on many factors including design and materials. The proportions of loss between different areas will change as certain areas are insulated. As shown in Figure 1, for uninsulated houses the greatest heat loss occurs through the roof, so the roof should be the first area to be insulated.

BRANZ

Insulating materials combat these heat losses in two ways: by air entrapment or by reducing radiated heat loss.

Air entrapment

Bulk insulating materials trap numerous pockets of still air or some other gas to provide thermal resistance - air is a poor conductor of heat (Figure 3). Typical materials are

segments or blankets of glass wool, sheep's wool, polyester, or blends of these materials rigid sheets of polystyrene or polyurethane

sem i-rigid sheet i nsu lation

30-35% 'through the roof

12-14% through the floor

6-9% through air leakage

Figure 1: Approximate heat loss from an uninsulated house.

By comparison, for a fully insulated house that meets the Building Code requirements, not only is the total heat lost from the building reduced, but the relative losses between different areas also changes as shown in Figure 2. As wall, roof and floor insulation increases, the proportion of heat lost through the weaker points such as windows increases.

loose-fill such as macerated paper, cellulose fibre, mineral fibre, sheep's wool or glass wool

• wood-wool slabs (wood fibre/cement composite).

Insulating glazing units (IGUs) work by trapping air or some other gas between the panes. Argon is a poorer conductor than air, so gives a higher thermal performance.

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Metallic foils with shiny surfaces reflect heat, allowing little to be conducted through the material. Foil, and in particular aluminium foil, has traditionally been used under floors. However, the effectiveness of the material is seriously reduced when the foil:

becomes tarnished or corroded - a particular problem in coastal or geothermal areas collects dust - a common problem

collects condensation

is torn or damaged - another common problem

is installed with gaps and spaces

Because of the extensive problems that have been seen with foil insulation under houses, BRANZ does not recommend the use of foils to provide insulation. There are no calculations for the use of foil in this guide.

Figure 2: Approximate heat loss from a house insulated to pre-2007 (top figures) and post-2007 levels.

13-14%

5-10% through the roof

12-15%

10-20% through the floor

10-17%

10-20% through air leakage

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Figure 3: Bulk Insulation.

11

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HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

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Glass wool

Polyester, wool, and blends of the two

Rigid insulation sheet products

Semi-rigid insulation products

Glass wool (fibreglass) is a common insulation. It may have a recycled glass content - the proportion depends on the manufacturing plant.

it comes in a roll ready to run out in a roof space, or as pre-cut segments for fitting between the framing timbers in walls or roof. Various thicknesses and performance levels are available.

it can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, nose and throat during installation. Installers should always wear gloves, mask, goggles and overalls when handling glass wool insulation.

glass wool cuts easily with a craft knife and can also be pulled apart.

Polyester and wool come in rolls ready to run out in a roof space, or as pre-cut segments for fitting between the framing timbers in walls or roof. Various thicknesses and performance levels are available.

polyester, wool and blends of these are more pleasant to handle than glass wool and won't cause skin irritation.

some of these materials are not as easy to cut as glass wool.

Expanded and extruded polystyrene comes in rigid foam sheets, and is predominantly used for exterior cladding systems or for insulating under concrete floors. It can also be used to insulate floors, walls or roofs. polystyrene must be isolated from the i.nterior with a flame barrier.

Sheets that are are self-supporting in a vertical or horizontal space, but may also be folded when required.

are a medium to high density material.

Different locations in a house require different levels of insulation, and for some locations there are many types of products available. The key is to specify insulation designed specifically for the location.

There are limits to the amount of insulation that can practically be installed in some constructions depending on framing dimensions.

Be aware that two layers of insulation do not automatically double the R-value. If carefully designed and selected, multiple layers can work, but with some types of insulation

there are risks of the bottom layer being compressed. In that case, two layers of R-1.8 insulation may not give a total of R-3.6.

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Insulation for new housing

For new houses, additions or substantial renovations, it is recommended that as much insulation as possible be installed. When the walls are "open", the incremental cost of installing thicker or more insulation is relatively minimal. It will be very difficult and more expensive to fit greater levels of insulation at a later date.

For thicker insulation products, designers may need to increase framing depths to accommodate the insulation material. Designers should also refer to relevant standards such as NZS 3604.

InsulaUon for existing housing

Loose fill insulation

Macerated paper (cellulose fibre), glass wool and mineral wool (rock wool) are the most common, with new or recycled wool also used.

loose fill insulation is machine blown into roof spaces, although it is generally not recommended for skillion roofs. Loose fill is also generally not recommended for walls unless it is stabilised.

loose insulation must be installed using specialist equipment. It is easier and quicker to install than blanket types, and may be an option for getting insulation into a difficult roof space. However, some types can be dusty and messy, so it's not suitable if the roof space will be used for storage. Special care and design is also required in roofs with recessed down lights, chimneys, flues and extractor fans.

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Insulation options for retro-fitting an existing house depend on the construction and the scope of the renovation work. Some factors that will influence the selection of insulation type include:

whether there are dwangs in the wall

existing framing sizes

• whether the interior linings will be removed. Removal will allow a wider range of insulation types to be selected

whether there is construction access to the underfloor

whether the roof has an attic or crawl space, or is a skillion roof.

12

With steel framing it is not just a matter of specifying the insulation, but also of specifying the thermal break. To meet Building Code requirements, it may be more cost effective

to specify a thermal break with a higher R-value. This will be particularly true if thicker insulation would require a deeper stud size.

The calculations in this guide are based on steel framing which is 89 mm deep and 32 mm wide. If 40 mm framing is used, the thermal bridging is increased. To account for that in our tables and graphs, use the construction with a 25% greater framing ratio. For example, for walls with 32 mm wide studs at 600 and dwangs at 1200, the framing ratio is 11.4 %. If you wish to specify 40 mm wide studs at 600 and dwangs at 1200, use the R-values given for a 14.5% framing ratio.

13

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HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

BRANZ

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

6 CALCULATING R-VALUES

For glazing areas greater than those given above, the modelling or verification methods must be used. A wall R-value can be reduced if the roof or floor R-value is increased to compensate, or if window R-values are increased. But in no case can R-values for roofs or walls be reduced below the minimum R-values set by E3/ASl

All materials have "thermal resistance", which is expressed as an "R-value". Materials with a higher R-value have better insulating properties. An R-value is expressed as m20C/W (sometimes expressed as m2 K/W).

The R-value for specific materials can be calculated by dividing the material thickness (expressed in metres) by its k-value (thermal conductivity - W/mk or W/m°C)

The BRANZ website provides a range of resources to help meet compliance with clause H I, including a calculation method tool and worksheets. See www.branz.co.nz

Modelling method of NZS 4218

R

m (thickness)

An alternative to the Schedule and Calculation methods is to use a computer modelling method to demonstrate that the energy use of a proposed building does not exceed that of the reference building.

The reference building is modelled using the same size, dimensions and layout as

the proposed building, and the results must show that the energy performance of the proposed building is at least that of the reference building NZS 4218:2004 Appendix A and NZS 4218:2009 Appendix G give the requirements for the modelling inputs and outputs to use th is method.

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The insulating properties of a whole house can be calculated or estimated using the R-values of components and one of several modelling methods, as below.

8-Value 01 components v built Systems

For any house construction, individual materials or components are combined to create

a built system. However, the R-value of the built system (referred to as the construction R-value) is not the R-value of the single specific insulating material as is often commonly thought. Instead, the construction R-value is a combination of the R-values of the individual components, less the effect of thermal bridging of the framing.

One key component in the overall energy efficiency of a built system is the window area in

a given wall, or any other opening. As a single component within a wall, a window, which comprises both the frame and glazing materials, possibly has the most impact on the overall level of insulation provided by that wall system, being the largest discontinuity of the insulation material installed. Section 7 deals with window frames and glazing in greater detail.

Thus, to determine the R-value of a built system, the insulating material itself, the structural or building components and the installation as a whole must be considered. The resultant R-value may be either higher or lower than the R-value of the specific insulating material itself.

The diagrams, tables and graphs contained in this guide enable thermal performance analysis to be carried out on proposed buildings as well as existing buildings.

Verification method

The BRANZ ALF Method (Annual Loss Factor) is a software programme where the designer inputs information about the project (orientation, plan area, wall area, window area, construction types, insulation levels etc) and the programme calculates a Building Performance Index. The programme can be used as a design tool to assess a range of design options. For example, the designer can change a window size and see its effect on performance

The ALF software takes into consideration many variables including location, orientation, the location and size of windows, passive solar, an air infiltration calculation, an allowance for thermal storage and the number of occupants.

The software also recommends improvements to reduce energy demand levels. BRANZ ALF software does not attempt to evaluate benefits to the house in terms of comfort, but rather in terms of heating energy efficiency.

The Department of Building and Housing has said that AccuRate can also be used to calculate heating energy and BPI (Codewords 32, October 2008)

Schedule method of NZS 4218 [2004 and 20091

This is a brief outline. Both the Building Code and relevant Standards can change.

This method is for construction which falls within specific limits for the glazed area. The R-values required for each building element are listed in NZS 4218. Note, however, that the 2004 version is modified by H l/ASl With the aid of this guide, construction providing the requisite R-values can be identified. If the glazed area is more than 30%, the Calculation or Modelling methods should be used.

Calculation method of NZS 4218

This method allows for a building with different building elements to be assessed as a whole, with some adjustments being made between elements. It is only used where:

a) Under NZS 4218:2004 the glazed area is :::; 50%; or

b) Under NZS 4218:2009 the glazed area is :::; 40%.

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HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

BRANZ

Steel/aluminium cladding

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HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

Construction Thickness

materials (mm)

Typical R-value (m20C/W)

0.75

Indicative R-Values of

Construction Components

Cavity still air gap

18

0.16

While this guide introduces the combined R-value of selected complete construction systems, Table 5 gives the R-values of typical individual construction components and Table 6 gives the R-value of windows.

Outside surface resistance

0.03

General construction components

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INDICATIVE R-VALUES 0 SELECTED C N TRUCTION CO PONENTS

Thickness (rnrn)

Insulating materials

Typical R-value (m20C/W)

Inside surface resistance

0.09

Glass Blocks

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Values in Table 5 are derived and compiled from NZS 4214 and from BRANZ research. Always obtain the product-specific R-value data from the manufacturer. R-values of specific products may vary due to differences in product density or manufacture.

Glazing

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Unlike wall and roof insulation, glazing is normally clear, and so allows much of

the heat from the sun to pass directly through windows, glazed doors and skylights, providing passive heating. Typically the heat gain of glazing systems is specified by the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC, a value that ranges from 0 to 1), indicating the amount of light and heat that comes in through the glazing.

At different times of the year there are different amounts of light and heat required

to maintain comfort inside a dwelling. The WERS rating system (Window Efficiency Rating Scheme) has been devised to represent the effect of different glazing systems. Table 6 shows a variety of windows with different glazing systems with their total U and R-values together with their WERS ratings.

The WERS ratings are generated from the average amount of energy required to maintain comfortable conditions in an average house, and are different for each climate zone. The WERS winter heating rating indicates the windows that are best at keeping a house warm in the winter. The WERS summer cooling rating indicates the windows that are best at keeping a house cool in the summer. There are also WERS ratings for condensation and for the fading of interior furnishings, which are not included here. WERS has a maximum of 5 stars (the more the better), and the rating i ncl udes the impact of. the fra m i ng.

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Preventing overheating in summer is not just a matter of insulated glazing: shades and overhangs should be considered. See www.level.org.nz for more details.

Window frames

Window frames are an important part of a window's overall energy efficiency. In New Zealand, the main types of window frames are aluminium and timber (the latter mostly in older homes), but over recent years other options such as uPVC and thermally-broken aluminium have become more readily available.

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HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

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D 50 mm diameter hole in insulation 100 mm diameter hole in insulation 150 mm diameter hole in insulation

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.!!!' 2.4 2.9 3.3 3.7 4.1 4.6
C 8 2.4 2.8 3.2 3.6 4.0 4.4 4.8 5.2 5.6
;::
0 4.9 5.3 5.7
"C 2.4 2.8 3.2 3.7 4.1 4.5
.c 5.9
u 2.5 2.9 3.3 3.7 4.2 4.6 5.0 5.5
ctI
Q,I 3.2 3.6 4.0 4.4 4.8 5.2 5.6
~ 6 2.4 2.8
.E 2.4 2.8 3.3 3.7 4.1 4.5 4.9 5.4 5.8
:§ 2.5 2.9 3.3 3.8 4.2 4.7 5.1 5.6 6.0
t).Q 5 2.4 2.8 3.2 3.6 4.0 4.4 4.8 5.2 5.7
:§
'w 2.4 2.9 3.3 3.7 4.1 4.5 5.0 5.4 5.8
u
- 2.5 2.9 3.4 3.8 4.3 4.7 5.2 5.7 6.1
0
ctI K9 2.4 2.8 3.2 3.6 4.0 4.4 4.9 5.3 5.7
~
<C 2.5 2.9 3.3 3.7 4.1 4.6 5.0 5.4 5.9
2.5 3.0 3.4 G.9) 4.3 4.8 5.3 5.8 6.3
3 2.4 2.8 3.2 3.6 4.0 4.5 4.9 5.3 5.7
2.5 2.9 3.3 3.8 4.2 4.6 5.1 5.5 6.0
2.6 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.6
2 2.4 2.8 3.2 3.7 4.1 4.5 4.9 5.3 5.7
2.5 2.9 3.4 3.8 4.3 4.8 5.2 5.7 6.2
2.6 3.1 3.7 4.2 4.7 5.3 5.9 6.5 7.2 How to use the table

The table shows you the R-value of the insulation material you will need to use to compensate for some of the heat lost through CA-rated down lights in the ceiling.

For example, let's assume you planned to use R-3.6 insulation in the roof space of the house, but in the lounge area there are some downlights. Let's also assume that each downlight will represent a 150 mm diameter uninsulated space, and there is 4m2 of ceiling per downlight (the latter figure calculated by dividing the total area of ceiling by the number of downlights).

(1) Along the top of the table, pick the column with the R-value of roof insulation you

plan to use in the house _ in this case, R-3.6.

(2) Down the left hand column, find the row with the 4m2 area of ceiling per downlight. (3) Because each downlight is a 150 mm uninsulated space, look for the darker orange figure where the column and the row meet.

(4) In this case, you will need to use insulation material of R-3.9 (or the next highest R-value readily available) in the lounge area to compensate for the heat loss through the downlights

BRANZ

8

This Guide contains a number of graphs and tables that relate the R-value of the insulation material to the total construction R-value achieved for common construction types.

Graphs

The graphs for roofs and walls have the insulating material's R-value on the horizontal axis and the resulting construction R-value on the vertical. There are two ways to read the graphs (once you have found a page that represents your construction)

1. Where vou know the R-value of the insulation and need to estimate the total construction R-value .

For instance, take the construction of bevelback weatherboards direct-fixed to a 90 mm framing (below). If the construction has studs at 400 mm centres and dwangs at 600 mm centres, then you will use the red line to read off the construction R-value for given wall insulation levels. For example, if the R-value of insulation is 2.4, then you take a line up

1 I I I
I

I
I
I
...... J'
~ ~
I :;.,...0,
1 JI'.. ~
_ ~ ~ - 1- -
I

~ "I
_ _/'"
._ .- f- ... _
... V
, studs 600, dwangs 800 (14%)
~ studs 600, dwangs 600 (16%)
/' I studs 400, dwangs 800 (18%)

studs 400, dwangs 600 (20%)
I (22%) framing ratio
(24%) framing ratio
I I I
I 1 I
I I
I I I I
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.6 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.8 4.0 Insulation material R-value

26

21

BRANZ

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

HOUSE INSULATION GUIDE

from 2.4 on the horizontal axis to the point of intersection with the red line and this gives you the resultant construction value on the vertical axis (in this case, just less than R-2.1).

2. Where vou want to achieve a given construction R-value.

Using R-2.0 as an example, you take a line horizontally from 2.0 on the vertical axis out to the red line. At the point of intersection, drop down to the horizontal axis. This gives you the minimum R-value of the level of insulation you will need to specify to give you the construction R-value you require (in this case, R-2.2l.

The "framing ratios" (given in brackets) are the percentage of wall area taken up by the framing (plates, studs, dwangs etc).

To achieve higher thermal performance, you can refer to the PAS 4244.

Tables

The tables serve the same purpose as the graphs and can also be used to find either the Construction value for a given Rvalue of insulation, or the R-value of insulating material required to meet a particular Construction R-value.

To be conservative, the Construction R-values given in the table have been rounded down to the nearest 0.1 rather than up. This means that the table R-values will be slightly lower than the graph R-values.

Drawings

Drawings are indicative only to illustrate general construction (cladding, framing and lining options) - they are not detailed working drawings. Designers will need to refer to other reference sources such as NZS 3604, E2/AS1 and B1 Structure.

Usefu sources of information

BRANZ Ltd www.branz.co.nzandwwwlevel.org.nz Department of Building and Housing: www.dbh.govt.nz

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority: www.eeca.govt.nz Electrical Safety Service: www.ess.govt.nz

• Standards New Zealand: www.standards.co.nz

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ELEMENT ... . . . ._". . ".

~ ..: I

ROOF CONSTRUCTION

Timber-framed roof with roof space, 90mm ceiling joists or bottom chord 30

Timber-framed roof with roof space, 140mm ceiling joists and dwangs 31

Skillion roof, profiled steel, 140mm rafters and battens 32

Skill ion roof, profiled steel, 190mm rafters and battens 33

Skill ion roof, profiled steel, 240mm rafters and battens 34

Skill ion roof, profiled steel, 290mm rafters and battens 35

Skillion roof, profiled steel, 140mm rafters and dwangs 36

Skillion roof, profiled steel, 190mm rafters and dwangs 31

Skillion roof, profiled steel, 240mm rafters and dwangs 38

Skill ion roof, profiled steel, 290mm rafters and dwangs 39

Skill ion roof, 140mm purlins and exposed rafters 40

Low slope timber-framed, 140mm rafters and dwangs 41

Low slope timber-framed, 190mm rafters and dwangs 42

Low slope timber-framed, 240mm rafters and dwangs 43

Low slope timber-framed, 290mm rafters and dwangs 44

Low slope timber-framed, 140mm rafters and battens 45

Low slope timber-framed, 190mm rafters and battens 46

Low slope timber-framed, 240mm rafters and battens 41

Low slope timber-framed, 290mm rafters and battens 48

Suspended ceiling, concrete slab 49

Timber-framed roof with roof space, 90mm ceiling joists or bottom chord 50

Timber-framed roof with roof space, 140mm ceiling joists and dwangs 51

Skillion roof, concrete or clay tile, 140mm rafters and battens 52

Skillion roof, concrete or clay tile, 190mm rafters and battens Skillion roof, concrete or clay tile, 240mm rafters and battens Skillion roof, concrete or clay tile, 290mm rafters and battens Skillion roof, concrete or clay tile, 140mm rafters and dwangs Skillion roof, concrete or clay tile, 190mm rafters and dwangs Skillion roof, concrete or clay tile, 140mm rafters and dummy rafters

53 54 55 56 51 58

Skillion roof, concrete or clay tile, 190mm rafters and dummy rafters 59

Low slope timber-framed roof, membrane, 140mm rafters and battens 60

Low slope timber-framed roof, membrane, 190mm rafters and battens 61

Low slope timber-framed roof, membrane, 240mm rafters and battens 62

Low slope timber-framed roof, membrane, 290mm rafters and battens 63

Low slope timber-framed roof, membrane, 140/190mm rafters and dwangs 64 Low slope timber-framed roof, membrane, 240/290mm rafters and dwangs 65

29