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Home Insulation

Home Insulation

by | Apr 25, 2019 | Build and renovate, Featured Articles, Solar Energy and heating

As winter draws near and the cold begins to set in it is a good idea tyo consider checking your insulation and repairing or replacing to keep the warmth in.

Home insulation has a number of benefits including keeping the heat in and lowering your electricity/gas heating usage. Never underestimate the cost involved in leaking hot air through broken windows, poor insulation, gaps under your doors or windows/doors left open.

Insulation comes in a number of forms these days and should last around 20 to 30 years with minimal maintenance involved. This of course is assuming there have been no leaks/excessive wind or roof repairs done.

Types of Home insulation

Aerolite (Pink fibregalss) – We all know or have heard of Pink aerolite through the very successful advertising campaigns a few years which used the catch phrase “Think pink”. Pink Aerolite comes in different thicknesses for the different parts of the country or applications. Typicall Johannesburg would need a 135mm for the extreme cold. KZN or the Cape would typically use 100mm. Pink Aerolite is excellent as a sound proofing material as well that can be used in cavity walls as well as in the ceiling.

Isotherm Insulation has become increasingly popular in recent years as fibreglass becomes less user friendly and environmental issues begin to dominate. Isotherm is particularly important to use in place of other home insulation types for allergy sufferers and has a more efficient temperature regulation capabilities. It is less harmful and requires no protective clothing for installation and ios far more environmentally friendly.

Knauf is a wool product designed and manufactured under very strict environmental conditions in Germany. Knauf has superior temeperature regulation and insulation properties. Knauf is also available in 50mm, 100mm and 135mm thicknesses.

These are the three most popular home insulation materials which have been ordered in price comparison from cheapest to most expensive.

What effects the home insulation installation price?

Firstly, insulating your home is not a very difficult job and as a home DIY project can be very rewarding. If you have a high pitch roof, chances are you will be able to do it yourself insulation with little hassle. Just be sure to have enough lighting in the ceiling and be careful where you put your feet, you don’t want to fall through the ceiling.

  1. The pitch of the roof will have an effect of the cost. If tiles need to be removed and replaced or corrugated roof sheeting needs lifting and replacing, this has a cost.
  2. Typically quotes are in square meters.
  3. Height of the roof. If the house is a single storey, double storey or higher, the prices will typically be differenmt and of course if access is an issue and external equipment like a telehandler or crane is required, this has a cost attached.
Solar heating for Pools

Solar heating for Pools

by | Jun 12, 2015 | Build and renovate, Featured Articles, Solar Energy and heating

A swimming pool solar heating system allows you to enjoy your swimming pool all year round, providing beautifully warm water at almost zero cost after installation and without putting any strain on the electricity grid.

Solar heating system for pools are vary quite significantly and of course the most important aspect is the longevity of the pool solar water heating system. All to often the cheapest system is not the most effective in the long run but it is still important to do the calculations on a cost per year basis. It is very important to take a look at the solar system warranty and exactly what it covers.

solar pool heating systemOne of the aspects that few include in their calculations is the extended use of the swimming pool due to the higher temperature as a result of having the pool solar heating system. You are likely to get as much as 40% more usage of your swimming pool after installing a solar heating system for your swimming pool.

Of all of the alternative swimming pool heating systems, Solar pool heating is by far the most cost effective and reliable. Installation and maintenance of a solar pool heater is very low comparatively with the long term maintenance being very simple and low cost.

solar heating panels

Fortunately for South African’s, we enjoy a very moderate and sunny climate which, when combined with the effectiveness of today’s photo voltaic cells, sees solar pool heater customers enjoying warm water all year round, and yes that includes June/July and August. A solar pool heater uses solar panels that are extremely effective at capturing even the lowest level of sunlight and converting it to energy.

When considering a solar heating system for your pool please scrutinize the solar panel warranty and the manufacturers warranty. The cost to replace solar panels and cracked pipes are the main maintenance costs associated with owning a pool heating system. Most systems available from suppliers who have been in business for over 10 years are very reliable, the warranty is good and can be claimed on and the pipes and panels for the solar heating system have been rigerously tested for the South African climate.