Three months in and by now, everyone in Australia must be aware of the governments ‘Energy Efficient Homes Package’, offering $1600 of free ceiling insulation for every home in Australia.

But withall the competition to ensure even the largest of roof spaces can be insulated completely free of charge, its time we stopped for a moment to consider exactly what is going into our roofs and how it will affect us and the environment in the long term.

Critics of the program have been quick to question the quality and standards of imported material now flooding the market to make up for the lack of available.

As demand for insulation material vastly outweighs anything Australian suppliers can keep up with, critics of the program have been quick to question the quality and standards of theimported dubious bright yellow batts flooding into the market from cheap international manufacturers.This leaves the questions, are we as consumers really aware of what is going into our roofs.

Although there really is no single superior form of insulation, there are benefits and downfalls to each which should be carefully considered before deciding exactly what you choose to put in your roof for the next 20 years.

Fibreglass (Glasswool)

The most popular and cost effective form of insulation on the market today, fibreglass goes by many different brands but there still exist various unresolved question marks around its health concerns and potentially carcinogenic properties.

If you must go with fibreglass over the other forms of insulation, try to avoid all companies using the imported Chinese materials on the market today.  Although they may claim to meet Australian standards, there are little or no regulations in place once they turn up on our shores stopping them from proceeding directly to the suppliers and into our roofs.We would recommend you ask for a product called Earthwool from American Brand Knauf.  Non-itchy and held together with a totally natural binder (as opposed to formaldehyde used in general fibreglass), Earthwool costs slightly more than its cheaper count parts but if you’re looking for a safe eco-friendly batt then this is by far your best choice.

Cellulose

Cellulose insulation is perhaps the greenest material on the market as it’s made from 100% recycled paper and treated with sodium borate to make it fire retardant. When comparing this to other materials, bear in mind that with cellulose you will probably get the most overall comfort for your living space as when its blown in it will reach all areas of the ceiling space.

Polyester

Polyester is a totally synthetic material favoured by installers, as unlike fibreglass it does not irritate when put in contact with human skin. More expensive that Glasswool, its high manufacturing cost generally prices it out of the rebate eligibility unless you live in a particularly small house or have no problems with adding several hundred dollars to the cost of the insulation out of your own pocket.

Of course its entirely your choice what kind of insulation you decide to put in your roof so don’t let any companies try to sneak any product up their without you knowing exactly where it came from and what it consists of.