Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
Tips When Insulating Your Home's Walls
Having a beautiful home is one thing—making sure it's comfortable to live in is another. While attractive rooms might be a pleasure to be in, if you're freezing cold or boiling hot, you won't fully appreciate the decor. That's why insulating your home is so important; it helps to create a livable space. You'll also enjoy lower energy bills. Here are several tips when installing insulation in the walls of your home.
Two Types
When researching residential insulation, you'll notice two main types: bulk and reflective varieties. Bulk insulation—which may be wool, polyester, or other materials—is full of air holes that prevent heat from flowing through. Because these air pockets are crucial to its efficiency, make sure not to squash and compress bulk insulation into too-tight spaces. Reflective foil insulation, on the other hand, works by reflecting heat. You can position it to reflect solar radiation away from the walls and to keep rooms cooler.
Different Wall Types
You can fill your walls with insulation regardless of whether they're double-brick, weatherboard, or brick veneer. In a double brick home, the space between the two brick walls can be filled with batts or else pumped full of loose-fill wall insulation. To get access, contractors might drill a hole in the mortar, which they fill-in afterwards, or they might remove a brick temporarily to gain access. Sometimes, the insulation can be pumped in from the top if access is possible by removing some of the roof cladding. Similarly, with a brick veneer or weatherboard home, contractors can gain access by drilling holes or from the top of the wall.
While you can tell your home is weatherboard just by sight, it's not so apparent with a brick home. Check whether your home is double or brick veneer with a 'knocking test'. Knock on the wall from a room inside. If it sounds hollow, it is most likely brick veneer, which consists of an outer brick wall, a timber frame inside that, and plasterboard to finish. If it sounds solid, the wall is probably double brick.
R-Value
You'll notice that different insulation will be rated with an R-value, which refers to its ability to prevent heat transfer. Higher R values mean higher resistance—its harder for heat to move through, so the insulating power is greater. The outside summer heat won't so readily move through. Nor will the inside winter warmth escape quickly. Thus when selecting insulation, check its R-value to gauge efficiency.
It's not only the insulation that has an R-value—but your wall cladding material can also be rated in this way. Double brick walls have a high R-value; they absorb heat and prevent it from moving inside. A brick veneer wall offers less of a barrier to heat flow than double brick. Weatherboard walls have a lower R-value, allowing heat and cold to move through and providing little insulation themselves (without a specific insulating material added).