Make sure your insulation is safe
Foil insulation electrical hazard
There have been media reports of safety problems with the methods used by some installers. New standards have been introduced to combat this, but be armed with the questions you need to ask. There have already been deaths and serious accidents with this type of insulation.
Foil insulation needs to be fastened to the roof beams. If care is not taken, staples can pierce electrical wiring and mean the entire foil layer carries live electricity.
Some argue that foil insulation cannot be safely installed after the house has been built. Master Electricians chief executive officer Malcolm Richards told the ABC "The foil-based product is normally installed in a brand new home ... in a separate location to where the wires lie across the ceiling." His organisation believes the product is unsafe. "We don't believe the foil product can be installed safely," he said.
Check your installer knows about the problems with the product, and ask what precautions he will take. You may want to arrange an electrician to check the job once it is down.
Downlights and house fires
Bulk insulation must be installed with care over downlights, as they generate large amounts of heat and with insulation on top, the heat can start a fire. Check with your installer that downlights will not be covered by insulation material. Special covers should be installed to prevent the heat from building up.
Better yet, switch from downlights to traditional light fittings. Halogen downlights produce less light and more heat, which is why you'll often find rooms with dozens of them to get the same effect, each one drawing close to the energy of a single traditional fitting, let alone what a modern compact fluorescent would draw. Traditional fittings use less energy and allow your insulation to be uninterrupted, giving much better performance. If you must keep your downlights, you can convert them to compact fluorescent or LED fittings, which use less energy. Read what Four Corners has to say about halogen downlights.
