In May 2020 the transition period for the introduction of a revised standard for insulation in AS / NZS 4859.1:2018 ended requiring all thermal insulation used in the Australian construction industry to be compliant to the new standard.
With the transition period to adopt this standard now well past, is the construction industry complying and requiring verification from manufacturers that the insulation they are installing is compliant with the new standard.
In 2019 the National Construction Code (NCC) introduced an updated version of the Australian Insulation Standard AS/NZS 4589.1. The standard outlines the criteria and technical provisions of thermal insulation materials for buildings. The new standard implemented changes to the way products are tested along with how thermal performance (R-value) is calculated and declared, affecting bulk, reflective foil and rigid foam insulations. To find out more information on AS/NZS 4859.1 and the impact these changes will have on the construction industry, read our article Updated insulation standard AS/NZS 4589.1:2018 comes into action on May 1st.
The introduction of this new method resulted in the modification of declared product R-values, as more stringent thermal testing lead to a decrease in product R-values across the entire insulation product offering. If insulation products are still not being tested to AS/NZS 4859.1:2018 then some ongoing construction projects may not be complying with current construction codes. This can lead to an influx of buildings being less energy efficient than expected and will have an impact upon the construction industry for years to come.
Trust but Verify:
Killian Smith, Kingspan Insulation’s Technical Services Manager acknowledged that the new standard had an impact upon the thermal performance of their products. This is something that was recognised immediately and all of their Kooltherm and AIR-CELL product ranges were updated to the new standard in anticipation of the transition date. "We wanted to make sure that our customers had a greater understanding of the construction industries compliance requirements along with being comfortable when purchasing or specifying Kingspan insulation products", continued Smith.
When specifying insulation it is extremely important to ensure you are asking the product manufacturer the right questions. By asking these questions you are ensuring that the information provided is accurate and compliant.
We have created a guide which helps building professionals to verify if the insulation product they are specifying for a project is NCC 2019 compliant. The guide outlines the five key questions to ask manufactures, how the products are aged and tested and what goes into a Thermal Value Summary Report. Download the infographic on the AS/NZS 4859.1:2018 Material R-Value Declaration Procedure Guide below.
For specific product R-value information please visit our dedicated product web pages or contact our Technical Services team on 1300 247 235 or email technical@kingspaninsulation.com.au.
