News |
A campaign against cellulose insulation by Australia's biggest glass wool insulation manufacturer
has come unstuck, with the Buckeridge Group (BGC) challenging the basis for the campaign.
Australian Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association (ACIMA) President, Laurie Moylan,
said in Melbourne today the campaign had been waged nationally in recent months by Fletcher
Insulation, which supplies around 60% of Australia's insulation market.
Mr. Moylan said Fletcher Insulation recently distributed nationally a brochure titled `Don't risk
ceiling overload', in which cellulose insulation had been wrongly portrayed as adding unnecessary
weight to ceiling loads, when compared to glass wool batts. He said BGC last week confirmed that
its plasterboard ceiling products are suitable for use with ALL types of insulation. BGC also
confirmed that there is no evidence that the small weight on plasterboard ceilings due to cellulose
insulation, has any negative effect on plasterboard ceilings.
"BGC's view is supported by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), the Housing Industry
Association & the Master Builders Association who agree that there's no research data to support
the view that ceiling failures are a problem of any significance anywhere in Australia.
"The most telling fact about this campaign is that none of the biggest Australian plasterboard
manufacturers including Boral, La Farge, or CSR, has any quantitative industry data in support of
the view that ceiling collapses and/or partial ceiling system failures are a problem nationally", he
said.
Mr. Moylan said both Australian homeowners and builders choosing cellulose insulation have the
peace of mind that comes from knowing that over the past 60 plus years, it has been installed
safely in millions of homes world-wide & hundred of thousands of Aussie homes.
He said he believed the Fletcher Insulation campaign against cellulose was aimed at countering the
latest independent EU research that shows cellulose as having lower local & global environmental
impacts during manufacture compared to mineral fibre insulation.
Australian consumers are being subjected to a misinformation campaign concerning alleged risks
to both their personal safety & property due to ceiling collapses caused by insulation.
Australian Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association (ACIMA) President, Laurie Moylan, said
today that a recently distributed insulation industry brochure contains a number of factual errors &
misleading statements about the comparative performance of glass wool & cellulose insulation.
Mr. Moylan said both Australian homeowners and builders choosing cellulose insulation have the
peace of mind that comes from knowing that over the past 60 plus years, it has been installed
safely in millions of homes world-wide & hundred of thousands of Aussie homes.
He said he believed the campaign against cellulose was aimed at countering the latest overseas,
independent research that shows cellulose as outperforming mineral fibre insulation to be rated
the world's most environmentally friendly insulation.
"Also, Australia's cellulose insulation suppliers guarantee that their products, unlike glass wool &
rock wool batts, are installed without insulation performance loss due to gaps between ceiling
joists, and thermal bridging at higher R values.
"The most telling fact about this misinformation campaign is that no Australian plasterboard
manufacturer including Boral, La Farge, CSR or BGC, has quantitative industry data in support of
the view that ceiling collapses and/or partial ceiling system failures due to insulation weight are a
significant problem nationally", he said. |
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