Creating comfortable homes on The Block
While much of the talk, attention and airtime of The Block focuses on the look of the renovations – there is a lot going on behind the scenes as well.
Much of this behind-the-scenes building action is about making sure the homes are ready to be sold, built with quality products, and meet all the relevant government regulations. It’s all about the unseen.
Bradford Insulation is one of the key suppliers for the builds, providing ceiling, wall and underfloor insulation to all of the houses, helping them to achieve that all-important 7-Star energy rating.
Reducing energy consumption
While Phillip Island experiences warm summers, it is in Climate Zone 6 and classified as a ‘cold climate’ and it is susceptible to winds, which often can be gusty and cold.
Insulation helps retain heat during winter and keep homes cooler in summer, helping to achieve a high energy rating by reducing the need for appliances to heat or cool the home. Bradford ceiling, wall and underfloor products will help stabilise the temperature of these homes, helping to maximise comfort and liveability for years to come.
It’s also important to note that adding insulation during the build is more efficient, than trying to retrofit it in the future. Plus, insulation is a ‘set and forget’ solution – once it’s in, there’s no maintenance or ongoing costs!
Sound advice
Insulation is not just about thermal protection – noise is a big issue for buyers, especially in large family homes, which often include media rooms, hard flooring and high ceilings.
All the homes in The Block this season are designed as holiday homes, which means they are built on a generous scale and can cater for large groups.
Lots of small feet running about can translate into lots of noise! This is why all the teams opted for Bradford SoundScreen throughout their open-plan kitchen and living rooms, which will help to minimise noise transfer between rooms.
Building for the future
In Victoria, where The Block is based, updated energy efficiency standards (the 7-star energy rating) for new homes, was implemented recently, with a mandatory commencement date of 1 May 2024.
At CSR we believe that a careful choice of building materials can improve the performance of new homes. While some product choices will be made as part of the energy assessment, there are still opportunities to improve the performance of your build.
The building code does not specify every aspect of performance for each climate zone, so consider acoustics, condensation control and even additional thermal performance during design.
Get the look
Want to create your own TV-worthy home? Head to this link to view Bradford’s Get the Look From The Block brochure, which contains all you need to know about the materials used in this year’s renovations.
