Before the change, if you were to design a home with a block or precast wall, the level of insulation needed to meet compliance was relatively low. Our Pink Batts masonry wall products were designed for this particular application.

But since the recent change in NZBC H1, if strapped and lined on the inside, solid masonry walls require almost the same level of insulation as a timber framed houses.

This now means the strapping must be 90mm to allow for the level of insulation generally required.

You may ask why this has changed, doesn’t the increased thermal mass of solid masonry walls allow for lower levels of insulation to be used? This is true, but when you insulate on the internal side, you are basically insulating the effect of the thermal mass out.

So what level of insulation should you be using?

In the case of a 150-200 series block wall Pink Batts Classic R2.2 Wall will meet the requirements under the Schedule Method.

For more information on the Pink Battswall products available download our current Pink Batts  Thermal and Acoustic Insulation product guide.