NZS 4246:2016
Energy efficiency - Installing bulk thermal insulation in residential buildings
Provides guidance for the correct installation of insulation products by installers and consumers to achieve the intended thermal performance in buildings without compromising the durability and safety of insulation or building elements and the health and safety of installers and building occupants. The guidance is based on residential-type construction, but the methods may be appropriate to other construction types. The standard covers installing insulation in new buildings during construction as well as retrofitting of insulation in existing buildings. This edition of the standard has been extended to provide guidance on installing insulation in steel-framed constructions, for concrete slabs on ground and to update content for installing insulation around luminaires, where there have been significant technology advances since the standard was last revised in 2006. Additional diagrams, photos and figures have been included for illustrative purposes and Appendix B has been rewritten to align with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
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Committee representation
Acknowledgements
Copyright
Contents
Referenced documents
Latest revisions
Review of standards
Foreword
Outcome statement
Section 1
1 Introduction
1.1 Scope
1.2 Interpretation
1.3 Definitions
Section 2
2 Special considerations
2.1 General
2.2 New Zealand Building Code compliance
2.3 Building consent
2.4 Effect of poor insulation installation on thermal performance
2.5 Effect of insulation compression on thermal performance
2.6 Storage and transport
2.7 Labelling on site
2.8 Health and safety
2.9 Managing electrical safety risks presented by foil insulation
2.10 Avoiding excessive insulation clearances
Section 3
3 Electrical
3.1 General
3.2 Clearances for built-in appliances or enclosures containing electrical equipment
3.3 New buildings
3.4 Existing buildings
3.5 Avoiding contact between cables and polystyrene insulation
Section 4
4 Lighting
4.1 General
4.2 Installing insulation near recessed luminaires
4.3 Installing insulation near surface-mounted luminaires
4.4 Installing insulation near independent controlgear in ceilings
4.5 Installing insulation near independent controlgear in subfloor spaces
4.6 Installing insulation near fan/heat/light units
Section 5
5 Walls
5.1 General
5.2 Special considerations
5.3 Timber/steel-framed walls with wall underlay
5.4 Timber/steel-framed walls without wall underlay
5.5 Loose-fill wall insulation
5.6 Masonry walls
Section 6
6 Ceilings and roofs
6.1 General
6.2 Special considerations
6.3 Segments and blankets insulation – unlined ceilings
6.4 Segments and blankets insulation – lined ceilings
6.5 Rigid sheet insulation – unlined and lined ceilings
6.6 Loose-fill insulation – lined ceilings
Section 7
7 Underfloor – suspended framed floors
7.1 General
7.2 Special considerations
7.3 Blanket underfloor insulation
7.4 Rigid sheet underfloor insulation
7.5 Semi-rigid underfloor insulation
Section 8
8 On-ground vapour barriers
8.1 Special considerations
8.2 Installing an on-ground vapour barrier
Section 9
9 Pipe insulation and cylinder wraps
9.1 General
9.2 Pipe insulation
9.3 Hot water cylinder wraps
Section 10
10 Concrete slab-on-ground insulation
10.1 Special considerations
10.2 Under-slab insulation
10.3 Slab perimeter insulation
Appendix
APPENDIX A – Clearances
APPENDIX B – Health and safety
APPENDIX C – Warning sign
APPENDIX D – Climate zones
Previous versions
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Related Information
Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019
Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Section: 3 Interpretation
Citation context:NZS 4246:2016 means New Zealand Standard NZS 4246:2016 (Energy efficiency—Installing bulk thermal insulation in residential buildings)
Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019
Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Section: 16 Qualifying underfloor insulation
Citation context:(1) Underfloor insulation is qualifying underfloor insulation if all of the following apply: (a) the insulation’s R-value, when it was installed, was at least 1.3: (b) the insulation was installed in accordance with NZS 4246:2016:...
Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019
Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Section: 28 Suspended floors
Citation context:(2) The tenancy building’s subfloor space must— (a) have a ground moisture barrier that— (i) is made of a material that meets the specifications for an on-ground vapour barrier set out in section 8 of NZS 4246:2016; and (ii) was installed in accordance with section 8 of NZS 4246:2016; or...
Residential Tenancies (Smoke Alarms and Insulation) Regulations 2016
Ministry: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment - Digital, Communications and Transformation (RSM)
Section: 12(1)(b)
Citation context:...upon the completion of the original installation of the insulation, if that occurred on or after 1 July 2016, the original installation accorded with NZS 4246:2016 (so far as that standard was relevant to the original installation); and...
Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019
Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Section: 6 Healthy homes standards
Citation context:(2)(e) ensure that work covered by NZS 4246:2016 that is carried out during the term of the tenancy is carried out in accordance with NZS 4246:2016. (3) In this regulation, work covered by NZS 4246:2016 means work that is carried out at the premises or tenancy building in relation to—...
Residential Tenancies (Smoke Alarms and Insulation) Regulations 2016
Ministry: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment - Digital, Communications and Transformation (RSM)
Section: 15(1)(b)
Citation context:...upon the completion of the original installation of the insulation, if that occurred on or after 1 July 2016, the original installation accorded with NZS 4246:2016 (so far as that standard was relevant to the original installation); and...
Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019
Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Section: 14 Qualifying ceiling insulation
Citation context:(1) Ceiling insulation is qualifying ceiling insulation if all of the following apply: (a) the insulation’s R-value, when it was installed, was,— (i) if the premises are in zone 1 or zone 2, at least 2.9; or (ii) if the premises are in zone 3, at least 3.3: (b) the insulation was installed in accordance with NZS 4246:2016:...
Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019
Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Section: 35 Information about insultaion standards
Citation context:(3) If a floor does not comply with regulation 15 and the landlord relies on the exemption in regulation 20, the section 13A statement— (a) need not include the information required by subclause (1)(b)(iii) for that floor; but (b) must include— (i) a statement to the effect that the floor’s insulation is exempt from the minimum R-value requirement and compliance with NZS 4246:2016; and...
Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019
Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Section: Subpart 4
Citation context:32 Regulation 3 amended (Interpretation) (1) In regulation 3(1), revoke the definitions of income-related rent tenancy, NZS 4246:2016, R-value, reasonable condition, and zone 1, zone 2, and zone 3.
Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019
Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Section: 7 Insulation installed before 1 October 2016...
Citation context:If insulation was installed on or after 1 July 2016 but before 1 October 2016, regulation 14(1)(b) or 16(1)(b) applies as if “NZS 4246:2016” were replaced with “New Zealand Standard NZS 4246:2006 Energy efficiency—Installing insulation in residential buildings”.
Residential Tenancies (Smoke Alarms and Insulation) Regulations 2016
Ministry: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment - Digital, Communications and Transformation (RSM)
Section: 3
Citation context:NZS 4246:2016 means New Zealand Standard NZS 4246:2016 (Energy efficiency - Installing bulk thermal insulation in residential buildings)
Residential Tenancies (Smoke Alarms and Insulation) Regulations 2016
Ministry: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment - Digital, Communications and Transformation (RSM)
Section: 22(2)
Citation context:Insulation work during tenancy to be carried out in accordance with NZS 4246:2016:... ...(2) Any work in respect of insulation that is carried out during the tenancy in connection with any ceilings or suspended floors that are at the premises must be carried out in accordance with NZS 4246:2016 (so far as that standard is relevant to the work).
Residential Tenancies (Smoke Alarms and Insulation) Regulations 2016
Ministry: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment - Digital, Communications and Transformation (RSM)
Section: 3.4
Citation context:Building Code Compliance Document H1
Ministry: Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment - Building Systems Performance (BSP)
Section: AS1
Citation context:Similar Standards
-
AS/NZS 4200.1:2017
Pliable building membranes and underlays - Part 1: Materials -
AS/NZS 4200.2:1994
Pliable building membranes and underlays - Installation requirements
-
AS/NZS 4201.0:1994
Pliable building membranes and underlays - Methods of test - General introduction and list of methods
-
AS/NZS 4201.1:1994
Pliable building membranes and underlays - Methods of test - Resistance to dry delamination
Committee representation
Acknowledgements
Copyright
Contents
Referenced documents
Latest revisions
Review of standards
Foreword
Outcome statement
Section 1
1 Introduction
1.1 Scope
1.2 Interpretation
1.3 Definitions
Section 2
2 Special considerations
2.1 General
2.2 New Zealand Building Code compliance
2.3 Building consent
2.4 Effect of poor insulation installation on thermal performance
2.5 Effect of insulation compression on thermal performance
2.6 Storage and transport
2.7 Labelling on site
2.8 Health and safety
2.9 Managing electrical safety risks presented by foil insulation
2.10 Avoiding excessive insulation clearances
Section 3
3 Electrical
3.1 General
3.2 Clearances for built-in appliances or enclosures containing electrical equipment
3.3 New buildings
3.4 Existing buildings
3.5 Avoiding contact between cables and polystyrene insulation
Section 4
4 Lighting
4.1 General
4.2 Installing insulation near recessed luminaires
4.3 Installing insulation near surface-mounted luminaires
4.4 Installing insulation near independent controlgear in ceilings
4.5 Installing insulation near independent controlgear in subfloor spaces
4.6 Installing insulation near fan/heat/light units
Section 5
5 Walls
5.1 General
5.2 Special considerations
5.3 Timber/steel-framed walls with wall underlay
5.4 Timber/steel-framed walls without wall underlay
5.5 Loose-fill wall insulation
5.6 Masonry walls
Section 6
6 Ceilings and roofs
6.1 General
6.2 Special considerations
6.3 Segments and blankets insulation – unlined ceilings
6.4 Segments and blankets insulation – lined ceilings
6.5 Rigid sheet insulation – unlined and lined ceilings
6.6 Loose-fill insulation – lined ceilings
Section 7
7 Underfloor – suspended framed floors
7.1 General
7.2 Special considerations
7.3 Blanket underfloor insulation
7.4 Rigid sheet underfloor insulation
7.5 Semi-rigid underfloor insulation
Section 8
8 On-ground vapour barriers
8.1 Special considerations
8.2 Installing an on-ground vapour barrier
Section 9
9 Pipe insulation and cylinder wraps
9.1 General
9.2 Pipe insulation
9.3 Hot water cylinder wraps
Section 10
10 Concrete slab-on-ground insulation
10.1 Special considerations
10.2 Under-slab insulation
10.3 Slab perimeter insulation
Appendix
APPENDIX A – Clearances
APPENDIX B – Health and safety
APPENDIX C – Warning sign
APPENDIX D – Climate zones
Previous versions
NZS 4246:2016
Online Library subscription pricing
The cost of your subscription will depend on which standards you want to access, and how many people in your organisation need to be able to access the Online Library subscription at the same time (concurrent users). During your subscription period, we are also able to make any necessary changes and ensure you are aware of any pricing changes that result. For a quote, contact our Online Library team by emailing onlinelibrary@standards.govt.nz.