Reasonable DUNEDIN insulation / heating contacts

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joker97

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Topic # 96701 2-Feb-2012 19:32

Anyone has any contacts providing quality service at a good price in Dunedin with regards to insulation (and maybe heating)?

i see there is another thread re insulation but this one is specific to contacts in Dunedin that isn't overpriced and know what they're selling and doing i guess

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Reply # 576744 3-Feb-2012 11:51

Check out the EECA Energywise webpage, you will find providers there. As EECA audits those providers you get some assurance it is done right. Also they have minimum efficiency standards of what is put in and will be able to provide you subsidies. If you have a Community Services Card you are entitled to 60% subsidy but not all providers can give you that subsidy and some will say it not available from anyone anymore to get your business while it is not true so shop around.

joker97

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Reply # 597027 19-Mar-2012 10:42

*bump

reason for bumping - have tried many of the contacts in the website - they all use the same fitter usually!

thought if anyone had a good deal they could let me know - otherwise i'll keep trying till i get to the bottom of the list and see which is the least exhorbitant

Jaimita

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Reply # 597089 19-Mar-2012 12:55

If you have a Community Services Card you can get much higher subsidies. You may wish to try Energysmart, they have higher funding for Community Services Card holders. There is also an article in the Otago daily times about an insulation project today: "Grants support community projects", a project of the Otago Regional Council and Dunedin City Coucil. Good luck.

LookingUp

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Reply # 597106 19-Mar-2012 13:16

We just had a bit of a horror story with RightHouse in Chch, but understand they're nationwide, and our experience might still be valid. If I have one piece of advice it would be to get as much is writing as possible - to the extent of getting them to add a statement to the effect that "what's quoted here is all you need".

Our house is on a hill, and goes out on poles. We were quoted top-up insulation for our ceiling, and replacement of the foil insulation under the portion of our floor that is out on poles. Prior to the installation my wife and I spent several unpleasant hours stripping the old foil insulation from under the house in order to save on that part of the deal, which was an option offered to us.

The fun started when the installers arrived and told us that because the underside of the house is exposed, we'd have to cover the insulation with ply in order to qualify for the ~$1,000 EECA rebate noted in our "quote". This being a potentially significant additional expense, the installer said that if they were us they'd have just left the foil on! Given that we'd already stripped the foil in good faith we had no choice to continue and start an argument about who's paying for the ply, as it was NOT mentioned anywhere in our "quote".

As it stands, RightHouse have offered to discount our installation by half the cost of some ply - we'll have to cover the rest, and install it ourselves. We're not happy, but really had little choice as the underside of our floor was exposed.

Other issues included a broken window (doors left open and one swung shut in the wind and smashed), and a couple of staples through an alarm cable. The window got fixed, and they tried to fix the alarm cable but ended up blowing a fuse in the alarm panel, which I then fixed myself.

We've yet to receive the bill, and hope that they've just decided to leave us alone.

Things are LookingUp.... A photo from my back yard :-)
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Jaimita

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Reply # 597124 19-Mar-2012 13:47

If you feel an EECA provider has misled you and not disclosed all costs and it is not resolved in a satisfactory manner, you may wish to let EECA know.

joker97

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Reply # 597126 19-Mar-2012 13:51

ok finally a super busy insulator called salmac coming on thursday ...

waiting on another provider called PinkFit (who fits Pink Batts) ...

there are a few more whom i'm still waiting (after weeks!) to find time ...

Jaimita

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Reply # 597129 19-Mar-2012 13:56

This probably comes a bit too late for you, I guess, but it is advisable to get insulation fitted well before autumn and winter as that is the time everybody wants it and they get super busy... If you get it done in summer you may even get a better price as well.

LookingUp

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Reply # 597150 19-Mar-2012 14:18

Jaimita: If you feel an EECA provider has misled you and not disclosed all costs and it is not resolved in a satisfactory manner, you may wish to let EECA know.

We certainly will if we end up getting a bill for anything more than the originally agreed price.

My "conversation" with the chap I was dealing with (the boss of the guy that did the quote) was a circular argument along the lines that apparently they always tell people that weather sealing will be required in situations like ours, to which my reply was that if this is a standard requirement then why isn't it mentioned on the quote? The noted a pile of other things, and got my wife to initial several clauses to acknowledge them, so they were active in protecting their interests in the contract.

Things are LookingUp.... A photo from my back yard :-)
http://www.astrophotogallery.org/u141-rodm.html

joker97

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Reply # 597617 20-Mar-2012 12:29

finally one called in today - $3500 for 108sqm roof (top up only?) and underfloor - pink batts for both. reasonable? (that price is after $1300 rebate)

another one coming in a couple of days ... struggling to find a third provider but hopefully can get three

joker97

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Reply # 597619 20-Mar-2012 12:31

ooo can someone tell me how much to buy the batts (??R rating) as a tradesperson? and as retail?

Jaxson

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Reply # 597631 20-Mar-2012 12:54

It's a horrible job, especially depending on your roof shape, so if you're planning this yourself, be prepared for a world of yuck.

You can check the prices retail at least at your local bunnings/mega etc.

There are pros and cons to each material type and style etc. Blankets give you an better overall R value as they cover the studs as well for instance, but they are not as common etc.

Jaimita

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Reply # 597666 20-Mar-2012 13:34

Doing it yourself you will not be able to get the subsidies. It's a good idea to google safety precautions for insulating around the different types of downlights, flues etc. (if you have those) if you do it yourself. Also make sure you cut just right and not leave small gaps where insulation needs to fit snug.

joker97

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Reply # 604131 2-Apr-2012 20:40

so everyone quotes me $3500 - $3800 supply and install for ceiling and underfloor insulation 100m2 ...

they say the roof bit is the easiest, most of the parts price is the roof, and most of the labour is for the underfloor.

i can see on trademe http://www.trademe.co.nz/services/trades/building-construction/auction-413615189.htm this wool stuff only $1000 'installed'. (just need top up really)

seeing that upto 50% of heat loss is from ceiling this is my first port of call ... any reason why i shouldnt get this? (no i'm not planning to live in this house for the next 30 years)

and i might get this underfloor (will cost more than the wool ceiling stuff!) and buy a giant staple gun - any reason why i shouldnt - http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/heating-cooling/insulation/auction-462724222.htm

Dunnersfella

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Reply # 604161 2-Apr-2012 21:14

I have met and talked to the Salmac team quite a bit - I do recommend them to be stand-up folk.
However, I have never had them do any work for me. There are a lot of cowboys in the Dunedin heating / insulation industry... I think a trusted outfit like Salmac would be a better bet?

Jaimita

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Reply # 604347 3-Apr-2012 10:07

If you do under the floor, be careful with stapling and live wires.

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