Volatile organic compounds are carbons found in all living things. They can evaporate into the atmosphere and potentially cause health hazards when inhaled. Reducing the amount of building materials and internal finishes laced with chemicals is an important aspect of a healthy home.

Natural insulation is a sustainable, healthy and effective alternative to oil based cellular insulation products, like mineral wool batts and polystyrene boards.

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Natural insulation can be found easily in Europe and the UK. These products are made with wool, flax, woodfibre, hemp or cellulose. They all have in common the capacity to achieve a high thermal comfort. They are breathable, improve air quality and control water condensation levels. The products come from sustainable sources and are easily recycled back into the environment. They are the healthy choice for insulation.

A positive energy home produces more electricity than it consumes. In our situation we are able to export enough electricity to power another home in Dungog.

Volatile organic compounds are carbons found in all living things. They can evaporate into the atmosphere and potentially cause health hazards when inhaled. Reducing the amount of building materials and internal finishes laced with chemicals is an important aspect of a healthy home.

Natural insulation is a sustainable, healthy and effective alternative to oil based cellular insulation products, like mineral wool batts and polystyrene boards.

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Natural insulation can be found easily in Europe and the UK. These products are made with wool, flax, woodfibre, hemp or cellulose. They all have in common the capacity to achieve a high thermal comfort. They are breathable, improve air quality and control water condensation levels. The products come from sustainable sources and are easily recycled back into the environment. They are the healthy choice for insulation.

Formaldehyde is a well known VOC - so much so it has its own rating system used by manufacturers of wood products. It is used as a glue to bond wood particles or sheets together. It can be found in many products designed to furnish a home. The higher the rating the stronger the odour emitted from the material. We have very carefully chosen materials that have a low formaldehyde rating.

Livable Housing Design guidelines were designed by Livable Housing Australia to implement good design practices for living conditions for people of all ages. Please see our Livable Dimensions page for further details.

Formaldehyde is a well known VOC - so much so it has its own rating system used by manufacturers of wood products. It is used as a glue to bond wood particles or sheets together. It can be found in many products designed to furnish a home. The higher the rating the stronger the odour emitted from the material. We have very carefully chosen materials that have a low formaldehyde rating.

Wood-fibre insulation is made from plantation forest thinnings and timber waste products in Europe. It is healthy and has a high resistance to heat and cold. It is available in rigid and flexible forms for external and internal insulation in the home. See our page Natural Insulation.

Wood-fibre insulation is made from plantation forest thinnings and timber waste products in Europe. It is healthy and has a high resistance to heat and cold. It is available in rigid and flexible forms for external and internal insulation in the home. See our page Natural Insulation.

There are three reasons wood-fibre insulation is better than mineral or glass wool insulation:

1. It is made of natural (not man-made materials).

2. It out-performs mineral, glass wool and polystyrene insulation for heat protection.

3. It is breathable and helps mitigate humidity in the house.

There are many reasons why wood-fibre insulation is better than mineral or glass wool insulation: But here are the 3 main reasons:

1. It is made of natural, sustainable materials and is recyclable

2. Because of its higher density and higher Specific Heat Capacity, it out-performs mineral-wool, glass wool and polystyrene insulation by a factor of 3 to 1. Hence it keeps you cooler in the hot periods and warmer in the cool periods.

3. It is breathable (vapour permeable) helping mitigate humidity in the house, and therefore virutally eliminating the likelihood of mould developing.

Please go to our page Documentation to see our supporting documents.

Yes, see the questions under "Fire Rating for Wood Fibre Insulation"

Energy efficient windows contribute to the thermal comfort of a home. There is a website, Windows Energy Rating Scheme, (see Links) that advises consumers about window manufacturers who make thermally efficient windows - double or tripled glazed with gas and thermally broken frames. This includes manufacturers of UVPC windows.

All Steico insulating materials include a natural fire protection additive. The product used is ammonium phosphate, a mineral salt produced from combining the elements phosphorus and nitrogen. Like all Steico's additives, ammonium phosphate is a natural and harmless product.

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In the event of a fire, a carbonisation layer quickly forms on the surface of the insulation board or mat. This carbonisation or charring acts to restrain the propagation of the fire and prevents the fast burning through the Steico product. Many conventional insulating materials are prone to melting and offer very omitted fire protection. In combination with suitable finishes, fire protection structures to F90B (a fire would need 90 minutes in order to enter the construction) can be built with Steico insulation materials.

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As an organic based material, Steico insulating materials will not emit toxic gases in the event of fire, unlike many petro-chemical based insulating materials. This is an important consideration for the fire services.

In summary: Although wood can burn, it still offers the highest degree of fire protection (steico)

uVPC stands for unplasticized polyvinyl chloride and is used for making window frames. They have a high thermal efficiency.

Yes, both the flexible and rigid forms are very easy to install. The products themselves are readily incorporated into our existing conventional building techniques, the rigid forms being easily screwed to a wood framed construction and the flexible forms can be neatly installed inside the internal wood frame. We can also advise on how to incorporate the wood-fibre into your build.

We are currently putting together an Installation Guide to help you through the process so come back to our Documentation Page for any updates.

Termites are not attracted to wood-fibre insulation because during manufacturing the cellulose has been removed. Cellulose is the ingredient in wood that termites like to eat.

Please contact us through the website at Contact Us.

Or call Luc on: 0434 395158

Wood fibre insulation is not a food source for termites. Termites are not attracted to wood-fibre insulation because during manufacturing the cellulose has been removed.

Wood-fibre insulation is very price competive. For example,

Protect H 60 mm boards are $29 per m2

Flex 036 100 mm cavity insulation is $25 per m2

Other sizes are also available upon request.

Untreated timber has been used for health reasons. The chemical used for treating wood for termites is very toxic and it is desirable not to have it close to any living areas.

Untreated timber has been used for health reasons. The chemical used for treating wood for termites is very toxic and it is desirable not to have it close to any living areas.

If you are interested in building with natural wood-fibre insulation from Steico, or would like to know more about the products, please contact us for availability.

Bio-climatic design means that natural design principals and materials are used when planning a build, that promote a thermally comfortable and healthy living environment all year round. Please see our page Bio-climatic Design for futher details.

European inspired, a Bio-climatic design means that natural design principals and materials are used when planning a build. The objective is to promote a thermally comfortable and healthy living environment all year round.

Visit the our Bio-climatic Design page to for further details.

Yes, both the flexible and rigid forms are very easy to install. The products themselves are readily incorporated into our existing conventional building techniques, the rigid forms being easily screwed to a wood framed construction and the flexible forms can be neatly installed inside the internal wood frame. We can also advise on how to incorporate the wood-fibre into your build.

We are currently putting together an Installation Guide to help you through the process so come back to our Documentation Page for any updates.

If you are interested in building with natural wood-fibre insulation from Steico, or would like to know more about the products, please contact us for availability.

A positive energy home produces more electicity than it consumes. In our situation we are able to export enough electricity to power another home in Dungog.

Livable Housing Desing guidelines were designed by Livable Housing Australia to implement good design practices for living conditions for people of all ages. Please see our Livable Dimensions page for further details.

Please go to our page Documention to see our supporting documents.

Energy efficient windows contribute to the thermal comfort of a home. There is a website, Windows Energy Rating Scheme, (see Links) that advises consumers about window manufacturers who make thermally efficient windows - double or tripled glazed with gas and thermally broken frames. This includes manufacturers of UVPC windows.

We have implemented several strategies. Please see our page Features and Building Specs.

We have implemented several strategies.

As per building code, there will be a 75mm external visual inspection zone around the house slab floor.

Service pipes in the concrete within the house are meshed with stainless steel barriers.

There is a 100 thick bed of gravel and crusher dust around the perimeter of the house acting as a deterrent.

The building is dry and humidity free. Natural wood insulation is void of cellulose after the manufacturing process and therefore not a food source for termites.

Please contact us through the website at Contact Us.

Or call Luc on: 0434 395158

A bio-climatic house design need not cost more than a conventionally designed house. With smart planning, you can create a healthier home for roughly the same price as a conventional home.

A bio-climatic house design needs to consider many environmental aspects and must be well planned. This can add some expense for consultation fees. Double glazed windows are also a necessary expense and may cost twice as much as conventional windows. Natural insulation is competively priced and, depending on the thickness required, can be affordably included.

uVPC stands for unplasticsed polyvinyl chloride and is used for making window frames. They have a high thermal efficiency.

A bio-climatic house and a Passive House are conceptually very similar. Where they may differ is that a Passive House (based on the German PassivHaus) is essentially focused on creating an ultra-air tight building to prevent heat loss. Warmth is naturally produced through passive solar design & human activity within the building. But because it is super insulated and air tight, a HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilation) system is required to supply the interior with fresh air without losing too much heat.

Depending on what part of the world you are coming from, some Passive House builders, whilst focused on air tightness and energy conservation, may use conventional treated building materials and synthetic based insulation materials.

Our Bio-climatic design focuses on a complete open vapour permeability of the building envelope, natural internal ventilation and healthier building materials.

All painted internal walls, except for the bathrooms, will be finished with natural paints from Livos, a German based company. They are VOC free. They are also vapour permeable. This is an important consideration because the paint allows the transfer of moisture caused from humidity. This prevents the build up of mould and condensation in the interior of the home.

We have avoided using any toxic foam, glues and adhesives in the build.

All of our internal kitchen, laundry and storage cabinets are made with E0 sourced mdf.

Yes, all the wood fibre insulation products have a Euro Class E fire rating (EN 13501-1) and are completly safe to use. (View the video below.)

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All STEICO insulating materials include a natural fire protection additive. The product used is ammonium phosphate, a mineral salt produced from combining the elements phosphorus and nitrogen. Ammonium phosphate is a natural and harmless product, which is frequently used in the food industry.

In the event of a fire, a carbonisation layer quickly forms on the surface of the insulation board or mat. This carbonisation or charring acts to restrain the propagation of the fire and prevents the fast burning through the Steico product. Many conventional insulating materials are prone to melting and offer very limited fire protection.

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As an organic based material, Steico insulating materials will not emit toxic gases in the event of fire, unlike many petro-chemical based insulating materials. This is an important consideration for the fire services.

Yes it does. Generally speaking, all imported building materials / products used in a construction need to demonstrate that they have been Fire tested. The NCC /BCA (National Construction Code / Building Code of Australia (BCA) allows building and insulation materials from overseas to be used in building construction here provided they meet the provisional / Deemed to Satisfy criteria of the building code. Products from countries or zones such as Europe with reliable testing laboratories and certification programs are deemed reliable and acceptable.

Insulation is just part of the building structure and because of "R-Value' requirements, your building plans will need to specify the type of insulation you will be using. As part of your D.A. (Development Application) we recommend attaching copies of the Product Information sheets from Steico for the insulation products you are planning to insulate with. The Steico Product Information sheet will provide the certifier with all the technical information (structural, thermal and fire rating ) of the wood fibre insulation product.

In our case we provided the Steico Product Information sheets for both the Protect H and Flex036 as part of our D.A to our council certifier, and had no issues.

In the case your certifier needs more information about the Steico insulation products, don't hesitate to contact us for assistance.

Bush Fire Zone construction requirements will be set by your local council. Talk to them about the type of insulation that would be allowed with your build.

When it comes to the FRL (Fire Rating Level), your council or private certifier will be able to advise as to whether or not this applies to your build.

Generally speaking, if you are building a class 1a building (stand alone single dwelling) then the FRL (Fire Rating Level) won't apply to you. If you are building a group of class 1a attached buildings (town houses, etc) or an other type of building then you will most likely have to refer to the FRL.

The FRL is the ability of a building element (wall, ceiling...) connecting adjacent dwellings to withstand a fire for a certain period of time. The FRL measures the 1) Structural adequacy 2) Integrity 3) Insulation components of the building element.

For example a FRL of 120/60/30 means that a building component (wall or ceiling...) must maintain structural adequacy for 120 minutes, integrity for 60 minutes and insulation for 30 minutes.

Regarding the Steico wood fibre insulation, in combination with suitable finishes, fire-protection structures to F90 B *(a fire would need 90 minutes in order to enter the construction) can be built with STEICO insulating materials. *(European norms)

Should you require documentation regarding the FRL's of Steico insulation, don't hesitate to contact us.