The BASIX Do-It-Yourself (DIY) sets the minimum insulation requirements of walls. BASIX allows you to commit to a higher level of minimum insulation requirements. You can add R1.0 to the minimum requirement if your dwelling is located in NatHERS climate zones 9, 10 and 11. You can add R0.5 to the minimum requirement in other locations around NSW.
Mudbrick, rammed earth and hempcrete walls, and external insulated façade systems do not allow additional insulation to affect heating and cooling outcomes.
Adding additional insulation may change standard building details. Considerations include:
- ensuring that the wall frame allows for the extra insulation thickness to be included without compressing it so as not to compromise thermal performance of the insulation material, and/or
- providing that extra battens, furring channels or similar are added to your frame to create the extra space needed for this additional insulation.
Additional insulation commitments
When additional insulation is selected in the DIY Method it must be installed. While the minimum Thermal Performance criteria can be achieved without additional insulation, the Energy score includes the benefit of this in reducing heating and cooling energy consumption.
The total R-value of insulation to be installed will be shown on the BASIX certificate and is the minimum required for code compliance plus any additional insulation nominated by the user.