Ceiling insulation · Brisbane & SE Queensland
Ceiling insulation in Brisbane: about 6% gaps and an R5 batt is doing about R2.4 — so we fill the roof cavity instead of covering it.
Blow-in cellulose laid as one seamless blanket with no gaps, pumped in by the family that makes it. Cooler in summer, warmer in winter, fixed price, no deposit, and the photos are yours to keep.
We also fit polyester and fibreglass batts for the people who want them. But after 40 years on the tools, pump-in cellulose is the only ceiling product I’d put in my own mum’s house.
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
R3.0+ for our climate zone
seamless cellulose, no gaps
Real reviews, real jobs
What our customers say
Genuine Google & hipages reviews from Comfort Zone customers across SE Queensland.
- A
Angela M.
SE Queensland
“The fact that I can't even tell it's 6 degrees outside when I wake up in the morning speaks for itself. Have wasted so much money attempting to heat and cool an uninsulated home. Worth every $.”
- Phipages
P Peter
Alstonvale, 2024
“Connected with Comfort Zone Insulation and would recommend them”
- J
Jessa B.
Brisbane
“It dropped about 4 degrees straight away, and we added another 3 with the second job. I appreciate Peter's honesty, and the team showed pictures before and after.”
- Nhipages
Nola M
Birtinya, 2024
“They were courteous and competent.”
- I
Iain V-B.
Brisbane
“Quick and polite service. Great follow-up advice and photos sent for our records. Above and beyond what we expected. Would highly recommend.”
- Jhipages
Jennifer's E
Upper Caboolture, 2024
“Excellent customer service. Highly recommended. Has a profound knowledge of insulation products and has the best interest of his customer.”
- G
Gerry S
Fitzgibbon, 2023
“I used Comfort Zone and they have a done an excellent job.”
- Jhipages
Jennifer
Upper Caboolture, 2024
“Excellent customer service. Highly recommend. Has a profound knowledge of insulation products and has the customer best interest.”
- J
Jung K
Riverhills, 2023
“An experienced family operation. Highly recommend. Thank you for the great job!”
- Dhipages
Diane A
Ormeau, 2024
“Peter and crew did a great job I would definitely recommend them”
- D
David H
Sunshine Coast, 2021
“Completed the job as quoted and to a high standard. Great personal service. Would highly recommend Comfort Zone for ceiling installation work.”
- Thipages
Timea
Highland Park, 2023
“I was extremely satisfied with the service they provided. They gave a very thourough explanation of the materials used, the way the work will be carried out and the price I had to pay was the exact amount quoted, no hidden costs included. They arrived on time, well prepared and workwas carried out exactly how they said it would be, they were super efficient, well prepared and were kind enough to even clean up after themselves. The services they provided was second to none! I don't hesitate to recommend them for any insulation job!”
- B
Benjamin H
Carseldine, 2019
“Very good explanation about their works. Advice of existing problems with the roof. Clean work. Very professional.”
- Mhipages
Mark
Pottsville, 2017
“Michelle, we are done - Peter from comfort zone insulation was very helpful. very honest with his recommendations - in fact he told me that the product my daughter had if installed correctly was superb. Thanks Peter you are a champion and i would recommend you to any person that was wanting professional advice and old school service.”
- I
Ian G
Burnside, 2019
“Good information, communication and professionalism.”
- Jhipages
Jessica
Pottsville, 2016
“This business offers a fantastic product that other businesses did not. Pump in ceiling insulation. Knowledge of the industry second to none.”
- D
Danny D
Boondall, 2018
“He explained everything he was going to do and the different types of insulation they used. He talked through the different options but made a recommendation for the one most people use, which is the one I chose. He was very understanding towards what I needed and not about himself.”
- Jhipages
Jack
Pottsville, 2023
“Excellent communication and informative. Professional.”
- G
Graham R
Riverhills, 2018
“Comfort Zone. Turned up ahead of time, completed in about 2 hours, cleaned up. All good. Very motivated installation team.”
- Thipages
Tony P
Redland Bay, 2023
“Very knowledgeable about insulation”
- A
Alex B
West Ipswich, 2018
“Fast, friendly, efficient.”
- Shipages
Steve
Redland Bay, 2017
“Excellent job and reasonable price.”
- L
Luke D
Mcdowall, 2017
“Peter did a good job. It was a quick and clean service. I'm happy to recommend!”
- Bhipages
Bruce H
Kuluin, 2023
“Prompt and efficient quoting.”
- B
Brendon
Brays Creek, 2016
“Peter supplied and installed roof insulation for me. He was very informative and provided good advice.”
- Ghipages
Gerry S
Fitzgibbon, 2023
“I used Comfort Zone and they have a done an excellent job.”
- T
Trevor G
Brookside Centre, 2016
“Excellent tradesmen from Comfort Zone Insulation. They were punctual and cleaned up after. Highly recommended.”
- Thipages
Tamara
Underwood, 2023
“Peter is honest, hard-working and came on time. Knew excally what he was talking about and answered my questions. Would 100% recommend”
- J
John G
Beaudesert, 2019
“Peter is an honest person who provided me with the information I wanted then performed a good job with great results for the benefit of myself and my family.”
- Shipages
Sterling G
Ashgrove, 2023
“Comfort Zone were very knowledge with great communication and follow up”
- Ghipages
Graham R
Riverhills, 2018
“Comfort Zone. Turned up ahead of time completed in +- 2 hours cleaned. All good. Very motivated installation team”
- Jhipages
Jung K
Riverhills, 2023
“An experienced family operation. Highly recommend. Thank you for the great job!”
- Khipages
Kathy A
North Lakes, 2023
“We connected with Peter through HiPages and he was prompt, professional and even came back after the job was complete to assist with a question we had. We would highly recommend Peter for further insulation works.”
- Dhipages
David H
Sunshine Coast, 2021
“Completed the job as quoted and to a high standard. Great personal service. Would highly recommend Comfort Zone for ceiling installationn work.”
- Shipages
Sue H
Sunshine Coast, 2021
“Incredible customer service”
- Ehipages
Eileen C
Cedar Vale, 2021
“Quality work, good customer service, prompt”
- Chipages
Craig M
Woody Point, 2021
“Called within 5 minutes of request. Very knowledgeable and explained job in great detail, provide great advice in prior preparation for works required. Very friendly and helpful.”
- Jhipages
Jenny C
Plainland, 2021
“Although I did not hire Peter I was impressed with the initial contact and the knowledge he was willing to impart. I was treated with respect which I appreciated. I would have hired but I received a lower quote.”
- Qhipages
Quinton
Coomera, 2020
“Professional installation without any short cuts. True to their word with high integrity. Response from Comfort Zone Insulation”
- Ghipages
Gary P
West Kempsey, 2020
“Came & Gave a free quote”
From our customers
The people living under the ceilings we filled, in their own words.
Ian G
Burnside, 2019
“Good information, communication and professionalism.”
Danny D
Boondall, 2018
“He explained everything he was going to do and the different types of insulation they used. He talked through the different options but made a recommendation for the one most people use, which is the one I chose. He was very understanding towards what I needed and not about himself.”
Graham R
Riverhills, 2018
“Comfort Zone. Turned up ahead of time, completed in about 2 hours, cleaned up. All good. Very motivated installation team.”
What is blow-in ceiling insulation?
One blanket, pumped in: no bays to cut means no edges to leave a gap.
Blow-in cellulose ceiling insulation is recycled-paper fibre, borate-treated, pumped dry through a hose so it fills every cavity in your ceiling as one continuous blanket with no gaps. It gives about R2.5 per 100 mm, so our standard 120 mm pump is about R3.0. We make it in Tiaro and fit it right across Brisbane and South East Queensland.
The ceiling is the most important surface in a Queensland house to get right. It’s the largest single part of the building envelope and the most cost-effective place to insulate. The Australian Government’s guide reckons roof and ceiling insulation can cut your heating and cooling costs by up to 45% (yourhome.gov.au). That’s why I’ll always tell you to sort the ceiling first.
Because it’s pumped rather than cut, cellulose gets into the tight corners, covers over the top of the joists, and leaves no joins for heat to sneak through. CSIRO’s figures put loose-fill cellulose at about R2.5 for 100 mm, which is why we pump 120 mm: that’s R3.0, comfortably over the R2.5 minimum the NCC sets for this climate. Here’s the R-value you actually need in QLD. If you’re after the whole picture on roof insulation in Brisbane — every roof type, what we charge and who turns up — that’s all on one page.
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
Pale grey cellulose covering a ceiling evenly, with a neat shroud around the manhole, Sunnybank.
The problem it solves
“The upstairs is an oven and the aircon never wins.” That’s a ceiling problem.
A homeowner in the western suburbs rang me about exactly that: a roof cavity that climbs past 60°C on a summer afternoon, and bedrooms you can't sleep in. Here's what was actually going on up there.
When I got up into the roof, the story was the usual one. There were batts up there, laid years ago by someone in a hurry. But they’d been cut short of the corners, lifted and dumped to one side where a sparky had been back to add downlights, and shoved up in spots where I reckon a rat had been nesting. On a roof like that we’d normally vacuum the old insulation out first. Half the ceiling was doing something; the other half was bare plaster soaking up the heat from a 60-degree roof cavity and radiating it straight down into the bedrooms.
That’s the thing about an R-rating on a bag: it only counts if the insulation actually covers the ceiling with no gaps. Sustainability Victoria’s government housing manual has a chart (Figure 5.18) showing the effective R-value collapsing as just a few percent of the ceiling is left bare. It documents that leaving gaps of just 5% of the ceiling area drops an R3.5 batt to an effective R2.1, about a 40% loss (Sustainability Victoria, p.63). That’s not a marketing line, it’s a government nomogram.
We pumped cellulose over the lot: over the joists, into every corner, shrouded around the downlights so it stayed put, one seamless blanket. The owner messaged me a fortnight later to say the upstairs was finally bearable and the aircon had stopped running flat out. That’s the whole job: no bare patches, no cold spots, no gaps for the heat to pour through.
How we install it
Five steps, the same order on every roof — memory is no good in a dark ceiling.
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
We measure and quote, no deposit
Most jobs we can measure off Nearmap and your roof type, so you get a proper fixed-price quote within 48 hours without anyone tramping through your house first. There's no deposit; you pay when the job is finished and you're happy with it. The price I quote is the price you pay; if I've under-measured something, the extra is on me, not on you on the day.
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
We park the truck and run out the hose
Our pump rig lives in the truck and feeds a 40-metre hose, so we don't need to drag bags of product through your house. The installer goes up through the manhole (or we lift a few tiles / sheets where there's no manhole), and we shroud the manhole and any downlights before a single fibre goes in.
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
We pump cellulose as one seamless blanket
Cellulose is blown in dry through the hose and settles into every cavity between the battens and joists as one continuous blanket, into the tight corners, over the top of the joists, around the awkward bits a batt could never reach. There's no cutting and no joins, so there are no gaps for heat to sneak through.
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
We install to a measured density and depth
We pump to a set depth and density so you get the settled R-value we quoted, typically around R3.0, which is comfortably above the NCC minimum for our climate zone. Installing to a specified density is exactly what stops loose-fill from settling later; the settling problems people hear about come from under-filled jobs, not from cellulose that's pumped in properly.
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
We photograph the job and check it before you're invoiced
Most people never see the inside of their own roof, so every job is photographed and the photos are checked before you're invoiced. That's our system, the same on every job, run by trained Comfort Zone franchise owner-operators who care about their own reputation in your area. You get those photos to keep. We also have a free look around while we're up there and fix the little stuff (a slipped tile, an uncapped pipe) for free. We don't do roof repairs and there's nothing in it for us either way.
Why cellulose for a ceiling
About 6% gaps, and that R5 batt is working at about R2.4.
According to Choice Magazine, leaving just 1% gaps in your insulation can reduce performance by 30%, and 5% gaps in batts reduces the efficiency by as much as 70%. When batts get cut into all the different size bays in your roof and squeezed into the tight corners, most batt installers take short cuts, especially in tight, hot roofs.
Cellulose has no joins and no cut edges. It covers over the top of the joists and fills the corners a batt can never reach. It’s borate-treated, so insects won’t live in it (no insects, no food for rats), and in 6,000 cellulose roofs I’ve never seen a rat nest in one. The full-contact cover also closes the cold gaps where ceiling mould tends to form, and the borate resists mould too. So for a ceiling, the R-rating on the bag finally means something.
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
If you want batts, polyester batts, Brisbane
Polyester is the King of batts, and if you want batts, that's the one I'd fit.
If you’ve decided you want batts in your ceiling, polyester is the best of them, and I fit them every week. They’re non-itchy, locally made, there’s no nasty dust to wash off your work clothes, and they shrug off moisture. If batts are what you’re after, these are the only ones I’ll quote with a straight face.
They’re still a batt, though. They have to be cut to fit every bay, so there’ll be more joins and edges than a pumped blanket. My team cuts every piece to fit so there are no gaps left. But a cut-to-fit batt asks more of the installer than a seamless pump-in, plain and simple.
Fibreglass batts, Brisbane
Fibreglass, the itchy ones: I’ll fit them, and I’ll tell you what you’re buying.
Earthwool®, Gold Batts®, Pink Batts®. They’re all fibreglass, and they’re the cheapest option. Only about 2% of my customers go this way, and here’s why I don’t recommend them for a ceiling: they’re itchy to handle, they settle and break down as they age, and rodents love to nest in them.
Read the fine print before you buy them, too. The manufacturers’ own safety sheets tell you to wear a P2 dust mask and to wash your work clothes separately. Their fine print tells a different story than their marketing brochure. An installer who has to wash their gear separately from the family laundry isn’t going to spend extra time dragging batts into your tight corners, and that’s exactly how gaps happen. I’ll still fit them if it’s what you want.
Comfort Zone insulation.team
Family-owned insulation manufacturer, making comfy homes since 1986
Booked in? Here's the day
What install day looks like from your side of the ceiling.
Nothing about install day should be a surprise. Here's exactly how it runs, and the few small things that make it go smoothly.
Truck access. Our pump rig travels in a Pantech truck (roughly 3.3 m high and 2.4 m wide) and feeds a 40-metre hose, so it needs to get reasonably close to the house. The rig stays in the truck; we don’t carry bags of product through your home. If your access is tight or you’re on a steep block, tell me when we book so there are no surprises on the day.
Power. The rig runs off two power points on the same circuit. That’s usually no trouble at all. But if the power’s a bit old or the points are awkward to reach, a heads-up beforehand lets us plan for it.
Getting into the roof. We go up through the manhole where there is one; where there isn’t, we lift a few tiles or sheets and put them back. Either way we shroud the manhole and your downlights first so nothing ends up where it shouldn’t.
Weather. We don’t pump in the rain, so if it buckets down we’ll reschedule. If you’re taking a day off work for us, ask for a morning slot so a wet afternoon doesn’t cost you the whole day.
You don’t need to be home. Plenty of customers leave us to it and we lock up after ourselves. A typical ceiling takes a few hours.
Payment on completion. There’s normally no deposit. You pay when the job’s finished and you’re happy. Trades who need a deposit are usually afraid you won’t pay once you’ve seen the quality. I’m not.
5 things you can do on the day
- 1
Clear the driveway and a path to the manhole
Our truck needs to get reasonably close (it's a Pantech, about 3.3 m high and 2.4 m wide) and we run a 40-metre hose from it. Move the cars off the driveway and clear a path inside to the manhole (usually in a hallway, robe or the garage) so we're not shifting your furniture.
- 2
Make sure we can get power
The rig runs off two power points on the same circuit. If your power's a bit tired or the points are hard to reach, let me know beforehand so we can sort it out rather than discover it on the day.
- 3
Turn your exhaust fans on for the day
On a hot day, flick your bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans on and leave them running while we work. It pulls a bit of the heat out of the roof space and makes the job nicer for everyone.
- 4
A cold drink goes a long way on a hot roof
If it's a scorcher, a jug of cold water is very welcome. A roof space in a Queensland summer is brutal. A cold beer is a lovely thought. But the installer's driving the truck home, so we'll have to take a rain check on that one.
- 5
Remind me to grab a quick recommendation video
If you're happy with the job, a 30-second clip on the phone helps a small family business more than you'd think. Give me a nudge before we pack up and I'll point the camera the right way.
“I’m happy to take customer calls up to about 8pm at night, as I’m hard to catch during the day sometimes. If anything about the day isn’t clear, just ring me.”
What it costs
What a Brisbane ceiling costs: the real bands, not "request a quote".
As a guide, polyester batts run $30.80–$49.50/m² including GST supplied and installed, and Cellulose Fibre Insulation runs $38.50–$60.50/m² including GST. The exact figure depends on the product, your roof type and how hard the access is. I won’t pluck a single total out of the air on a website. A simple low-set with an easy manhole costs less per metre than a cut-up two-storey full of downlights.
Send me your address and I’ll measure your roof and give you a proper fixed-price quote within 48 hours for most houses: no deposit, and no price increases on the day. The price I quote is the price you pay; if I’ve under-measured something, the extra is on me.
If you want the full breakdown — what moves the price, whether to top up or strip out first, and why paying for a bigger R-value usually buys you almost nothing — it’s all set out in the ceiling insulation cost guide.
See the full price breakdown, product by product, on the polyester & Cellulose Fibre Insulation price guide.
Straight answers
Downlights, dust and R-values: the ceiling insulation questions I get asked most.
How much does ceiling insulation cost in Brisbane?+
As a rough guide, ceiling insulation runs about $38.50–$60.50 per square metre including GST, depending on the product, your roof type and how hard the access is. I don't publish a single fixed total because every roof is different. A simple low-set with a manhole is cheaper per metre than a steep two-storey or a cut-up roof with lots of downlights. Send me your address and I'll measure it and give you a proper fixed-price quote within 48 hours, with no deposit to pay.
What R-value do I need for a ceiling in South East Queensland?+
South East Queensland is NCC climate zone 2. The NCC minimum added ceiling insulation here is about R2.5, and we typically install around R3.0, roughly 20% over the minimum, which is plenty for this climate. There's no point overselling you a much higher number you don't need in Brisbane's climate; it's a bit like sunscreen: past a certain point a higher number doesn't buy you much more protection.
Is blow-in cellulose better than batts for a ceiling?+
For a ceiling, yes, in my opinion after 40 years of doing both. Cellulose pumps in as one seamless blanket with no gaps and no joins, where batts have to be cut to fit every bay and always leave gaps, and even small gaps cut the real-world performance well below the rating on the bag. Cellulose also covers over the joists, gets into the corners a batt can't reach, and is borate-treated. I still fit polyester and fibreglass batts for people who want them. But cellulose is the only product I'd put in my own mum's ceiling.
Do you have to remove my old insulation first?+
Not always. If the old insulation is dry and clean, we can often top over it with cellulose to bring it up to the R-value you want. If it's rodent-soiled, water-damaged or broken down, it's better to vacuum it out first. We offer ceiling vacuum and insulation removal as well. I'll tell you which way is the better value for your roof when I quote.
Will cellulose settle or sag over time in my ceiling?+
Cellulose is installed to a specified density so it holds its thickness. The settling stories you hear about almost always come from jobs that were under-filled to save product, not from cellulose that's been pumped to the right density. In the 6,000-odd cellulose roofs I've done, I've never had to pull ours out because it settled; the only time I remove cellulose is when someone's replacing their ceilings. It also comes with our transferable Life-of-House Guarantee.
Do I need to be home on the day, and how long does it take?+
A typical ceiling takes a few hours. You don't have to be home. Plenty of customers leave us to it and pay on completion. If you are home, you'll barely know we're there: the rig stays in the truck and we work from the roof space. We'll just need access to your driveway, two power points on one circuit, and your downlights and exhaust fans pointed out if any are in tricky spots.
Still not sure what R-value you need in QLD? Read the climate-zone guide →
Watch it being done
Brisbane ceiling jobs, filmed on the day we did them.
Real jobs, real customers, no actors. These are pulled straight from our YouTube channel — 600+ videos of actual work.
Book the blanket, not the bays — and the roof photos are yours to keep.
Get a ceiling insulation quote today by filling in our simple online form and receive a detailed quote within 48 hours for most houses. Cellulose, polyester or fibreglass. I’ll give you a straight price and a straight answer. Servicing Brisbane & SE QLD.
Peter Johnson
Owner / installer · Comfort Zone Insulation Team® · Since 1986
In the trade and want to install it yourself? We make cellulose in Tiaro and run exclusive territories, franchise with the family.