Safe-R installer network
Insulation Installers on the West Coast
Safe-R blown loosefill insulation is supplied and installed across the West Coast by Canterbury Insulation, part of the Safe-R installer network. They cover the Buller, Grey and Westland districts.
Your local installer
Who installs Safe-R insulation on the West Coast
Canterbury Insulation are retrofit insulation specialists and have been fitting blown loosefill across the South Island for more than 20 years. They fit the full Safe-R range, from wall insulation in older timber homes through to new builds.
Insulating on the West Coast
Why insulation performs differently on the West Coast
The West Coast is the wettest region in the country. NIWA puts rainfall at low elevation coastal sites at 2,000 to 3,000 mm a year, many times what falls on the Canterbury side of the Southern Alps, and the same westerly airflow that delivers it keeps lowland temperatures mild. Freezing days and days above 25 degrees are both uncommon here.
That changes what insulation is for on this coast. The problem is not a hard frost, it is a long, damp, low-grade cold that a house never quite shakes off, and an uninsulated wall cavity or subfloor bleeds heat into it right through the cooler half of the year. Blown loosefill fills the cavity evenly and gets into the awkward places batts leave open, which is where most of the heat actually goes.
The West Coast sits in H1 climate zone 4. Buller, Grey and Westland districts are all zone 4, a different zone from Canterbury on the other side of the Southern Alps, which is zone 5. Zone 4 is the one a designer or an installer works to here, and it is worth checking on any quote that was priced against Canterbury figures.
Zones are set by territorial authority in H1/AS1 sixth edition, Table C.1.1.2, in force from 27 November 2025. That edition also removed the schedule method, so required R-values now come from the calculation method rather than a fixed table. Read the R-value guide or use the insulation calculators to work out what your build needs.
The West Coast is in Healthy Homes zone 3, along with the rest of the South Island. Every rental property must meet these minimums above and below all living spaces.
Walls are not covered by the standard, and in an uninsulated older timber home they are where most heat is lost. Underfloor is worth more here than in most of the country, because a suspended timber floor over damp ground loses heat right through the year. See retrofit wall insulation.
Get an insulation quote on the West Coast
Your enquiry goes to Safe-R and straight on to Canterbury Insulation, the installer for your area. Safe-R supplies blown loosefill insulation only, not batts, foil or spray foam.
Not on the West Coast?
Safe-R blown insulation is installed nationwide through our network of local insulation companies. Find the installer for your region, or call us on 0800 267 992.