External Insulation Recommended?

Cody

Apologies if this is the wrong forum - maybe you can direct me as can't find more specific...

We are renovating an old house - half of which was built circa 1910, the other half 1970s. The older part has no insulation and the heat leaves as fast as we inulate. The newer part isn't bad and has some inuslation. We plan to reinsulate the attic properly but are also looking at/weighing up internal vs external insulation. We have an outside wall area of about 167sqm and already received a quote of 18700 ex grant. We'd love to get it done but as we're only planing to spend about 70k on whole renovations this is a lot.

The other alternative is to dry-line inside and avail of the 2.5k grant. We would have to replaster a lot of the rooms anyway so this may be an option for the old part of the house at least.

Should we insulate what we can inside while renovating do you think or try to find money for external?
Is external really worth it do you think and was that a good price?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Cody

Sorry - meant to say about old part of house that heat leaves as quickly as we heat it - no inulation on it at all!

kkelliher

There are many pros to external insulation the main ones been you dont loose floor area and also it can be done without interferance to the internal of the property.

The major con is cost. I also think it does not look well if the house is not detached or your neighbours dont also get it done if your attached.

The run of the mill price for this is €100 per m2 plus VAT so I dont think your price is great givin the current market. Just make sure they are approved installers and that their system has the correct certification. There is a grant for this also in the Home energy scheme.

The main suppliers in this market at present are Webber and Sto. Both have websites and you will be able to get a list of their approved installers from their websites.

Carlow52

what is missing in this thread is the expected revised u value depending on whether u go internal versus internal and at what relative cost.

My guess, and it is only a guess, is that 20k outside will perform better than 20k inside, particularly as it will go a long way to making the external fabric airtight.

Internal can be a pain, around windows and doors etc, moving radiators etc


I would also say that now is the time to spend the money on good insulation and not after the restoration is done

Smcgie

I would recommend external insulation as a BER assessor rather than internal. England and Scotland have gone mad using external insulation on all retrofits. It may be expensive at the start but as the poster above mentioned it doesn't interfear with the internal area, less mess and it give the property a total face lift.

Make sure your contractor is certified AND SEI Registered.

Regards,
S.

Cody

Thanks for the replies but one point on the internal - we will already be moving radiators, re-plastering walls etc so a lot of the extra involved in internal we would have to do anyway.

Smcgie

Its entirely your choice but I would still push towards external. Using ' dry-lining'. Internal insulation can lead to more cold bridging, but wrapping the entire house on the external walls with EWB will create a better insulation envelope.

Not trying to plug my own business here but you should consider getting a BER before and after assessment as this will identify the best method for your home, and as your prob partaking in the HE'S grant scheme you will also get 200 of a grant for that too.

Cody

Thanks -we're looking at solar as well as roof insulation etc so as you suggest prob best to get a BER assessor in and take it from there.

Smcgie

No problem... Best of luck going green its honestly good money spent on the cert. You won't regret getting an assessor.

duleekboy

what is average on 1100sq foot semi detached for external insulation

how do they deal with external window cills if the insulation essentially covers them

anybody got links to the products used here?

No6

I asked a few external wall insulation companies this at the energy show, it costs about 100 per m sq of gross wall area, this should allow for cills and reveals etc, but each house is different and so would be subject to individual quotes, pretty expensive.

sas

No6 wrote: »

it costs about 100 per m sq of gross wall area

For what thickness of what insulant?