External insulation on house - question for installers

TonyDub

Hi

I'm looking to switch from Chorus to Sky. Only problem is we had the exterior of the house insulated externally with polystryene and plaster there recently. It's a bungalow in North Dublin.

I rang the builder who did the insulation and he didn't feel holes could be drilled through the polystyrene. He recommended hanging the dish on the chimney and running the cables in under the roof and into the attic.

Spoke to Sky on the phone but they said their engineers weren't covered to go into the attic.

Any suggestions from anyone or anyone with similar experience?

Cheers.

kbell

Go to an independent local installer, check your local paper.

polyfusion

No experience of drilling through that type of insulation, but there is a solution so you don't have to drill any holes.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=97179&C=SO&U=strat15

(shop around though - probably much cheaper on eBay)

They work great. I've been using one for over 2 years with a multi-LNB setup and DiSEqC switch without any significant loss of signal.

I've also heard of people drilling through PVC window frames and even aluminium patio doors, but I wouldn't like to do that to a window, and I'd say the patio door would loose some of its insulation properties as they're often filled with Argon gas for helping with insulation.

Another solution - have you got a gun? http://www.kmbc.com/news/15701029/detail.html

claytonie

I've had a situation where a house had the same exterior polystyrene insulation as you have mentioned, but had no chimney where a dish could be mounted. The best solution and albeit being very permanent is to use express nails with a washer. You drill a hole through the insulation into the masonry behind it and use an express nail to anchor the bracket onto the wall fixing into the actual brickwork not the insulation. These were more than sturdy enough to hold a solid 78cm dish that has had no problem after over a year so should be no problem for a Sky Zone 2 dish if the chimney was out of the question. I must repeat though that it is a permanent fixing and not something you are going to take out very quickly.

Finne1993

It would depend a lot on the depth of the insulation as to whether any fixing would be feasible.
OP do you know the depth of insulation that was used? could be 50, 75 or 100mm, maybe more?
If is only 50mm there are one or 2 handy solutions, any deeper and it would become problematic but not impossible

TonyDub

Thanks for all the replies.

Insulation is 120 mm of polystyrene, with plaster over it, so it's pretty thick!

Think I'll contact a local installer and see about the chimney option, maybe running it in through the attic, or else the window frame solution.

Cheers.

jordank

TonyDub wrote: »

Hi

I'm looking to switch from Chorus to Sky. Only problem is we had the exterior of the house insulated externally with polystryene and plaster there recently. It's a bungalow in North Dublin.

I rang the builder who did the insulation and he didn't feel holes could be drilled through the polystyrene. He recommended hanging the dish on the chimney and running the cables in under the roof and into the attic.

Spoke to Sky on the phone but they said their engineers weren't covered to go into the attic.

Any suggestions from anyone or anyone with similar experience?

Cheers.

thats funny because my sky installer wouldnt go on the chimney but would go into the attic :mad:

Finne1993

TonyDub wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

Insulation is 120 mm of polystyrene, with plaster over it, so it's pretty thick!

Think I'll contact a local installer and see about the chimney option, maybe running it in through the attic, or else the window frame solution.

Cheers.

5 inch insulation on the outside of the wall! no worries with the oil or gas bill there!!
Yes, looks like chimney is the only option really, the express nails would be no good there. Enjoy your sky when you get it.