Cavity wall insulation: foam -V- beads

shamwari

I'm considering cavity wall insulation and have tried researching the various options and potential risks. My home is a conventional 3-bed semi with a converted attic (attic only is Kingspan insulated) and the house is of cavity block construction. It was built in 1997.

There seems to be pro's and cons with both foam and bead insulations. My biggest worry is either system causing us problems with damp, which is something we don't have currently. Apart from heat loss, we do seem to have problems with drafts under skirting boards and the likes.

My neighbour has been quoted €1500 to have his house insulated with foam. As his attic is converted, they have to drill and pump his walls all the way up the gable. Even though my attic is already insulated, should I get mine done like this or is it a waste on money?

Also, some of the foams used may contain formaldehyde. Is this something to be concerned with as my understanding is that this chemical is lethal :eek:

Any further advice or opinions would be appreciated.

sydthebeat

shamwari wrote: »

I'm considering cavity wall insulation and have tried researching the various options and potential risks. My home is a conventional 3-bed semi with a converted attic (attic only is Kingspan insulated) and the house is of cavity block construction. It was built in 1997.

There seems to be pro's and cons with both foam and bead insulations. My biggest worry is either system causing us problems with damp, which is something we don't have currently. Apart from heat loss, we do seem to have problems with drafts under skirting boards and the likes.

My neighbour has been quoted €1500 to have his house insulated with foam. As his attic is converted, they have to drill and pump his walls all the way up the gable. Even though my attic is already insulated, should I get mine done like this or is it a waste on money?

Also, some of the foams used may contain formaldehyde. Is this something to be concerned with as my understanding is that this chemical is lethal :eek:

Any further advice or opinions would be appreciated.

There is NO foam product on the market certified for use in a cavity wall.
DO NOT use this product.

http://www.constructireland.ie/vb/showthread.php?t=1004

see posts 5 and 6 in this thread....
you are getting it straight from the horses mouth, so to speak...

shamwari

sydthebeat wrote: »

There is NO foam product on the market certified for use in a cavity wall.
DO NOT use this product.

http://www.constructireland.ie/vb/showthread.php?t=1004

see posts 5 and 6 in this thread....
you are getting it straight from the horses mouth, so to speak...

Sydthebeat, the discussion in the link above seems to refer to a specific product (Icynene) rather than foam products for cavitys in general.

Seperate enquiries I've made elsewhere also indicate that foam is being used by several apparently reputable agencies, for example (and I'm not plugging this group, http://www.premierinsulations.com/HollowBlockInsulation.htm)

sydthebeat

shamwari wrote: »

Sydthebeat, the discussion in the link above seems to refer to a specific product (Icynene) rather than foam products for cavitys in general.

Seperate enquiries I've made elsewhere also indicate that foam is being used by several apparently reputable agencies, for example (and I'm not plugging this group, http://www.premierinsulations.com/HollowBlockInsulation.htm)

Icynene is the only foam based product on the market with IAB certification.
http://www.nsai.ie/NSAI/files/8a/8aba7f43-cf8d-4d6c-a668-2e94196defd1.pdf
They are the current market leaders in this field. (Im not in any way connected!) They themselves attest to teh fact that there is no faom based product certified for us ein a cavity wall in ireland.

The site you have linked to is all very pretty but valueless in my opinion.

I find it very, very worrying and disingenuous that, on their 'certs' page for foam insulation they link to a 1992 British standard document. This most certainly IS NOT a certification. In the absence of anything else, this proves there is no certification.

If you want to take the risk using this product its up to you, its your money. But personally i would demand independent accrediated certification to prove that the product does what they say it does, and more importantly, that there is no health risks in using it. Otherwise its caveat emptor.

shamwari

Any views on Polystyrene beads?

sydthebeat

no problems....

To pump insulation into a cavity you basically have two choices

mineral wool or polystyrene beads

Polystyrene beads come in two choices, standard and platinum. The platinum is a better product as it has a higher thermal resistance.

so of choices of mineral wool, standard polystyrene or platinum polystyrene, i would choose the platinum polystyrene as its the best product.

shamwari

sydthebeat wrote: »

no problems....

To pump insulation into a cavity you basically have two choices

mineral wool or polystyrene beads

Polystyrene beads come in two choices, standard and platinum. The platinum is a better product as it has a higher thermal resistance.

so of choices of mineral wool, standard polystyrene or platinum polystyrene, i would choose the platinum polystyrene as its the best product.

Any ideas as to cost of platinum polystyrene based on my house as described above. Foam job was priced at €1500, but am deciding against it based on your advice

frag4

Around 750-1000 euro for a 44m squared semi-d
There is a grant avaible www.sei.ie