Solid block wall insulation

Donie75

Hi,
I'm currently renovating an old 1950's house and getting a fair bit of work done. The house had a 2 storey extension added about 20 years ago and this is a 4 inch cavity wall. I thought the original part of the house was cavity wall also and I thought it had a 2 to 3 inch cavity. My plan was to get the whole thing pumped. Today the builder was cutting a new door opening and he discovered that the walls of the original house are solid concrete block walls. The blocks are laid on the flat. I was very surprised to see this.
I'm now looking at getting the front and rear walls of the original house drylined and then I'll get the walls of the extension pumped.
Will I still be able to get a grant for pumping the cavity in the extension and drylining the original house?
Will my builder be able to dryline it or do I have to get a specialist contractor?

djlinehan

Instead of dry lining try using insulated slabs..
any plasterer will install and it will insulate and moisture proof the wall.

justflow1983

If the house doesn't have a listed facade or something, you could also look at insulating the older part externally. That way you don't have any cold bridges where internal walls meet externally and less chances of moisture building up within the wall assembly.

beyondpassive

djlinehan wrote: »

Instead of dry lining try using insulated slabs..
any plasterer will install and it will insulate and moisture proof the wall.

Composite insulation boards are a short term solution and will lead to mould behind the board. Also the board is comprimised where the floor joists meet the wall. External insulation is your best bet, alternatively you could dryline using natural hydroscopic materials such as hemp or wood fibre and a vapour control layer. You need to pay attention to detail to remove any cold bridges which will not only leak heat but will lead to condensation risk and mould.