Apartment Insulation

gibo_ie

Hi all,
Heres what my issue is. I live in an apartment which seems to like pi$$ing out heat. I replaced the storage heaters with some nice Dimplex Duo Heat electric heaters which worked out pretty well. The problem is with the walls and windows. The insulation in the solid eternal leaf is lacking.

I have found that the internal plasterboard layer is "floating" on a metal frame and has about 2-3 inches of air space all around the wall behind it on the external walls. I would like to get this pumped (and maybe the space above the ceiling which is floating also) with some fireproof insulation. We are only one floor up so it shouldn't be a big problem but when i contact the insulation companies they don't seem to get what i mean....

So anyone here know of a company who may help me? Im in Dublin 1.
Also any heat loss imagery which may be done too would be great as we have Rationel double glazed wooden framed windows which might as well be paper!

Any thoughts/comments more than welcome, thanks

gibo_ie

so noone here in insulation looking for some work?

may2001

I am not involved in insulation work nor am I an insulation expert, but I did come across a similar situation recently with an apartment. The wall construction was as follows:

- Plastered 100mm blockwork external leaf
- 100mm cavity with 60mm expanded polystyrene insulation
- 100mm blockwork inner leaf
- 12mm plasterboard on 20mm metal battens at 600mm centres (no insulation)

A gap had been left between the concrete floor and the bottom of the plasterboard. It would seem that the walls had been plaster boarded first and had been extended above the ceiling. The ceiling boards were then fitted. This created air circulation behind the plasterboard. Removing a socket and putting one's fingers into the void showed a real gale there!

Pumped cavity wall firms were asked to submit proposals and the following issues then arose:

1) Pumped bead could not be used as it would attack the PVC cabling in the void and anyway the void was insufficient to allow the beads flow

2) The void was insufficient for pumped rock wool to flow

3) Pumped foam could be used but due to expansion of the foam it could cause damage or bowing to the plasterboard.

4) Difficulties insulating the reveals of external doors and windows

It looked like the pumped foam was the only solution but:

a) The pumped foam was not approved by SEAI

b) There was substantial thermal bridging with the metal battens at 600mm centres, where condensation could still have occurred

c) The solution would not have met SEAI grant requirements and the foam insulation company were quite up front about this.

d) The possibility of substantial damage to the plasterboard.

Another solution discussed was removing the existing plasterboard dry-lining; fixing new 40 to 50mm insulation between the metal battens with 25mm insulation over the metal battens and re-fixing the plasterboard. Obviously, this had huge implications for the apartment occupier and a decision has not yet been made.

gibo_ie

thanks May, this gives me a lot to consider above the obvious that i had thought about.
Cheers,

kkelliher

Best job would be to pull off the plasterboard and replace it with a thermal liner which means you can install a solid insulation barrier on the internal leaf to a thickness that best suits you. Can be done quickly and a room at a time