Insulation options

mloc123

We have a 3 bed semi, breeze block with the internal walls dry lined...

What are the insulation options for the external walls, can pumped insulation be used with breeze blocks or would insulated plasterboard work better?

Edit: House was built in 1978... just wondering is it likely to be breeze block or a double 4" cavity

MicktheMan

mloc123 wrote: »

We have a 3 bed semi, breeze block with the internal walls dry lined...

What are the insulation options for the external walls, can pumped insulation be used with breeze blocks or would insulated plasterboard work better?

Your options are:
1. Externally insulate (external wall insulation)
2. Internally insulate (internal drylining)

Pumping the "hole" in breeze blocks has no insulating effect whatsoever!

Option 1 above is by far the best solution. Option 2 risks interstitial condensation and therefore mould growth. I fear that a lot of the internal drylining work being done at the moment will need to be ripped out in 5 to 10 years time (especially in single leaf breeze block houses)!:(

mloc123

Can anyone confirm if a single breeze block was the typical construction in the 70s-80s, I'll have to check in the attic to be sure.

As the internal walls are currentley latted and dry lined with no moisture or damp would redoing this with insulated board or even bonding the insulated board to the current dry line not work out okay?

paddy147

I just found out that my house was built with the shuttering and poured concrete method.

Its soild poured concrete with lots rebar in it.

That would explain why the builder went through so many masonary drill bits when renovating my house.He ended up with a near full bucket full of fecked up masonary drill bits.:eek:

My neighbour showed me old photos of the houses being built up in stages during the mid-late 1950,s.

At least its a solid house,thats one way of looking at it.:)

Misty Midlands

Hi all,
I live in a semi detatched house,built approx 2001.
It is very cold, I have had my loft insulation topped up, it hasn't really made much difference, my house is impossible to heat.
My question is: Would it be a good idea to have external insulation done, there is already cavity insulation in the walls, would this cause any problems, have any of you had it done?
Thank you.

Buford T Justice

Misty Midlands wrote: »

Hi all,
I live in a semi detatched house,built approx 2001.
It is very cold, I have had my loft insulation topped up, it hasn't really made much difference, my house is impossible to heat.
My question is: Would it be a good idea to have external insulation done, there is already cavity insulation in the walls, would this cause any problems, have any of you had it done?
Thank you.

You can do external cladding or internal. External would mean that you'd have to get the render done again, internal insulation and you'd need to get the inside re-decorated, so its up to you really. whichever is more suitable.

paddy147

I had my entire house internally insulated (upstairs and downstairs,even the ceilings,and I have to say that it was and is worth the cost to do it.

My house was built with the shutter and poured concrete/rebar method.Thick walls and a b!tch to drill through,as the builder and electrician found out by the amount of spent masonary bits they went through.:eek:

But the internal insulation option worked a treat for me,I put on the Stovax Stove or just the central heating for an hour or 2,and several hours later on,the house is still like an oven.:D

I lost an average of 3 inches off of each internal wall,but it was still worth it.I didnt really notice the space loss,as my house is mostly all open plan downstairs,but I would recomment the internal insulation to anyone considering it.;)

slimjimmc

Generally external insulation is far superior to internal for a host of reasons,
- external is usually thicker therefore you can get higher U-values without sacrificing floorspace
- external insulation allows the concrete wall retain heat and keep the interior warm
- avoids potential issues relating to interstitial moisture and mould growth on inner insulation.

But it can cost a lot more.

Buford T Justice

paddy147 wrote: »

I had my entire house internally insulated (upstairs and downstairs,even the ceilings,and I have to say that it was and is worth the cost to do it.

My house was built with the shutter and poured concrete/rebar method.Thick walls and a b!tch to drill through,as the builder and electrician found out by the amount of spent masonary bits they went through.:eek:

But the internal insulation option worked a treat for me,I put on the Stovax Stove or just the central heating for an hour or 2,and several hours later on,the house is still like an oven.:D

I lost an average of 3 inches off of each internal wall,but it was still worth it.I didnt really notice the space loss,as my house is mostly all open plan downstairs,but I would recomment the internal insulation to anyone considering it.;)

Was it just the external walls that you had done, or did you get the internal walls done as well?

paddy147

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Was it just the external walls that you had done, or did you get the internal walls done as well?

The "entire" house was insualted,the few internal walls that were left too.Builder also used some sort of special membrane sheet on the walls,and then applied the insulated slabs.

As I said,downstairs is completely open plan.Open plan living area then leading out to a large open plan/kitchen/dining/living area.

All the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs are fully insulated as are both attic spaces/ceilings.

Basicly the entire house was completely gutted back to nothing but a bare shell of a house and redone from the ground up (excuse the pun).

There was lots and lots of insulated plasterboard used,lots of Rockwool slabs,Xtratherm boards and rolls of membrane too.

Buford T Justice

paddy147 wrote: »

The "entire" house was insualted,the few internal walls that were left too.Builder also used some sort of special membrane sheet on the walls,and then applied the insulated slabs.

As I said,downstairs is completely open plan.Open plan living area then leading out to a large open plan/kitchen/dining/living area.

All the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs are fully insulated as are both attic spaces/ceilings.

Basicly the entire house was completely gutted back to nothing but a bare shell of a house and redone from the ground up (excuse the pun).

There was lots and lots of insulated plasterboard used,lots of Rockwool slabs,Xtratherm boards and rolls of membrane too.

So, was a membrane fitted to the walls, and then slabbed over?

Silly question, but what would be the point in insulating the internal walls in the house? Heat loss from one room to another would be negligible I would have thought if you are heating the whole house.

Misty Midlands

Fingers McGee wrote: »

You can do external cladding or internal. External would mean that you'd have to get the render done again, internal insulation and you'd need to get the inside re-decorated, so its up to you really. whichever is more suitable.

Thanks Fingers, I will go that route and have external insulation done in the springtime, my house is very small so internal is unsuitable.
There is no insulation between ground and 1st floor, but external insulation should help all round, I was unsure if it was suitable in a relatively "new"
(9 yr old) house that already has cavity wall insulation, so thanks again.

paddy147

Fingers McGee wrote: »

So, was a membrane fitted to the walls, and then slabbed over?

Silly question, but what would be the point in insulating the internal walls in the house? Heat loss from one room to another would be negligible I would have thought if you are heating the whole house.

The only internal walls are upstairs (bedorrm and bathroom/ensuite walls)

Downstairs is more or less completely open plan.

Half-cocked

Hi, not sure if this was discussed elsewhere, but does anyone have any experience of warmcoat insulating paint? Is it worth painting on my hall stairs and landing as a stop gap solution until I can afford to get the job done properly - probably dry lined. Thanks for any info.

Buford T Justice

Half-cocked wrote: »

Hi, not sure if this was discussed elsewhere, but does anyone have any experience of warmcoat insulating paint? Is it worth painting on my hall stairs and landing as a stop gap solution until I can afford to get the job done properly - probably dry lined. Thanks for any info.

afaik its a waste of money.

paddy147

Fingers McGee wrote: »

afaik its a waste of money.

I heard that too,like all the gimmicks you see on the TV shopping channels for DIY and painting that prommise loads but in reality are complete sh!te.:rolleyes:

Tommy Walshes "paint pad pro" springs to mind here.


Woodies seem to be plugging this thermal warmcoat paint alot with DVDs playing on TV screens explaining how it works.

Buford T Justice

paddy147 wrote: »

I heard that too,like all the gimmicks you see on the TV shopping channels for DIY and painting that prommise loads but in reality are complete sh!te.:rolleyes:

Tommy Walshes "paint pad pro" springs to mind here.


Woodies seem to be plugging this thermal warmcoat paint alot with DVDs playing on TV screens explaining how it works.

You mean they actually say it doesn't work?

imo, anything that gets endorsed by a 'celebrity' and they are at tradeshows or on shopping channels isn't worth it. If it can't sell itself on its own merit, its most likely useless.
The bricky seems like a good idea for example, but if you are blocklaying, it'll be more trouble than its worth, that kind if thing