Insulation

wclarke20

Hi all,
I’m after getting a number of quotes for a build and I was told it includes a 100mm floor insulation, 60mm cavity insulation and 55mm insulated slab. I know there are regs that people refer to for these type of things but I cant seem to find them. Maybe it’s the wrong google search.

Anyway should I be asking to ‘up’ this spec. I’ve read on another thread that I should be looking at 200mm in the floor.

Any thoughts?

YMCA

wclarke20 wrote: »

Hi all,
I’m after getting a number of quotes for a build and I was told it includes a 100mm floor insulation, 60mm cavity insulation and 55mm insulated slab. I know there are regs that people refer to for these type of things but I cant seem to find them. Maybe it’s the wrong google search.

Anyway should I be asking to ‘up’ this spec. I’ve read on another thread that I should be looking at 200mm in the floor.

Any thoughts?

Hi just poured my base recently and put 100mm under the UFH with 50mm against the external walls to retain the heat. I was informed that this was even a bit excessive by the engineer!! However I don't think you can put enough insulation in a house at present.

BryanF

YMCA I'm not sure your compliant with building regs, what is the uvalue of your floor? Why would you listen to an eng regarding insulation, last time I checked they delt with structure?
OP you should not be getting quotes without a set of tender drawings and detailed specification and a provisioal BER
Contact a local architect / arch technician, you will regret it if don't

about2build

OP bryan f is right you will be going around in circles with insulation heating etc until you sit down woth a pro and thrash it out for a very moderate cost....

brdboard

BryanF wrote: »

YMCA I'm not sure your compliant with building regs, what is the uvalue of your floor? Why would you listen to an eng regarding insulation, last time I checked they delt with structure?
OP you should not be getting quotes without a set of tender drawings and detailed specification and a provisioal BER
Contact a local architect / arch technician, you will regret it if don't

I think you'll find that engineers "deal" with a lot more than structure

BryanF

brdboard wrote: »

I think you'll find that engineers "deal" with a lot more than structure

YMCA wrote: »

Hi just poured my base recently and put 100mm under the UFH with 50mm against the external walls to retain the heat. I was informed that this was even a bit excessive by the engineer!!

well maybe this one could with some CPD :rolleyes:

brdboard
(of the top of my head) 100mm floor insulation gives circa .2wm2k the current regs outline that .15w/m2k should be installed with UFH (although perhaps this poster is building to the 08 regs)

what i should have said before my wild statement regarding engineers is - IMHO there is a reason eng's get the construction supervision gig in Ireland - because they appear cheaper than their architect/technician colleagues. and in many cases IMHO that is because they don't give a hoot about the details of design or occupant comfort.

As the energy conservation regs have improved dramatically in recent years, this IMHO is a structurally trained professionals shortfall, highlighted by the posters experience above and tallies with my own experience as an arch tech. apologies if it seems I'm tarring all Engs with the same brush, I'm sure many do keep a breast of the current regs but in my experience many others haven't a clue.

wclarke20,
I stand over my comments above, stop speaking to builders until you have professional representation and tender documents.

ShiverinEskimo

My architect designed with 140mm insulation under UFH and says this is in keeping with an A1 BER target the entire house is aiming for.

sas

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

My architect designed with 140mm insulation under UFH and says this is in keeping with an A1 BER target the entire house is aiming for.

I've 290mm undermine and I'm an A2.

Not quite as simple as your post might suggest.

brdboard

BryanF wrote: »

wclarke20,
I stand over my comments above, stop speaking to builders until you have professional representation and tender documents.

Agreed.

Sweeping statements are dangerous. There are plenty of engineers around the country who are capable of advising on part L. That is the only point I want to make.

Op, get a Deap analysis, or phpp analysise done which will let you know what is insulation is required

ShiverinEskimo

sas wrote: »

I've 290mm undermine and I'm an A2.

Not quite as simple as your post might suggest.

Where exactly did I say it was. Could have 600mm under the floor but if you've a great big hole in your roof it's not going to matter a hell.

Why are people to quick to find fault where no fault exists.

All I'm saying is that my entire house is designed to target an A1 and my architect believes 140mm under the floor is sufficient when coupled with the other materials in the walls, windows and roof to achieve it.

And yes, I know it may not turn out like that but everything has to be designed before it can be built.

sas

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Where exactly did I say it was. Could have 600mm under the floor but if you've a great big hole in your roof it's not going to matter a hell.

Why are people to quick to find fault where no fault exists.

All I'm saying is that my entire house is designed to target an A1 and my architect believes 140mm under the floor is sufficient when coupled with the other materials in the walls, windows and roof to achieve it.

And yes, I know it may not turn out like that but everything has to be designed before it can be built.

My post was purely for the benefit of those that would read yours and make assumptions based on the little info. that was in it. We see threads here all that time where assumptions have been made based on items in isolation.

The average person has no appreciation whatsoever of the fact that the components of a house operate as a system.

Not sure how you reached the conclusion that I was suggesting your home wouldn't be A1. You may have made an assumption based on the limited info. in my post.

ShiverinEskimo

Well that's why I did specify "in keeping with an A1 BER target the entire house is aiming for."

Perhaps more emphasis on 'entire' was required.

fclauson

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

My architect designed with 140mm insulation under UFH and says this is in keeping with an A1 BER target the entire house is aiming for.

interested in your A1 -my build like SAS's will be passive - but might or might not achieve A1 which is bizzar - but thats the wounder of DEAP

1 what renewables are you going to use
2 what is the spread of energy usage across you BER for heat,hot water, pumps & fans lighting, other electrical - because from what I have seen you will need a negative energy in one or more of these catagories to achieve an A1 due to the blanket way DEAP calcls lighting and hot water usage
3 what thermal bridge details are you using (just ACDs or better)
if better who are you going to get them certified by (see others posts around the many pot holes you need to cross to use better than ACDs in your BER certs)

fclauson

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

My architect designed with 140mm insulation under UFH and says this is in keeping with an A1 BER target the entire house is aiming for.

interested - what product are you using for the insulaiton - and what U value have you taken for it

ShiverinEskimo

You'd have to ask my architect. The main details I know about are that it's airtight block build with pumped cavity (150mm I believe) with Kooltherm K17 (or 18 can't remember) drylining. There's an air-tight membrane to go in somewhere. 200mm Foam-lok spray foam insulation in the roof (dormer bungalow), triple glazed windows with insulated frames, MHRV system. Renewables will be solar panels or perhaps air-source heat pump. There will be a gas boiler for heating also. Reason I've not decided on my renewables is because we're waiting on some new solar panel specs or some shít. Should have that decided quite soon.

No point asking me the maths on it because I honestly don't know and aren't nearly well-informed enough to figure it all out. I asked for A1, he said fine but it'll cost you, we worked out our budget and he came up with the above and says it's designed to an A1 spec.

As I said above, if it doesn't work out that's a different story but he specifically recommended putting the extra money it would cost to put >200mm floor insulation into other areas he thinks it would be better spent and would achieve better results.