Should insulation not be between the plasterboard and wall?

gebbel

I am dealing with the consequences of water damage to plasterboard. While ripping the affected wall down, I was pretty shocked to find no insulation between the wall and the plasterboard.

The apartment was built in 2005, so is it fair to assume another Celtic tiger build, thrown together with no regard for the regulations?

Cheers

DOCARCH

Nothing would surprise me! :rolleyes:

Do you know in general the wall construction? Is there/could there be insulation in the wall, i.e. cavity wall construction?

gebbel

DOCARCH wrote: »

Nothing would surprise me! :rolleyes:

Do you know in general the wall construction? Is there/could there be insulation in the wall, i.e. cavity wall construction?

I haven't a clue to be honest. The room never struck me as being particularly cold in the winter, but then again there is a duplex above me which probably helps.

Should I get the carpenter to insulate between?

DOCARCH

Looking closely at the picture, is there brick outside? If so, I would suspect cavity wall construction with insulation between the brick and the block (that you can see inside).

sydthebeat

the jamb doesn't look as though its thermally broken...

the 215 block on flat inner leaf probably means its 3 storey block.. the brick on the outside shows it cavity.

i have seen cases where there is insulation between the inner leaf and outer leaf and they put a thin strip of sand and cement down it as a key for plasterwork.. but as yours is internal plasterboard, id be very confident of saying there is no thermal break between the inner and outer leaf.

although its bad construction, its not surprising.

gebbel

DOCARCH wrote: »

Looking closely at the picture, is there brick outside? If so, I would suspect cavity wall construction with insulation between the brick and the block (that you can see inside).

Yes there is external brick alright.

gebbel

sydthebeat wrote: »

the jamb doesn't look as though its thermally broken...

the 215 block on flat inner leaf probably means its 3 storey block.. the brick on the outside shows it cavity.

i have seen cases where there is insulation between the inner leaf and outer leaf and they put a thin strip of sand and cement down it as a key for plasterwork.. but as yours is internal plasterboard, id be very confident of saying there is no thermal break between the inner and outer leaf.

although its bad construction, its not surprising.

Yes it is a 3 storey block, duplex above my ground floor apartment. I'm assuming therefore I should factor in proper insulation to the overall repair cost?

sydthebeat

gebbel wrote: »

Yes it is a 3 storey block, duplex above my ground floor apartment. I'm assuming therefore I should factor in proper insulation to the overall repair cost?

i assume the problem is at one window jamb?

if so it would be a waste of time to carry out anything too invasive. one window jamb isnt going to make much difference to the overall energy efficiency of the apartment.

use a 32.5mm insulated slab if the window openings allow.

gebbel

sydthebeat wrote: »

i assume the problem is at one window jamb?

if so it would be a waste of time to carry out anything too invasive. one window jamb isnt going to make much difference to the overall energy efficiency of the apartment.

use a 32.5mm insulated slab if the window openings allow.

The problem includes the other jamb and top as well, in other words the whole surround and possibly a little more
with it.

gebbel

Photo of the other side. Paint discolouration indicates damaged plasterboard.

sydthebeat

gebbel wrote: »

Photo of the other side. Paint discolouration indicates damaged plasterboard.

oh what a mess

have you had your insurance company assess it?

is that window on the "cold side" of the house?

gebbel

sydthebeat wrote: »

oh what a mess

have you had your insurance company assess it?

is that window on the "cold side" of the house?

If as I take it that 'cold side' means north facing, then yes.

Upstairs duplex had a leak in their kitchen, which is above my damaged room. It must have been leaking for a good while.

I've informed the management company and in the meantime I'm assessing my options. There is an excess on the block policy of €500 so I'm unlikely to get out of this without paying at least that.

sydthebeat

gebbel wrote: »

If as I take it that 'cold side' means north facing, then yes.

Upstairs duplex had a leak in their kitchen, which is above my damaged room. It must have been leaking for a good while.

I've informed the management company and in the meantime I'm assessing my options. There is an excess on the block policy of €500 so I'm unlikely to get out of this without paying at least that.

seeing as theres extra space available due to the size of the daubs, personally i would install the thickest insulated plasterboard i can get away with without affecting the openings, assuming they open in.

gebbel

The window opens outwards. I will pass your suggestion onto whoever I get to fix this mess.

Cheers.

Mobuse

I'm trying to understand this

There is a cavity wall, and also an inner leaf of plasterboard
Is there insulation between the cavity, or is it possible to tell without drilling a hole in the wall to check ?

Is the only problem with the construction with the jamb in that it creates a thermal bridge to the outside ? Would I be correct in saying that the vast majority of existing housing would have the exact same problem ?

As regards building regulations, is it likely that they weren't met ? Would the builders have broken the law here ?

Are building regulations frequently not met by builders ?

How are the building regulations enforced, does someone from some government department make site trips during the build ?

Gumbo

Mobuse wrote: »

How are the building regulations enforced, does someone from some government department make site trips during the build ?

The builder or developer or home owner employs a professional (architect/engineer) to over see the build and ensure it is built in accordance with building and planning regulations.

The original builder of this unit would have received certificates of compliance from somebody, so that somebody issued these certs at some stage.

topcatcbr

kceire wrote: »

The builder or developer or home owner employs a professional (architect/engineer) to over see the build and ensure it is built in accordance with building and planning regulations.

The original builder of this unit would have received certificates of compliance from somebody, so that somebody issued these certs at some stage.

The problem is that the certifier is employed by the developer. I know they should act impartially but there is a massive conflict of interest. I had a case where a house was being sold and the purchaser employed an engineer to do a survey and found many faults with the home and non compliance with building regulations (not uncommon). The same engineer was the certifier for the housing estate saying they were in compliance when they were being built.