Home Insulation - Where to start?

FrankN1

My home is currently 3 bed semi with a B3 rating. I'm looking to get some work done to make the house warmer but don't know what's the best place to spend it on.

Is it worth getting thermal imaging done for 400 euro first? We have 100mm in the attic which is a bit damp (the attic is).

Our upstairs is typically warmer than downstairs, with the hall being the coldest area. If I get more attic insulation will this just make the upstairs even warmer while not really combatting the issue with downstairs being colder?

Thanks in advance.

MicktheMan

What you likely would benefit from is what is generally known as a heat loss survey. Amongst other things, this survey tests for air tightness (generally the no1 cause of heatloss in houses) and uses, amongst other methods, thermal imaging equipment. Your ventilation requirements should also be appraised as would your heating system & controls etc.

Biker1

Start with another 250mm of mineral wool on top of what's there. Ensure you don't block the ventilation path at the eaves. Thermal imaging just gives you an indication of possible heat loss areas but this still has to be confirmed by someone who is experienced in house surveys. (Not insulation installers)

FrankN1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118522043#Comment_118522043

Would that keep the downstairs warm or just make the upstairs warmer? The issue is the upstairs is generally comfortably warm as of now so don't need or want to make it too warm.

FrankN1

Just bumping this in case anyone had any ideas!

jmBuildExt

How old is the house?... B3 is high for an old semi-D

Similar situation to myself....Mine is B3 and it has external insulation trip glazing, chimney removed.

Would have to assume you have the walls insulated at b3 - if you dont its an obvious place to start.

We have extension on the kitchen built to modern standards (300mm insulated cavity, insulated slab etc) - but like you I have an issue in that the hall is cold. We have a suspended floor in the main part of the house and there is no insulation or airtight membrane under the flooring. I think that is biggest contributor for me downstairs

Could also look into getting a porch.

And yes as mentioned, your attic could do with topping up.... its not correct to think that insulating the attic will only cause your upstairs to get warmer... "heat rises" is true - but cold air falls so if you have cold air at the point of your ceiling it will affect downstairs too. Insulation on any part of the envelope will affect inside as a whole.

FrankN1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118531194#Comment_118531194

It's 2006 I believe. The previous owner added a large high ceiling kitchen extension but the hallway is still the coldest room.

Could it be the large external wall on the side of that stairs? Or maybe the door but the door isn't that drafty. We have double glazing windows which are ok.

We have tiles in the hallway and kitchen which could be a factor. My main question is which would be the best place to start?

The attic or look directly into how to get the downstairs warmer by maybe getting a thermal imaging report done?

MicktheMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118522269#Comment_118522269

Just adding extra insulation to the attic without a qualitative understanding of how and where the heat is being lost is unlikely to yield the desired result. For instance, adding a thicker wooly hat onto your head is unlikely to keep you warmer if your jacket zipper is bust / cannot be closed and you've wearing shorts! This is the value of the initial investment in the heat loss survey as it pinpoints where the heatloss weaknesses are (takes the guesswork out of it) and helps you to focus on what's important.

iColdFusion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118531420#Comment_118531420

Is there a chance it was occupied before 2006?

If it was you can contact the SEAI for advice about upgrades and available grants, should be some free advice anyway

https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/

If it was me id do:

The attic insulation suggested above and some insulation & sealing around your attic hatch but be aware the more you insulate the attic the less heat gets to your water tank so you might need to insulated this also

Then closely check all the seals & closing locks for windows and doors and get them replaced/realigned if necessary

Then you are onto the big boy stuff such as pumping cavity, external insulation and/or insulated slabs to the inside leaf of all external walls which are all decent costs if you cant avail of grants or know a builder!

monseiur

Before upgrading the attic insulation you should investigate what's causing the dampness in the attic. If this is not rectified it may cause the roof timbers to decay/rot in the long term. Extra vents in soffit and / or roof may be required. Regarding attic insulation in general - a minimium of 300mm is recommended

realjohnone

Have a 1998 semi detached with a B3 rating. I topped up the attic insulation by 200mm and changed the windows on the side of the house to triple glazed since the last BER. Front and rear windows were already changed to triple glazing in 2017 when we built an open plan kitchen extension out back. The hall door is a Palladio double glazed unit, we have no porch. The hallway has always been much colder than the rest of the house and I’d always put that down to the original double glazed windows. This week I decided to investigate further after noticing that the internal hall wall below the stairs was ice cold to the touch. The remote control for the gas fire has a built in thermometer so I left it in the hall for the evening and checked the readings which were 15 deg at floor level and 16 deg at the top of the newel post. The rest of the house was reading at 20-21 deg depending on location. I took off the skirting board between the newel post and toilet door frame and cut out a section of the plasterboard to discover that the outside wall below the stairs was just bare block and that cold air was entering through the gap between the stair and wall. I removed a larger section of plasterboard and a vertical stud in order to gain access then installed two layers of 50mm insulation on the outside wall making sure that the first layer fitted up into the gap between the stairs and the outside wall. I installed another 100mm of insulation board on the back wall of the below stairs toilet and fixed everything into place with expanding foam. The original plasterboard used in the house had a polystyrene foam backing and these sheets were bonded to the walls leaving an air gap of around 10-12mm. I can only assume that cold air was being drawn down from the attic through this air gap and escaping into the void below the stairs. The temperature in the hallway is now a constant 19-20 degrees and there is no longer a draught when the door between the kitchen and hallway is left open.

gigglybits

The best advice I can give you is to get a heat loss survey done. This will tell you where you are losing heat and therefore what you need to address (instead of just guessing and spending money where it might be wasted). A good surveyor will also indicate how you might upgrade your heating etc in relation to the type of house you have. Air to water is not always the answer.

Your attic should not be damp, please look at your attic ventilation.

FrankN1

I think I found a major culprit. Under the stairs we have storage but behind these drawers is just exposed brick wall! It must all be coming from there!?

I'll have to insulate that and plaster it.

realjohnone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118550539#Comment_118550539

You could just insulate and clad with osb instead of plasterboard, I did the whole back wall of my kitchen that way. I’d bet that 99% of the houses built with boxed in staircases have the same problem with cold air accumulation in the void.

FrankN1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118562696#Comment_118562696

Thanks for this. I wonder if this is the culprit anyway as the toilet downstairs is always freezing and it's located under the stairs near this void.