Best Way to Insulate a House With No Cavity

1. Abode
2. Energy Efficient Upgrades for Existing Houses
3. Insulating an Old House

Insulating an Erstwhile House - The Right Way.

So What do I Mean When I Talk Near Insulating an One-time House?

I know this is probably pretty self explanatory but deport with me. The 3 main areas to consider when insulating in an old or an existing house are:

• The walls - either solid construction or cavity structure.
• The loft - either an open up roof void or a room in roof construction.
• The ground flooring - either suspended timber or solid floor construction.

In that location are potential pitfalls for each and some in my opinion, may not be worth the hassle depending on the house, construction blazon, exposure and whether or not you'r prepared to commence on a major renovation of the property.

For instance a house with solid ground floors will non exist piece of cake to insulate every bit you'll accept to dig upwardly the floors, breach whatever clammy proof membrane that may (or may non) be present and then relay them forming a good seal between the new clammy proof membrane in the floor and the damp proof course in the walls (which will exist difficult and quite expensive).

Also room in roof construction, where you have a room in the loft area volition make it much more difficult to access the areas where y'all need to install the insulation. Then unless yous're about to renovate this area anyway then information technology might exist improve to expect until you are.

What do You Need to Know Before Insulating an Sometime Business firm?

• The pros and cons of the insulation material you're using.
• The correct way to install it.
• The additional materials y'all'll need to ensure the insulation performs as it should, such equally vapour barriers, vapour command layers, air tightness sheets and sealing tapes etc.

What Will Insulating an Old House Actually Achieve?

Provided it's carried our correctly:

• It will improve the free energy efficiency of the property.
• Reduce your heating bills.
• It volition allow your dwelling house to agree onto its heat longer.
• You'll make it more comfortable to live in.
• Reduce your carbon footprint.
• You'll improve its EPC score and, hopefully, increase its value.
• It'southward commonly pretty easy to practise (go on reading to come across why I say usually!)
• Reduce the chance of condensation forming on walls and ceilings and therefore reduce the chances of black mould forming.

Is Insulating an Onetime House Like shooting fish in a barrel?

Unfortunately in that location'southward no straight forward answer to this question equally it'll depend on the structure blazon of your business firm;

Cavity walls - normally they're like shooting fish in a barrel to insulate by getting an insulation company in (it's not a DIY task), simply sometimes it can be better not to do information technology!

Solid walls - more difficult to insulate and can be quite expensive, only tin can certainly be done. At that place are two types of solid wall insulation; internal insulation (cheaper option) and external insulation (more than expensive only better performing).

Open up loft surface area - relatively easy to insulate and fairly cheap to do. But there are some things you'll need to be enlightened of.

Room in roof construction  - This is where you have a habitable room within the roof area and limited admission to the underside of the roof. This type is much more difficult to insulate without spending a lot of money and major upheaval, unless y'all're nearly to renovate the area anyhow.

Solid ground floor - very difficult to insulate, but not impossible (information technology will be expensive and disruptive).

Suspended timber ground flooring - relatively easy to do but if you do information technology wrong you lot could cause as many problems equally you gear up.

When Insulating an One-time House, Is Insulation on it's Own Enough?

Short answer is… No!

Traditionally if you wanted to insulate your underfloor or loft you just laid out some fibreglass wool (or equivalent) and that was information technology, chore done! Old houses tend to be a lot more draughty than newer properties and even if you exercise the best job ever when insulating your one-time home in the traditional fashion and ensure there are no gaps, if at that place are draughts in the area (and there volition be draughts, they are a Building Command requirement in lofts and subfloor areas especially when increasing insulation) then the insulation won't do very much.

At this indicate information technology would be a good idea to empathize the difference between controlled and uncontrolled ventilation. But I don't want to get distracted at this stage, so if you're not sure what they are follow the link and so come back to finish this page.

Issues With Uninsulated Old Houses:

The about common bug I come across in old houses belonging to clients is condensation and mould. These are often direct linked to uncontrolled ventilation (draughts) and insulation, or the lack of insulation, in the property (albeit there are other factors in play besides such every bit relative humidity, air pressure and sometimes damp walls (accept a await at my article on Condensation for more data).

But suffice to say, if you lot tin can insulate and make the holding as airtight equally possible (in addition to providing controlled ventilation), you'll increase the surface temperature of the main external walls, floors and ceilings you'll reduce the risk of condensation occurring and therefore reduce the take chances of black mould forming and make it more comfortable and cheaper to heat effectively.

Disadvantages of Insulating an Erstwhile Business firm:

• Retrofit cavity wall insulation will increase the chances of penetrating damp bridging the cavity. But there are certain products that in my opinion are better than others when it comes to installing cavity insulation to an existing house.
• Installing insulation in the loft expanse volition reduce the amount of storage space every bit stored items shrink the insulation. Unless y'all use stilts etc. to raise a floored area above the level of the insulation so that it doesn't get compacted.
  


• Any insulation installed incorrectly or the incorrect blazon of insulation being used tin can cause expensive problems which volition then demand to be rectified at additional and oftentimes considerable expense.
• Incorrectly fitted insulation tin can cause interstitial condensation to occur inside the insulation which can cause rot in the worst case and reduce the effectiveness of the insulation in the best instance.

Other Articles to Read Before Yous First Insulating an Old House:

• Calculation Underfloor Insulation to Older Properties - if installed incorrectly this can cause rot to floor timbers, but thankfully information technology'southward pretty straightforward to do correctly.
• How to Install Insulation in Your Open Attic - as above this tin crusade bug if done wrong so check out this commodity to see the correct way to do it.
• All-time insulation for houses - this commodity looks at the various insulation materials and how well they compare to each other.
• How insulation works - this on'e pretty self explanatory
• Vapour barriers - these barriers preclude water vapour getting into the insulation.
• Blow in Insulation - explains the basics of retrofit cavity insulation and one type that I think should never exist used in cavities.
• Cavity fill insulation advantages and disadvantages - some reasons why you might want to install cavity insulation and some reasons you might not desire to.
• Sheep's wool insulation - a natural hygroscopic insulation that is great for older properties
• Blueish jean insulation - as it sounds recycled jeans to insulate your home.
• Foam spray insulation - this is a spray form of the rigid sheets that we all see on building sites (the stuff with the foil bankroll). It'due south merely mixed on site and sprayed on. Merely I'm non a huge fan, find out why hither!
• External insulation - typically used on houses with solid external walls but tin be added to cavity walls as well.
• Internal insulation - over again typically used on houses with solid external walls but fitted on the inside of the exterior walls.

In determination, provided you lot use the correct method and the all-time insulation products when insulating an erstwhile business firm there's no reason why you tin can't insulate and draught proof your existing property and at the same time reduce your heating costs and make your dwelling house much more than comfy.

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Source: https://www.eco-home-essentials.co.uk/insulating-an-old-house.html

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