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Housing - Renovation: Insulating Single Skin Brick Walls

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    Hi Everyone

    I moved into my new house last night, and hey presto we had the coldest night of the year.

    Well, apart from the radiator in my room not working we survived.

    Anyway, a portion of the ground floor is only single skin brick, what would you suggest for insulating the walls?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeFeb 18th 2008
     
    External insulation
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      CommentAuthornigel
    • CommentTimeFeb 18th 2008
     
    External insulation is the best solution as Tony says otherwise you will need to use something like Kooltherm 70mm thick including the plasterboard which will get you a reasonable u value.
  4.  
    Property is rendered esxternally, would it not be easier just to fit internal insulated dry lining board?

    http://www.insulation.kingspan.com/uk/k17.htm
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeFeb 18th 2008
     
    It might be easier but it is not as good.
  6.  
    If it is rendered on the outside, that's all the more reason to insulate externally: no attractive masonry to cover.

    Seriously, if the roof overhangs all the way around and it's an individual detached house, then really there's no doubt that externally is the way to go.
  7.  
    Is it generally better to insulate over the render or knock it off and attach the insulation directly to the brickwork?

    Also, it would be ideal to take the insulation right down to the top of footings to reduce cold bridging, right? If so, where do you finish the render (i.e. can you right down to the ground) and if there is a gap between the render and the ground how do you finish this off (I'm assuming most people don't want to see a 150mm strip of insulation)?
    • CommentAuthorcaliwag
    • CommentTimeFeb 18th 2008
     
    This is not coming over as a very useful solution...there are lots of problems with external insulation, nice on paper though it may be, not least dealing with the openings.
    If you are prepared to remodel the windows (to say nothing of eaves and ground level) then external may well be right. But we then get into the issue of how the house is used. If eveyone gets up at 7.30 and is out by 9.00, external is not much good for comfort...and after all insulation is for comfort...OK we might save on bills, and we might not, but comfort should be top of the list ISTM.
    So, if you want quick heat up, say from underfloor (above slab) or rads., then you want internal wall insulation. If someone or two or three are at home all the time, then slow heat up and steady temp is fine, so external insulation (with the right opening, ground and eaves detailing is fine)
    As most people have no idea about ventilation heat-loss control...viz the lack of draught lobbies, even in the self-build mags, I fear we are all wasting our advice...but we have to start somewhere!
  9.  
    Lots of problems with internal insulation also. Positioning of the sockets and light switches have to altered, skirting and archs have to be taken off and re-fitted, replastering to do etc. Let's face it, insulating solid walls, whether internally or externally, is only a job that you are going to undertake if you need to do a major refurb anyway. To me, that means the houses to buy are the ones that need gutting and you can get cheap (or a plot).
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeFeb 18th 2008
     
    Internal insulation leaves the walls colder and more prone to decay and getting damp.
  11.  
    I'm going to go down the EWI route for my mother's house renovation.

    What is the best finish internally in the interim? Current finish is tile which is not coming off even with the breaker.

    I was thinking baton and board till the EWI is done?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeNov 25th 2017
     
    Foamed on plasterboard would be my choice
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeNov 27th 2017
     
    Posted By: caliwagIf eveyone gets up at 7.30 and is out by 9.00, external is not much good for comfort...and after all insulation is for comfort...OK we might save on bills, and we might not, but comfort should be top of the list ISTM.
    So, if you want quick heat up, say from underfloor (above slab) or rads., then you want internal wall insulation. If someone or two or three are at home all the time, then slow heat up and steady temp is fine, so external insulation (with the right opening, ground and eaves detailing is fine)
    Don't think that's right. The great benefit of external insulation (from now on calling it EWI) is that, once you've decided to do it, it's easy and safe to do it thick enough (unlike IWI - internal wall insulation) that the house needs little if any heating input. So there's little or no issue of warming it up in the morning - it stays warm 24/7.
    • CommentAuthordelprado
    • CommentTimeNov 27th 2017
     
    i have some areas single skin, where i didnt want to render the outside, in my case chimney breast, so you can add something like a 40mm pavatex wood fibre board which can be directly rendered. By avoiding our insulating, generally keeping the u value at 0.5 or above, all the risks of interstitial consendation are effectively gone with internal insulation
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      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeNov 28th 2017
     
    Posted By: delpradoBy avoiding our insulating, generally keeping the u value at 0.5 or above, all the risks of interstitial consendation are effectively gone with internal insulation

    But so is any risk of even complying with the law, without invoking exemptions, let alone any hope of creating a low energy home.

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