Anyone with their finger on the pulse please report on dry lining like this?

Easy to see how cold air can flow in behind the window lining (see where blobs were) and on into the void behind the walls of the room, there are some cavity batts built into the cavity walls

The cavity had been closed with return blocks and cut bricks, these have been removed but the construction contained plenty of big holes, gaps and cracks and the bottom and top wewe both open to the cavity and soffit areas

Plasterboard tents spring to mind.

I have no *proof* it is still being done like that today, though I would bet good money it is. I stripped out a 1990s extension which was in effect being super-cooled by staggeringly good (?excessive?) under-floor ventilation coupled to dot-and-dab (oh, and a failure to block the vents to the original rear wall of the house (which became internal). The cavity was not closed at the top, so cold air was being dragged from u/floor and up the cavity wall.

thank god I am building my own house next time, I have come across soo many examples of this kind of work it drove me to want to build properly.

GNL, full perimeter beads and cross-hatched adhesive - or even better, a full bed - would go a long way, but getting rid of all the holes Tony refers to in the 'closing' of the cavity is even more fundamental. 20mm XPS on dabs with air leakage - hardly worth it. I am, at this v moment, stripping off 38mm XPS installed (by me - shame!) 27 years ago in the then 'standard' way - blob and dob and lots of potential air-leakage - and replacing with 100mm Pavadentro installed 'tightly'.

Dot and dash dry lining stil looks exactly like that in many cases Tony - trying to get spreads to understand the concept of perimiter beads and cross hatching when they are on a price per m2, is like herding cats. Gaping holes in the structure and missing insulation is also depressingly common.

Regards

Barney

Posted By: owlmanOr is it still cheaper to turn up the heating.

At about 6-7p/kWh for gas it is cheaper to turn it up.

the answer seems to be yes then anyone see any parge coats going on? how can we find out how much parge coat is being sold/used?

they get air tightness by sealing skirtings to floors and similar cosmetica without having real airtightness and householders pick up the bills.

Parge coats on new blockwork ? - you really are kidding now, Tony

I'd be inclined to say that the very minor improvements between say 1997 and 2007 in terms of understanding air leakage and value of insulation are totally loast - and in most cases the quality (and in many cases design) of building detailing is appalling.

Check out the quntity of BR applications gone in recently - it's not because of a boom,it's because of avoiding even minor regulation updates.

There is a small development of housing going up not far from me - the gable roof windows have clearly been made off site as part of the attic truss package - every one (that's 4 per house) has been plonked on, clad and finished - with obviously no insulation in the cheeks of any kind - and I doubt much under the roof either.

Problem really is the lack of sanctions - I see it every day - ask how a new commercial build can get signed off by approved inspectors with no EPC in place - and I know there is no EPC in place as we are contracted to do it, when the contractor provides air test data and plant efficiencies on selected systems - whicjh I don't have yet

Accountability - it's a nice idea, but currently that book is on the fiction shelf of the library

Regards

Barney