Big Insulation job *updated with pics*

[holmesy02]

Hello

I am about to embark on a pretty major job just wondered if you could shed any experience.....
To take things from the start we moved into a dormer style chalet house. In the winter we noticed that the rooms upstairs were very cold and in the summer baking hot. We can also hear a lot of ambient noise outside even though windows are shut etc. the heating was very poor aswell with the upstairs being on a single pipe system and downstairs hanging off this on a 2 pipe system. We have just had all this rectified and a new combi boiler installed etc.
I had an old aerial socket on one of the rooms upstairs off the wall to look into the cavity of the dormer wool and there is literally no insulltion in there. there is also a big draft. i can also see into the dormer flat room through a little gap in the loft and again no insullation.
my first question is, is this normal for a house that was built in the 60's?
the second question would be is there any type of insualltion on the soutside of the walls / ceiling?
What i plan to do is rip the inside of the dormer walls off and shove in 60mm of celotex insullation. i would go more, but this is all that will fit. I also plan to rip down the internal ceilings and install 100mm in between the joists. i plan to friction fit it and seal it all with tape expandable foam etc......i then plant to re plasterboard and get a plasterer in to skim the ceilings and walls

is there anything i need to take into consideration when i do this? I am just a basic DIY'er so this is pretty massive for me to do.....

Thanks in advance

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

All sounds pretty good, obviously make sure there is adequate ventilation retained following the works. 50mm beneath the felt if fitted. 25mm if none fitted. If you have felt under the tiles then ventilation from eaves all the way up under the tiles to several tile vents each side near the ridge or a continuous ridge vent.

If it were possible you could put a continuous layer of say 25mm between the dormer studs/rafters and the plasterboard, just need longer screws and a bit more patience when fitting.

 

[holmesy02]

thanks for a quick reply.....
the ventilation problem confuses me
the roof rafters run from the loft to the outside of my house. i was going to insulate the rafters with 100mm, i think this WILL leave a gap between the flat roof and insualtion is that OK?
in regards to the walls i was going to shove 60mm as thats all i could fit in. this does mean though that the insyalltion would be snug between the interbal plasterbaord and the outside wall? Can i not do this?

Thanks

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Ideally you want ventilation above the insulation in the flat roof not just an air gap. If you cannot achieve ventilation I would suggest you push your insulation up tight against the underside of the boards that form the dormer flat roof so you have no gap at all. Its not ideal but better to have no gap at all than an unventilated gap.

I was suggesting you shove your 60mm between the studs and then have an additional continuous layer of 25mm between the studs and the plasterboard.

 

[holmesy02]

OK i got ya, thanks
i am not sure i will go for the additional 25mm if i can help it as it eat into my space. the rooms are not all that big at at the moment

i am hoping that by doing this work it will make a difference? do you think it will?
put it this way, at the moment the heating never switches off as it never hits the temp. i presume i am ****ing lots of heat at the moment

thanks again

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

i am hoping that by doing this work it will make a difference?

A substantial difference!

 

[holmesy02]

Hello

Just thought i would keep a log of my progress, just incase people can shed any advice, or people are thinking of doing the same as me, it might help.......

As you can see i have started in my 'box' room as a test. its working out OK. Problems are at the moment that the plasterboard walls and ceiling appear to go behind and above the stud wall on the left, meaning i need to attach both rooms at once really

anyways, take a look and gimme your thoughts.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/holmesy82/