Your thoughts on wall insulation

[wossie6]

Im thinking about getting my 100 year old terraced house cavity wall insulated,but as i have a bad problem with condensation,is this going to exagerate the problem?

What should i be looking for as to regards my neighbours property,is the insulation just going to fill my cavity along with my neighbours and the next house up and so on?

I have a damp wall but im not sure if its down to rising damp,have had damp proofing done along with a 25 year insurance backed garantee (long story short replaster blown,had damp company back,tested wall,yes there uis damp,we will lend you a dehumidifyer,already got one running 24/7,cant be arsed as damp proofing is a rip off)Will insulating this part of wall help?

 

[masona]

Im thinking about getting my 100 year old terraced house cavity wall insulated,but as i have a bad problem with condensation,is this going to exagerate the problem?

Yes! condensation problem is lack of ventilation

Try and improve the ventilation first as it's the cheapest way of finding out.

 

[wossie6]

theres not a lot i can do to reduce condensation,get it bad in winter,cant leave windows open over nite in winter,with young kids. got a dehumidifyer and even now its sucking about a litre every 2 days.but i think it maybe the roof as it has a few holes.

 

[TexMex]

Are you sure you have a cavity? If it's a 100 year old property, it's quite possibly solid wall construction.

 

[wossie6]

yeah got cavity,just going off date,i got from building survey

 

[constructionbuyer]

Have you thought about a whole house ventilation system? The likes of Greenwood, Nu-Aire & Passivent are companies that will supply them. They are likely to become compulsory in some form in new dwellings next year.

They work by ventilating via a duct in the ceiling - each system is different, but the cheapest is probably around £250-£300.

 

[Giblets46]

Hey there, I have had this done, managed to get money off from the local council, noticed effects straight off, house is less cold generally, walls, warmer to touch,a nd whenthe heating coems on, it warms up quicker, gets hotter,a nd stays warmer longer, only problem is now I have to get thermostats everywhere to keep the temp down!

 

[wossie6]

constructionbuyer Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 3:42 pm Post Subject:

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Have you thought about a whole house ventilation system? The likes of Greenwood, Nu-Aire & Passivent are companies that will supply them. They are likely to become compulsory in some form in new dwellings next year.

They work by ventilating via a duct in the ceiling - each system is different, but the cheapest is probably around £250-£300.

i had this before in a council flat and i found it cold,also i am going to board the attic out so i dont want this in the fllor /ceiling.

 

[oilman]

theres not a lot i can do to reduce condensation,get it bad in winter,cant leave windows open over nite in winter,with young kids. got a dehumidifyer and even now its sucking about a litre every 2 days.but i think it maybe the roof as it has a few holes.

Well first you can think about health. You will be more sick living in warm damp than you will living in cold dry, so will your children. How old are they? How do you think people live or lived who didn't have cavity wall insulation? I too would be VERY surprised if you had cavity walls unless you also had very thick walls.

Dehumidifiers are a joke. Chuck it away. It extracts a litre every 2 days. You will produce this in a few hours unless you stop breathing, and so will everyone else in the house.

Do you have nicely sealed windows and doors so you don't get draughts?

 

[wossie6]

Well first you can think about health. You will be more sick living in warm damp than you will living in cold dry, so will your children. How old are they? How do you think people live or lived who didn't have cavity wall insulation? I too would be VERY surprised if you had cavity walls unless you also had very thick walls.

Dehumidifiers are a joke. Chuck it away. It extracts a litre every 2 days. You will produce this in a few hours unless you stop breathing, and so will everyone else in the house.

Do you have nicely sealed windows and doors so you don't get draughts?

yes i do have upvc windows and doors and so do other houses along the terrace,but my house is the only one with dripping windows and mold on my newly decorated walls right next to the frames.

the house does have cavitiy walls i cleaned out the cavity at the rear a year or so ago.

 

[oilman]

yes i do have upvc windows and doors and so do other houses along the terrace,but my house is the only one with dripping windows and mold on my newly decorated walls right next to the frames.

Then you need more ventilation. Doesn't matter about other houses, yours is wet so until you identify the problem VENTILATE!! That mould is genuinely dangerous stuff, and given the right circumstances can have a bad effect on peoples health.

Cavity wall insulation is something that can save you heat, but if you haven't ventilated, the problem will still be there.

 

[dg123]

Sorry to jump in on this thread but I was going to ask a similar question re wall insulation. I do not have the same problem with damp as wossie6 so is wall insulation good or bad?

What are the pros and cons?

 

[oilman]

Start a new thread. Hyjacking someone elses just causes confusion. You could also try doing some of your own research on the web.

 

[wossie6]

question for oilman

would fitting trickle vents into the windows be enough.or would re placing rads to under the windows help as rads are on opposite sides to the windows,been there ever since i bought house.

 

[oilman]

I would take take the seals out of the windows, that way you get distributed ventilation. I agree the rads are in a stupid place, they just engourage the air to go in a circle across the room, whereas if they are under the window the air mixes better.

Don't think removing the window seals is daft, the building regs are such now that to comply with one part will mean you contravene another part, particularly vntilation vs energy efficiency, and architects are tearing their hair out because they can't get both right.