External Wall Insulation

[TheLastMan]

We have a very cold 1906 semi with solid brick walls. I am looking at insulation solutions, particularly for the walls. Not DIY, will get in specialist contractor.

There is a long (12m long by 7m high) flank wall along the side alley in permanent shade. This is in need of repointing and the cost (circa £2,000) is making me consider insulating it externally instead.

Some questions:
1. Roughly how much will this cost?
2. If I insulate, can I avoid the repointing?
3. How thick / thin is a typical installation?
4. The main soil stack is against this wall, with a gap of 3cm. There are also waste water pipes running externally diagonally from the bathroom and kitchen to a couple of drains. Can the insulation system cope with this without needing to shift the stack and pipes?

Any recommendations for systems and contractors gratefully received.

Edit: How about this?

http://www.millfold.co.uk/external_wall.php

 

[eilz]

We have a very cold 1906 semi with solid brick walls. I am looking at insulation solutions, particularly for the walls. Not DIY, will get in specialist contractor.

There is a long (12m long by 7m high) flank wall along the side alley in permanent shade. This is in need of repointing and the cost (circa £2,000) is making me consider insulating it externally instead.

Some questions:
1. Roughly how much will this cost?
2. If I insulate, can I avoid the repointing?
3. How thick / thin is a typical installation?
4. The main soil stack is against this wall, with a gap of 3cm. There are also waste water pipes running externally diagonally from the bathroom and kitchen to a couple of drains. Can the insulation system cope with this without needing to shift the stack and pipes?

Any recommendations for systems and contractors gratefully received.

Edit: How about this?

http://www.millfold.co.uk/external_wall.php[/QUOTE]


Do you ever get this done, as I am also interested and have similar requirement

 

[TheLastMan]

Do you ever get this done, as I am also interested and have similar requirement

Nope. After looking closely at the options, the cosmetic affect on the property would be very negative. It is a neighborhood of large, very attractive Edwardian (1901-1908) semis where everyone tries very hard to retain the original appearance of their houses. Some go to extreme lengths. The refurbishment of one nearby house has put back many of the period features lost to a misguided "modernisation" in the 1960's. It actually featured on one of the daytime property renovation shows.

Slapping external insulation onto the house in this area would lead to my expulsion from the resident's association! - If there was one and if i were a member

We can do a lot by installing double glazing (in traditional wood frames of course) lining and replacing the roof tiles (nice in-period terracotta tiles) and improving the roof / loft insulation generally. Buildings such as this with solid brick walls are not really amenable to wall insulation of any type without substantially altering the appearance. If they ever invent a system which is just, say, 1-2 cm thick that would look no different to plaster rendering then I might try it. But the current systems available are all very thick and would not look good on this house.

 

[eilz]

I agree with what your saying, but was interested in ...

"We can do a lot by installing double glazing (in traditional wood frames... "

How effective is this, and who would do this, most double glazing people want to rip out everything with uPVC instead. Is it possible to install double glazing panels inside the existing frame via DIY methods, as this is the place I get most draft in winter.

Thanks

 

[TheLastMan]

I agree with what your saying, but was interested in ...

"We can do a lot by installing double glazing (in traditional wood frames... "

How effective is this, and who would do this, most double glazing people want to rip out everything with uPVC instead. Is it possible to install double glazing panels inside the existing frame via DIY methods, as this is the place I get most draft in winter.

Thanks

I was not really thinking of a DIY solution in the existing frames. There are specialists window makers out there who will replace your existing timber framed windows with new ones of a similar design but with double glazed panels.

In our last house we replaced 5 (small) rotting sash windows in this way. The total cost was around 4 grand so it is not a cheap solution!

A number of houses in the road use secondary double glazing which is better for sound insulation (we are on the Heathrow flight path) but can lead to damp problems between the panes - particularly if the existing windows are less than perfect. We need to do double glaze our (very big) front bay window. This is a 1906 wooden framed casement window that leaks slightly in driving rain. I am trying not to think how much that will cost to do! UPVC may be ugly but at least it is cheap!