Due to a change in family circumstances I've had to convert my lovely home office back to a bedroom so have started working from the summerhouse in the garden instead. Despite the fact that it's July it's still pretty cold in there unless the sun is directly on it, so I can imagine it'll be unbearable in the winter. I'd like to insulate it and make it look like a proper office space, and could do with some advice as to what method to use.
It's a brick built construction with a flat roof and concrete floor. The back of it is supporting a bank of earth and so is about half way under the ground at the back. There's evidence of some water ingress in the past but it looks like that was due to a problem with the drainage channel at the back which had been subsequently fixed. During the recent bad spell of rain there was certainly no water coming in. That said, I thought I might put some damp proofing on the walls anyway just in case.
I had some 100mm Celotex left over from a previous project so have put that down on the floor over a sheet of damp proof membrane, but I'm not sure what to do with the walls and roof.
I wondered about getting some 50mm insulation boards for the roof and just attaching the full sheets under the roof joists thus creating a 'cold roof' type of scenario. I guess I'd have to cut some holes in the soffit though for ventilation.
For the walls I thought about putting some damp proof membrane on the walls then some 50mm insulation boards directly over that. Or would I need to batten the walls and attach the insulation boards to the battens? And if so, would I insulate the roof first, with no gap where the boards meet the walls or should I leave a gap so that the wall cavity also ventilates into the roof space. (I've explained this badly I think. I hope it makes sense.)
I see that Celotex offer boards that have plasterboard already attached. Is it worth using that or would it be better (and cheaper!) to get separate plasterboard and dot and dab it onto the insulation boards?
I'm also not sure of how I'd attach the boards (or battens) to the walls without damaging the damp proof membrane.
Sorry for so many questions. I hope the information is clear enough for you to advise me.
(I'd originally posted this question in the 'In the garden' forum but I think this is a better place for it.)
It's a brick built construction with a flat roof and concrete floor. The back of it is supporting a bank of earth and so is about half way under the ground at the back. There's evidence of some water ingress in the past but it looks like that was due to a problem with the drainage channel at the back which had been subsequently fixed. During the recent bad spell of rain there was certainly no water coming in. That said, I thought I might put some damp proofing on the walls anyway just in case.
I had some 100mm Celotex left over from a previous project so have put that down on the floor over a sheet of damp proof membrane, but I'm not sure what to do with the walls and roof.
I wondered about getting some 50mm insulation boards for the roof and just attaching the full sheets under the roof joists thus creating a 'cold roof' type of scenario. I guess I'd have to cut some holes in the soffit though for ventilation.
For the walls I thought about putting some damp proof membrane on the walls then some 50mm insulation boards directly over that. Or would I need to batten the walls and attach the insulation boards to the battens? And if so, would I insulate the roof first, with no gap where the boards meet the walls or should I leave a gap so that the wall cavity also ventilates into the roof space. (I've explained this badly I think. I hope it makes sense.)
I see that Celotex offer boards that have plasterboard already attached. Is it worth using that or would it be better (and cheaper!) to get separate plasterboard and dot and dab it onto the insulation boards?
I'm also not sure of how I'd attach the boards (or battens) to the walls without damaging the damp proof membrane.
Sorry for so many questions. I hope the information is clear enough for you to advise me.
(I'd originally posted this question in the 'In the garden' forum but I think this is a better place for it.)
