Solid wall internal insulation

[thomo5949]

I am renovating a 160 year old granite house. I have removed all internal partition walls on the first floor. I have also had to remove some of the plaster from the solid external walls so the internal granite face is exposed. Other walls had concrete plaster that was solid so I have not removed this.


I be constructing new timber partition stud walls that I will be filling with a foam insulation. The new central heating a wiring will be running through these walls.

I dont know what to with the external walls. I was thinking of studding them out and installing a vapour barrier. I thought I would then install foam insulation then fix plasterboard and skim.

I was also thinking about the benefits of having the walls lime rendered. THis will obviously allow the walls to breath but limits the insulation properties.

On either option Id like leave the granite quoins on window / fireplace openings to remain exposed.

I would appreciate anyones views on what method to use.

Thanks

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[freddiemercurystwin]

Various approaches can be made, have a look here for examples: http://www.greenspec.co.uk/html/refurb/internal_insulation.html Are you going through Building Control? This may have a bearing upon whether you keep your quoins exposed and in any case this may be tricky if you are insulating the wall internally!

 

[r896neo]

unfortunately if you leave the quoins exposed you will probably get condensation forming on them quite badly.

 

[thomo5949]

The end wall that you can see with the fire place (see photo above) is about 6 feet thick as in the past another external wall have been built on either gable end (I think when they raised the roof height) as such I think it is quite a dry wall. The other external wall you see in the photo is much thinner, about 3 foot so will be much colder. This is why I wanted to insulate them but I agree if I do insulate them leaving the quoins exposed will look strange.

I am considering lime pointing the gable end walls and leaving them exposed and then insulating the other walls and plastering them.

I dont really know what to do for the best, I don't want to spoil the character of the house.

 

[r896neo]

your approach sound like a happy medium. There is no point make a room look pretty with lots of exposed stonework but then it is so cold you never spend any time in it.

 

[foamit]

I have dobed and dabbed polystrene backed plaster board on my internal house walls it worked a treat. I understand you can get these boards in different thckness.You obviousely loose a bit of room size. But what you get in comfort more than makes up for this.