Will internal wall insulation improve moisture in room?

[Blade47]

Hi guys, this is my first post and might be a bit of a long one, but I am really hoping someone can help me out.

My girlfriend and I have bought our first house which is solid brick wall construction, Victorian with sash windows. All is fine, except in the dining room/Kitchen (they are joined, open plan) I have noticed that recently it feels almost damp. The only way I can tell is that bits of paper that we have left in the room have gone a bit soft and wrinkly. Also I left some rock salt out in a pot by accident and then noticed a few days later the salt was wet, like it had drawn moisture out of the room. I have been considering using something like Kingspan internal insulation plaster board in the kitchen and dining room anyway to make it a bit warmer (its end of terrace and dining room/kitchen are the end rooms) but will this also help keep the room less moist? I assume when using this plasterboard you need to do the whole room and cannot just do specific walls as otherwise you just force the condensation to the cold walls that have not been insulated?

The flooring is on joists with air bricks supplying fresh air under the floor (if this makes a difference)

The other option potentially is that we have an old fire place that has been bricked up, so I am considering bringing this back to life, would doing this reduce the moisture in the room (when the fire is on?, but may not be much help when it’s out?)

The only other point to note, is that in kitchen/dining room the only source of heating we have is one radiator, that is currently not working. We are going to get the radiator fixed, plus potentially install another radiator, so will this reduce the moisture content in the room? Also, we are looking at changing a very cheap nasty laminate floor to a engineered board which should be better insulated which might bring the room temperature up.

Guys – any help/suggestions would be really great!
Thanks
Chris

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Are the walls external walls?
If so, can you inject cavity wall insulation?
Other options are thermal insulating, this can be done internally or clad externally.

 

[Johnmelad]

Are the walls external walls?
If so, can you inject cavity wall insulation?
Other options are thermal insulating, this can be done internally or clad externally.

My girlfriend and I have bought our first house which is solid brick wall construction

 

[phatboy]

I would consider getting insulation externally fitted, and then rendered. As long as your house isn't listed or anything.

Kingspan inside would work, but will make your rooms smaller which isn't ideal.

And you definitely need to get the heating upgraded by the sounds of it, does the current boiler have capacity for another radiator though? And if this area of the house is short of radiators, is the rest of the house the same? Maybe completely re-evaluate the heating system before doing anything else to it.....

 

[Blade47]

The kitchen has three external walls and the dining room has two external walls. However one of the dining rooms walls, plus two of the kitchen walls face onto someone else's land which make it a lot more tricky. That's why i was considering kingspan internal insulation as it avoids having to have all these discussions. I'm thinking with the Kingspan you lose about 100mm (?) from each wall which doesn't worry me massively.

Do we really need to get the heating system upgraded, i think one of the rads has just got a broken TRV and I guess I will need to speak to the plumber about the capacity to install another radiator in the kitchen but if we can do that, it avoids me having to go through any significant heating system overhaul. If and when my boiler does breakdown that is when I will consider putting in a new boiler.

So just to confirm, Kingspan will help reduce the dew point in the room and therefore reduce the feeling of moisture in the air etc?

Thanks for all the replies so far, really useful!

 

[JohnD]

does anyone draoe wet washimng around the house or over radiators?

How long do you leave the bedroom windows open each morning?

How long do you use the bathroom and kitchen extractors?