Wall cavity insulation- free scheme?

I just had a visit from a young lady offering to provide us with free cavity wall insulation on the farmhouse and holiday let, as well as loft insulation, and she assures me it is all covered under a govt. energy reduction scheme so it won't cost us anything. She says they are doing all the cottages for a large local estate, whose phone number she gave me to confirm her details, and she is calling at other farmhouses in the area while their crew are in the area.
I wondered if it was really as good as it sounds or are there likely to be any pitfalls. The company seems to be called A&M energy solutions and I just wondered if it is a legit scheme?
 
Location
Suffolk
I'd agree with the survey findings. A lot of houses with cavity walls won't benefit at all as this will cause a bridge between the outside & the inner walls. This will particularly affect properties in exposed positions. There's also the type of filling to consider, a mineral fluff, liquid foam that eventually sets, loose polystyrene beads are just a few of the fillings.
In non exposed positions cavity filling will certainly have benefits. A typical housing estate property built by any reputable builder in the 70's onwards is a classic here.
Loft insulation is good but read up on it first.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...991/Why-is-there-condensation-in-my-loft.html
Solid walls are a different matter.
SS
 
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Dave6170

Member
There are lots of old stone built houses around here getting outside wall insulation panels put on. Square polystyrene looking panels then is harled after. Anyone know if its any good? I always thought old houses had to breath?
 
Location
Suffolk
I have been internally 'dry lining' old solid wall brick built houses for nearly all of my working life. Materials to do this simply, easily & reasonably cheaply have all become readily available. Tyvec breathable membrane, modern foil backed insulation, treated 2''x2'' timbers & stainless steel fixing screws. The big disadvantage is that it is a disruptive process with items like window reveals, light switches & re-plastering neeed. The benefits are huge though. Adding 75mm of insulation makes a big difference. There's the block lining method too but only really feasible when the property is empty. A bit like a house within a house.
I have seen some brilliant external insulation jobs, particularly in London on 1930/50 art deco properties where the house looks good & repainted with quality workmanship. On the other hand I have seen some horrors where the thickness of the insulation & the render coat extends beyond the gable tiles with a rattly aluminium cover plate attached as a finish, Similar where the fitting co hasn't bothered to remove the guttering and installed a similar piece of cover board. Short term fix, long term problem.
There are good co's out there but neither way is cheap if done properly. Extending the gable tile overhang, sorting out window cills, reveals & heads similar with doors and up under the eaves.
If the job is done properly the house will breathe from the inside but you will need those trickle vents in your windows! You will save considerable sums on not having to heat the world.(y)
SS
 

Dave6170

Member
Thats what they are doing here. They stop under the guttering and put a plastic facia board thing under and up the gables. Extensions arnt done, neither are chimneys. I think it spoils the look of a house but i just wonder if it makes any difference to the heating bills?
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
Historic Scotland has some good information.

I have stone walls externally harled with plasterboard on 2"x2" framing internally here and the house is like a bloody ice box when the fire dies down in the evening. Blown in insulation behind the plasterboard is what I'd like to do. Historic Scotand has done that to some of their properties but apparently it's tricky. Just waiting for the technology to catch up.

Be careful accepting the grants. I applied for one for central heating and stove. When I'd done the calculations, it was better to get the stove I wanted (the one they tried to give me had bad reviews) and pay for the work myself.
 
Location
Suffolk
Some dry lining pictures. The build-up as follows. Remove loose plaster, repair any loose brickwork particularly in window & door areas, fix Tyvec, batten using 50mm x 50mm treated timber @400mm centres & fix with ss screws into brickwork not joints. sort out electrics if they need to go through the battens. Fill between with 50mm celotex/ecotherm foil backed insulation. sort out where the 35mm x2 gang & x1 gang electrical boxes fit and how the flippers go into the insulated plasterboard. (No fixing into the masonry here) Sort out the wires & start plasterboarding. Where there is a pair of socket wires cut a slot in the insulation on the plasterboard. You can use capping here too to hold the wires in place. Fix plasterboard using bugle headed screws. Presto this bit is finished. Most wires drop from the ceiling but mark them if they come up from the floor, nails/screws don't mix well:whistle: plus mark the batten feet as this helps fix the skirting.
I use either 37mm insulated plasterboard or 25mm insulation & plasterboard as separates, just depends on the day really. I also love Dow insta-stick foam glue as this gap fills and sticks like:poop: to the proverbial blanket! It insulates as well so win-win here.
Plaster, fix skirting, decorate. Jobs a good 'un.

Pic 1, showing Tyvec & battening & some infilling. Pic 2, shows plasterboard & the odd gang socket. Pic 3, shows the finished result around a window reveal. Being a Victorian house all the reveals are in timber. Wide cills needed to replace the old ones. Door linings need packers similar. Two outside walls shrink the room internals by 3" per wall.
All this can be done outside but you have to attend to the roof too.....
SS
 

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Woolly

Member
Location
W Wales
Personally I'd not go down that route. With a high rainfall area you'll be into the high zone of the risk-o-meter, bridging your cavity. I'd bite the bullet & dry line these two walls.
SS
One draw back I see of internal lining is the rooms get smaller, may be by a foot?

Is external lining on top of harling feasible, or would that have to come off first?

Which is cheaper, internal or external?

TIA
 
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