Comments on: Insulation

By: Patricia

Patricia — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:15:28 +0000

i was thinking about getting cavity wall insulation in my flat, my down stairs neighbour is all for it, but a few people i have spoken to about it have said its not a good idea, saying the cavity space between the walls is there for a reason, whats you take on it

By: Amax

Amax — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:54:07 +0000

Hi George

I am reasonably good at DIY but never done any major insulating.

I am in the process of building a workshop / art room in the garden for my kids (and myself!) which we intend to use all year around.
Basically it is a glorified shed which I intend to insulate and I am getting my electrician to run electricity to it so that it can have light and heating in the winter evenings.
It is quite a big shed (6.0 x 3.6 x 2.6m) with 15mm T&G Shiplap on the outside, heavy duty felt on an apex roof and 45X34mm framework and a wooden floor on bearers. It will sit on a concrete base.

I want to insulate it as effectively as possible. I intend to clad both the walls and ceiling/roof on the inside with pine tongue and groove and put flooring ontop of the wooden floor of the shed.

I have been searching the net to find info on the correct way to insulate it but can’t seem to find a definitive guide just lots of different bits of info. Any chance you can advise please.
Do I use a vapour barrier on the walls and ceiling? What about the floor? What is a vapour barrier? Is there a specific make that is good? If so what thickness and does this go between the outer wall and the insulation or the insulation and the inner cladding.
Do I follow the same method on the ceiling?
What insulation should I use for the walls and ceiling?
How do I insulate the floor? What insulation should I use? Should I use a vapour barrier here? Should the vapour barrier be on top of the existing shed floor before the insulation or after the insulation but before the flooring? Any advice on product?

Thanks very much for your help in advance.

By: marioshea

marioshea — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:35:04 +0000

Hi George, I live in Spain and I don’t think the Spanish builders know much about insulation! In the summer the house is like an oven and in the winter I freeze! I’m pretty sure it’s just brick and render with no cavity insulation. Apart from knocking the house down and starting again, how do i go about fixing this problem?

Mari

By: lucie

lucie — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:15:17 +0000

Hi Jason,
We lived in army quarters in Somerset, where we had harrier jump jets, helicopters and other fast jets flying literally past the windows every day and on regular night flight practice.
They had a window system (George I know you don’t like UPVC) I think that may have been German where it was triple glazed so once you shut the windows, you couldn’t hear a thing! In addtion, to help cool the house so you didn’t have to open the windows in summer, we had a ventilation system in the attic which allowed old air out and fresh in. It worked a treat…………………unfortunately, our last house, on the airfield from which they fly the army’s Apache helicopers, weren’t tripple glazed and I didn’t get used to it. I would definitely look into windows as well as insulation.

By: George Clarke

George Clarke — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:10:28 +0000

Jason, the flight path is a nightmare. Everyone tells me you get used to it but I’m not convinced. No, the current heat insulation requirements will not be enough to kill the sound. It definitely worth looking into more effective sound insulation techniques. Visit the following company websites, ‘Kingspan’, ‘Celotex’ and also ‘British Gypsum’. The combination of more effective sound insulation and the use of special plasterboard products can have an enormous effect in reducing noise. Good luck! George

By: Jason Simpson

Jason Simpson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:31:03 +0000

Hi George – how about sound insulation? I live in West London and can be affected by aircraft noise from Heathrow. I’m considering converting my loft. Do you think that the current heat insulation requirements will also give me sufficient sound insulation or should I consider extra sound insulation?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes, Jason

By: George Clarke

George Clarke — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:58:24 +0000

Yes you would….there are hundreds of electrical systems around as it has been around for longer…just make sure you go with a company will a long term guarantee. George x

By: sarah folwell

sarah folwell — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:45:59 +0000

Hi George, Thanks for the advice on Polyplumb. Had a quick look at the website and the links and I think (unless I’m being particularly dense) you need to have a boiler/heat pump to use their systems. Unfortunately, I live in a village that doesn’t have gas and as a consequence I don’t have a boiler! I assume I would need to consider an ‘electric’ system with a different form of insulation beneath. sarah

By: George Clarke

George Clarke — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:49:30 +0000

Hi Sarah. There is nothing worse than a cold house! I often specify ‘polyplumb’ who have what is called the ‘polypipe’ system. If you visit Polyplumb’s web site they have many types of systems to suit your specific needs and floor construction. Their pipe systems are often integrated with an insulation panel to make the heating even more efficient. I love underfloor heating so if I were you I would definitely go for it! George x

By: sarah folwell

sarah folwell — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:17:37 +0000

Insulation distress call! I live in a small, end of terrace house in a village with no gas. It’s the coldest modern house I’ve ever lived in. Loft is really well insulated with double layer. However, downstairs floor is solid concrete with carpet, but feels soooo cold with the storage heaters struggling to heat the space. Is it worth considering laying some form of floor insulation and underfloor heating to supplement the the temperature? If so, what would you recommend? Thanks sarah