# Internal Insulation in a corporation house



## shipibo (5 Dec 2012)

A Chairde

    Am looking to insulate my house, it is corporation house (terraced), built in 1939 and presently has no insulation fitted.

     All insulation will be internal.

     I am thinking of fitting 100 mm Kingspan on external facing walls, and 50 mm on walls facing my neighbours house.

     The ground floor is concrete, and would need to raise the floor to add insulation, or dig it out ... would it be worth the hassle of digging it up

      The upstairs floor is timber on battens, was not going to insulate as to allow heat to flow from living room stove to upstairs bedrooms.

      Want to insulate the attic floor, am open to ideas ....

     Was wondering if anyone could critique my plan, as I do not have much experience in this area and would be grateful for any input ...


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## shipibo (7 Dec 2012)

Rang KingSpan technical dept:

They said 

Walls facing street - K18 82MM
Walls facing neighbours - K18 52MM
Floor - TF 70 25MM
Attic - K7 70MM Between Joists and 70MM Over Joists

Wonder if anyone has comments


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## Superman (8 Dec 2012)

I don't understand why you wish to insulate your walls facing your neighbours. Assuming they keep their house as warm as you do, you lose no heat through that wall. If they keep it warmer, you lose out. 

If space is at a premium, consider this product:

[never used it - imagine it's expensive. No relation to company]


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## shipibo (9 Dec 2012)

Thanks for the reply Superman


     Don,t know much about insulating houses, maybe just put a warmboard on the walls (thin layer of poly) rather than 52mm ??

     Will check out this magnesium board, maybe an option for my floor

http://www.thermablok.co.uk/products/thermabloksp-aerogel-magnesium-floor-board

       Will get more info and reply back


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## Superman (9 Dec 2012)

Which walls are you talking about in your last post?

I have never heard of anyone wanting to insulate the walls with neighbours - it is fairly pointless.

Regarding your original plan - can I assume you are looking to either make your house more comfortable or more economic to run long term?

It is unlikely to be cost effective to insulate the ground floor slab. 
You should engage someone from a construction background [Architect/Architectural Technician/Engineer etc.] who can do BERs to go through the various options for making the house warm. As a place to start however, you should look at the Electric Ireland tips and services:
 and [broken link removed].


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## Leo (10 Dec 2012)

Superman said:


> I have never heard of anyone wanting to insulate the walls with neighbours - it is fairly pointless.


 
It is if next door is always heated to the same degree as your own place. Otherwise, you will lose heat to the neighbouring property.


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## Superman (10 Dec 2012)

Ahem...





Superman said:


> Assuming they keep their house as warm as you do, you lose no heat through that wall. If they keep it warmer, you lose out.



I would point out that the temperature difference between one and one's neighbour is at most likely to be 5 deg. - whereas the temp difference to outside is likely to be a min. of 15 deg. at the times it matters. As internal insulation normally has a pay back period of 10 years anyway, this would mean  that it would be c. 30 years for insulating the wall to your neighbour - assuming  both neighbours kept it 5 deg. colder for the 30 years.


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## Leo (11 Dec 2012)

It'll only be with about 5 degrees if your neighbour is regularly running their heating. What happens when they're away? 

From personal experience in such a house in D12 over previous winters, I can tell you it can be a lot more than 5 degrees. The property next door was unoccupied for periods, which is often the case over the holiday period, and even when occupied, the occupants didn't run the heating that much. The party wall downstairs is dry-lined, upstairs isn't. The difference is significant. Even after the heating had been on for a few hours, the surface temperature of the uninsulated party wall was cold to the touch, closer to 10 degrees differential, and so that was leaching significant heat from the room.

Take a look at how much effort and detail goes in to eliminating cold bridges in efficient homes and you'll see how important those in the industry take it.


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## rustbucket (11 Dec 2012)

Am actually thinking of doing something similar. Also in a terraced house with no insulation. Will be dry lining external walls and adjoining walls with neighbours.

The adjoining wall with our neighbour is cold to touch , particularly upstairs in bedrooms.


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## lowCO2design (11 Dec 2012)

crumdub12 said:


> Rang KingSpan technical dept:
> 
> They said
> 
> ...


ask kingspan to stand over their recommendation with a hygrothermal simulation to IS EN 15026-2007, particularly the risk to your existing structure and families health from interstitial condensation/ dew-point forming behind the insulation.  they'll tell you they dont provide that data, and you'll be forced to ask yourself what good are the kingspan technical department?


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## tony50 (30 Apr 2013)

*insulation*

hi crumdub12 did you get job done i would be intrested to hear i live in a similar house and thinking of doing the same


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## Famous five (5 May 2013)

I did this in a corporation house and I also got a rated windows and doors, I also installed a new gas boiler, in the depths of winter the heat would be too much after 20 mins on low set heat. It made a huge difference, didn't need to set heat for mornings as house held the heat, I didn't insulate it between myself and neighbours.


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## Madilla (8 May 2013)

Just wondering what thickness of insulation board you used?


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