2004 built house insulation options

mama.roo

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Hello everyone I live in a 3 bed semidetached house that was built in 2004. I recently got an approval for SEAI better home insulation grant as I am a mother/carer to a special needs child. They have given me 3 options an external wall insulation (that will change the external finish of the house ) an internal drywall insulation ( too much disturbance in the house hold and a messy process) and an external cavity block insulation( which I found is not effective in some cases from other forums)

They told me that a surveyor will visit and explain these options and will recommend an option to us which if I don’t agree I will have a right to differ...

I have no idea about which is the best option... so here I am looking for recommendations and any pros and cons and points to consider while choosing any specific option. I have double glazed windows that I have plans to change in future but don’t have any budget for the job at the moment will that make any difference in the insulation later on? My attic is not insulated at all only a bit of fiber glass foam on the floor.. and I have damp patches and black mold that needs to be cleaned every 2 months around the windows and in the corner of rooms..
thanks in advance
 
Difficult to advise without knowing more detail on your existing structure makeup. Also, there is a chance that the proposed works may make the damp situation in fact worse. Ask the surveyor about this and what is proposed to eliminate this risk. Do not accept "hole in the wall" vents as a solution. How do you know that your walls are an issue (or a significant issue) for heat loss?
My advice is to forget about the grants, define what the problems are, find out what will really address these problems and then see if there is grant aid to address these. Don't spend waste your money on something just because there is a grant for it.
 
Difficult to advise without knowing more detail on your existing structure makeup. Also, there is a chance that the proposed works may make the damp situation in fact worse. Ask the surveyor about this and what is proposed to eliminate this risk. Do not accept "hole in the wall" vents as a solution. How do you know that your walls are an issue (or a significant issue) for heat loss?
My advice is to forget about the grants, define what the problems are, find out what will really address these problems and then see if there is grant aid to address these. Don't spend waste your money on something just because there is a grant for it.


I’ve been told that they are going to make holes for vents.. even if I forget about the grant the overall house insulation is very poor and my gas bill goes to €450 in winter and I have to solve this problem.. every year I spend 2-3k on different issues.. first my boiler then heating Control systems then in 2019 I was advised that change the windows to triple glaze but I couldn’t due to rough 2020..now after 3 years of waiting I’ve been accepted for this grant..i have to do something but don’t want to invite more trouble for myself..

Why would dampness will worsen after insulation?
 
You must comply with Part L of the building regs if going with internal or external insulation affecting more than 25% of the envelope of the building. So you will need hole in the wall vents or a mechanical ventilation system.

Why would dampness will worsen after insulation?

The installation of insulation usually improves the air-tightness of a building, Without installing additional measures to allow sufficient ventilation, you end up trapping warm moist air in the house.
 
My attic is not insulated at all only a bit of fiber glass foam on the floor.. and I have damp patches and black mold that needs to be cleaned every 2 months around the windows and in the corner of rooms..

Short term should look into running a dehumidifier in the affected rooms. I've seen it make a big difference.

Also be sure to clean with a chlorine-based solution to actually kill the mould.
 
How do you mean that you've been waiting three years to get accepted for this grant? Is this something different to the better energy homes grant which is available to everyone? What level of grant are you getting? If you're paying for it yourself, the cavity insulation is a definite starting point for me. If you've no attic insulation, that will be much cheaper and have a more-significant impact than wall insulation.

IMO the external insulation is the best option, but also the most expensive. Aside from the insulation, it can totally rejuvenate the exterior appearance of your house. It will add 100mm+ to your window reveals so be aware the windows will look different. If you're planning to replace windows in the near future, this is best off done before the ewi is applied.
 
With the external wall insulation, make sure you retain an access point for cabling such as fibre broadband.
I understand some people have had issues with service providers who wouldn't drill through the external insulation.
 
Short term should look into running a dehumidifier in the affected rooms. I've seen it make a big difference.

Also be sure to clean with a chlorine-based solution to actually kill the mould.

I do have dehumidifier It helps a lot but in my teenagers room mould builds up very quickly as she keeps the curtain down and door close all the time..her room is the most affected.. yes I clean it regularly with the thick bleach..
 
How do you mean that you've been waiting three years to get accepted for this grant? Is this something different to the better energy homes grant which is available to everyone? What level of grant are you getting? If you're paying for it yourself, the cavity insulation is a definite starting point for me. If you've no attic insulation, that will be much cheaper and have a more-significant impact than wall insulation.

IMO the external insulation is the best option, but also the most expensive. Aside from the insulation, it can totally rejuvenate the exterior appearance of your house. It will add 100mm+ to your window reveals so be aware the windows will look different. If you're planning to replace windows in the near future, this is best off done before the ewi is applied.
I don’t know if it’s different than the other grants as I received all the information at the time of my child’s diagnosis so gradually I started filling forms and I’ve no clue what’s included/not included in the grant..I’m just gathering the information as when I’ll have the surveyors visit I know what I have to ask for..
 
You said that your attic isn't insulated at all, yet you were going to swap double glazed windows?

Go for the low hanging fruit first. It's a 3 bed semi, therefore your attic area is relatively small (at a guess 500 sq ft). Insulating that to building regs. i.e. around 300mm. That would be the cheapest, and most effective, and certainly the quickest (think 1 weekends work). thing that you could do right now.
 
Agree with the above poster. Having moved into a house with no attic insulation and hollow block walls that first winter was shockingly cold.

Heat rises, if you're not stopping the heat escaping from above then improving the walls are of very little benefit. In my case there was no need for the heat to try and escape through the walls as it had an open run through my ceiling which was acting as a glorified chimney.

Attic insulation was my first port of call and I really noticed the difference. That didn't stop me from eventually getting around to the walls. It too improved things further.

It will all contribute in the end but the way you order things can maximise the benefits sooner rather than later.
 
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