No, the rules are the other way around. You can name people on the forum unless you're a new poster, but not advise by PM.We can't name names here but if anyone wants to PM a reference to me that's fine.
Your construction type was fairly typical for 30 or 40 years. I previously renovated a 1950's build with similar construction. You'll probably find that the cavity behind the red brick is minimal, and not enough to insulate effectively. I ended up internally insulating selected walls in that house as a cost effective way, but it was definitely what you've described as a half measure!
Joeseph Little. I've a lot of respect for this guy after reading some of his earlier articles on insulation and mould risks (think it was more than a decade ago).
I purchased a house with external insulation, which was a poor choice for the way the house is constructed, and I'm going to have to revisit insulation and ventilation when I get around to it. The previous owners took the advice of a salesperson.
Just not the right choice for the house. The house has a cavity wall.Would you mind explaining why it was a poor choice?
Would you mind explaining why it was a poor choice?
I'd like to pay somebody reliable and unconflicted for independent advice on what set of upgrades would be simple, cost-effective and would not result in creating more problems. If they could survey the property that'd be great. I've chatted to a bunch of architects about it, but none of them are specialists on this topic and I've received differing recommendations.
How is this going for you? I’m pretty much doing the same exercise around general insulation and am now trying to future proof a bit.Hello AAM,
I have a semi d cavity/hollow block home in suburbia, constructed around 1993. Lower part of the front elevation, up to first floor, is clay brick with a void behind it. The rest is all cavity block. Sort of a weird hybrid I guess.
We're planning a bunch of work on the house. As part of the new regs we're supposed to upgrade to a B2.
Right now we have:
So we're a mess. Cold and draughty in winter with fat heating bills too.
- Dry-lined cavity block walls
- Ancient single glazed windows
- Hole in the wall vents
- Poor attic insulation
- And probably no floor insulation
The upside is that we're south facing so we get plenty of sun and well ventilated because we're very draughty.
I'm not interested in slapping on half-measures of varying quality in the hope that things improve. I want to ensure whatever we pay for works holistically, makes financial sense and results in a genuinely improved home, not e.g. a mouldy one.
I'd like to pay somebody reliable and unconflicted for independent advice on what set of upgrades would be simple, cost-effective and would not result in creating more problems. If they could survey the property that'd be great. I've chatted to a bunch of architects about it, but none of them are specialists on this topic and I've received differing recommendations.
We can't name names here but if anyone wants to PM a reference to me that's fine (edit: don't PM me references plz, it's not allowed). Otherwise I'd just like to know the title of the person I need to contact! Home Energy Consultant? Home Energy Surveyor?
If any AAM folks have advice on it I'm all ears.
Thanks!
Spondulix,
Have you considered getting a BER assessor to survey your house? The advice you are looking for is exactly what they are supposed to be experts at. I don't have someone that I can recommend, and I know that they can vary in competence, but a good BER report will highlight the areas where it is worth investing and which will be the most cost effective.
How is this going for you? I’m pretty much doing the same exercise around general insulation and am now trying to future proof a bit.
The couple of companies I’ve contacted start off seeming “independent” but on two occasions have told be about contractors that could do the work, while I don’t mind a recommendation I’m had hoped for “this is what you should do, this is a spec to look for and when you have your quotes we can review them for you” - no issue paying for good advice but everyone so far has had an angle.
From what I can gather external insulation is a tricky job and you need to ensure it's done right. I'd probably hire somebody independent to inspect any work done myself. I've been told it's a good time to replace the windows as ideally they should integrate with the insulation and be moved outward. I've also been told our partition wall should be insulated internally.
We didn't internally insulate the party wall. The driving force for heat transfer is the temperature difference between two surfaces so unless your neighbours have no heating at all, I suspect that this aspect of the job if carried out would have the longest pay-back time. It would be very disruptive for you during installation. Redecoration of whole rooms is likely to be required when internal insulation is being retrofitted to just one wall.
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