insulating solid concrete house

S

secondtime

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I recently bought an old house that needs a lot of work. It is constructed using solid poured concrete - no blocks and no cavities. Can anyone tell me what would be the best way to insulate the house? thanks
 
What about dry-lining - battens on the walls, insulation material (I think they use glass fibre rather than polystyrene panels these days for fire safety) in between, plasterboard on top and skimmed/plastered to finish? Obviously the attic should also be insulated as normal (e.g. suitably thick glass fibre rolls or whatever). And make sure the doors and windows are suitable too (e.g. double glazed etc.).
 
Outside insulation and plaster directly onto the insulation, more effective than drylining and you get no "cold bridges" where the inside walls meet the outside walls.
Drylining brings the "Condensation line" into the house and causes dampness between the old wall and the drylining.
 
Fair point. Just wonder what the comparative installation costs of each might be like? Sounds to me like outside insulation might be a bigger/more expensive job? On the other hand maybe it would pay for itself over time...?
 
delayed thanks for the replies, sadly the house move means that I've lost my broadband connex and haven't replaced it yet so now rely on work for internet and AAM fix.
 
Quite apart from the cost and probable impracticalities of external systems dry ling a property is a perfectly acceptable and functionable method of improving the U value of your home. Battening out is not the best method however, the Dot and Dab method ( dry line compound/adhesive) is far better and will give you a perfectly straight wall that will not follow imperfect contours on the walls, also this way of insulating will give a much faster response time for heating comfort. I have plastered hundreds of propertys with plasterboard or insulated shelterboard with the drilyne dot and dab system and never once a problem. Condensation line???? How can a plasterboard induce condensation to form that would not then be allready present or at least manifest itself with any other traditional forms of internal plastering.
 
thanks everyone, I still don't know which is the better method but that gives me loads of things to bring up with any builder I hire (if I can ever finally get one). As a female it makes me feel a bit more confident if I have even half a clue what I need before I speak with builders/plumbers/electricians etc
 
To legs-akimbo: A condensation line is always present in any wall material taking up moisture. By adding more material on the inside of the outside wall the condensation line would be brought further in. Where it has more difficulties to evaporate away. The condensation line should be brought outwards, as far as possible, to keep the interior wall as dry as possible - as warm as possible.
At the point where water evaporates from a wall we will find the coldest spot on it. Evaporation causes a cooling down effect. Try to wear a wet jumper to keep you warm. So the idea of insulating a breathable wall is to bring the point of condensation as far as possible away from the inside, the habitated room. To make it comfortable. The nearer the condensation line is to the ouside the faster the water can evaporate.Before it builds up and causes a damp/cold spot. To combine several different materials in the construction of an outside wall the individual LAMBDA values have to be considered.
Agreed , most Irish architects wouldn't know what it means. But it is very important, check also for the "sick building syndrom" in the www. to see how it can go wrong if ignored.
And using the dot and dab method for drylining : spot on. It is faster, cheaper and gives a chance to eliminate any uneven wall surfaces, making it possible to turn a crooked wall into a straight wall. But you have to scrape off any wallpaper and paint and loose plaster from the old wall before.
 
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