Internal Wall Insulation Questions You Must Ask
Are you losing heat in your home? It’s a question most homeowners probably can’t answer for certain. But there are sure to be some tell tale signs. Draught. Unsightly damp patches. Cold walls. And, worst of all, mould appearing. If your insulation isn’t doing its job then not only is it costing you money now, and driving up your home heating bill, it is potentially damaging the fabric of your building for the future. And that can only mean more trouble. And more money. We specialise in Internal Wall Insulation systems. Our solutions are designed to be smart and specific to your building. One size doesn’t fit all, nor does one solution. To help you understand what you’re dealing with, here’s four questions to ask before you start.
What do you know about your building. When was it built and what are the primary materials?
Depending on the materials the building may or may not be breathable. Do you know? If it is breathable, and you want to maintain these characteristics then all the materials used in your upgrade must be breathable, otherwise it will make things worse. Think of the condensation on car windows on a wet day. If you don’t know then you need to find out before you commit to any insulation solution. A truly breathable material must be vapour open, capillary active and hygroscopic, in short the materials used can deal with the formation of water due to vapour condensing and direct it in the path of least resistance – either to the outside or inside face of the wall – not like your windscreen.
Is the proposed Insulation solution the right one for your building?
There are many insulation products out there, some of them sold without any care or concern for the individual needs of a particular building. You need to be able to ask your insulation provider the right questions. Have they surveyed the building? We do. Every time. Have they done a risk assessment to see what effect their proposed plan of action may have? Is it the right plan of action? Do you know enough to be sure?
Will the Insulation solution take into account the risk of damage to the building and the health of the people that live or work there?
If you have problems with cold bridges in your building, and these can be anything from plug sockets even to places where metal is used to attach insulation to walls, then a temporary fix can be worse than leaving the building to deteriorate. For people with asthma and other breathing conditions mould in a building is a problem. It can exacerbate their condition, cause illness and provoke other medical conditions. What is a cold bridge? Very simply a cold bridge is a gap or weakness in a building’s insulation. Typically it is found in reveals around doors and windows; where cables and pipes penetrate walls and at junctions of walls, floors and roofs. So if you have cold bridges in your property you are losing heat; you are wasting money on heating and your insulation is not effective.
Are there risks in Insulating Solid Walls
Solid walls are often quite damp in Winter and Spring. Brick, mortar and some stone can transfer water to the internal face through capillary action. However you must understand that the insulation solution you choose may interrupt the heat flow of moisture and although it may dry out the walls it can also leave your wall at risk of being very wet during freeze thaw events. The resultant damage can be serious. Very simply, where does the vapour go? And what happens if it doesn’t?
Speak to the Experts. . .
Before you embark on an Internal Wall Insulation programme, speak to the real experts who have the interests of your build at heart. They will take the time and do a survey, outlining for you the real options that will achieve what you want. Better insulation, more warmth in winter, no build up of condensation in the home and less money wasted on hefty fuel bills.
