Hi this is my first listing, have a 300 year old det 2 bed brick solid wall cottage. sitting room 7x4 Mtr 8 ft ceiling,concrete floor 2 outside solid walls, walls have been battend out fiberglass loft insulation /plastic sheeting/ plasterboard,this was done in 1970 i belive, and its freezing,new gas central heating is in so 2 big rads and gas fire ,what would be the best way of insulating the room,please.I like the idea of insulating plaster but feel that would not be enough.
Maddie
heinbloed
17 Jul 2009, 10:20 AM
Insulating plaster is a waste of resources. These old huts are hard to cure, esp. if they are listed/protected buildings. You have to employ an energy advisor/heating engineer, the task is to complicated to be solved with a few lines.
Maddie
17 Jul 2009, 11:56 AM
Thanks for reply the cottage is not listed, the advise so far has been line walls with Kingspan on top of battens then plasterboard, or dab insulating plasterboard on walls so cant work out whats best.
heinbloed
18 Jul 2009, 6:02 PM
Well, then demolish it. Internal insulation will almost likely create a sick building, plenty of moulds growing on the damp and cold walls and the spores spreading everywhere. These old buildings usually have no space for a proper internal insulation job including the floor and the ceiling, half jobs pay badly. Further there is most likely no DPC between wall and foundation, the walls kept dry by heating and the very likely present draft. If going for internal insulation these "healing" but expensive influences will be nillified. The walls become cold and damp. A microbiological heaven but unsuitable for housing animals or humans.
Maddie
19 Jul 2009, 7:15 PM
Hi many thanks for your advise most helpfull DPC yes.
Maddie
21 Jul 2009, 4:12 PM
heinbloed, you have been so helpfull in my quest I have decided to give my cottage to you, its up to you what you do with it demolish it sell it,or use it keep chickens in if you think its suitable. as I have now moved out and living in the Goat shed.What a waste of £500000 this has been, but never mind, looking forward to meeting you to hand over the keys, and lump hammer!
quizzicool
5 Aug 2009, 1:38 PM
Hi Maddie You could check out www.energymortgage.co.uk to find out about various insulation types. Kingspan is the best option for sure, you could insulate the external walls (try www.wbs-ltd.co.uk to find out about it). The principle is that you heat the thermal mass of the house (ie. solid walls etc.) and keep that heat in. Fibreglass loft insulation is pretty rubbish and probably not thick enough also it holds the damp, I'd replace it with, umm, well blown phenolic foam or polystyrene beads would be best but its not particularly green - whatever you choose needs to not hold water
Maddie
10 Aug 2009, 6:20 PM
Hi quizzicool many thanks for your good advise, I also would like to remove the low ceilings upstairs so the small loft space would be gone,then plasterboard with the pink fire retardent p/b on to roof joists under thatch to give a vaulted ceilings,it would also expose some nice old beams, I understand insulation is not needed under thatch! any ideas please
