Insulation Advice
Discussion
Our 1950s ex council house had a large ground floor extension completed by the previous owners around 2005. We moved there in 2015.
The extension is a full wrap around brick extension, creating 2 large rooms, and small side extensions to the existing house. At the rear, one of the rooms is a large bespoke office, which when we moved in, we didn't need at all. The previous owners spent around 15k kitting it out with wall to wall oak panelling and office shelving. It is good as new today. However, the room is absolutely f---ing freezing. But then so is our downstairs toilet. And, the side of the kitchen which was extended out also has what feels like air conditioning which seeps in around the cupboards and hob.
So in essence, all the new walls appear to have little to no insulation in them. We have always known this but as we are getting older we are becoming less tolerant. And we now both work from home so are sat in a freezing office, with plug in fan heaters. The only radiator in that room is hidden within one of the office cabinets behind a wooden lattice, so the heat never really makes it out or is effective.
Is there a simple way to solve this problem? I have no idea whether any of that free insulation was ever done, but doubt it. And can you still get that done? Isn't it just some form of expanding foam shoved into all the gaps? I remember our old neighbours had a group round with some form of gun where they just put bullet holes all over their brickwork and "squeezed something in". Is it even advisable?
Just trying to work out how we solve this issue. Thanks.
The extension is a full wrap around brick extension, creating 2 large rooms, and small side extensions to the existing house. At the rear, one of the rooms is a large bespoke office, which when we moved in, we didn't need at all. The previous owners spent around 15k kitting it out with wall to wall oak panelling and office shelving. It is good as new today. However, the room is absolutely f---ing freezing. But then so is our downstairs toilet. And, the side of the kitchen which was extended out also has what feels like air conditioning which seeps in around the cupboards and hob.
So in essence, all the new walls appear to have little to no insulation in them. We have always known this but as we are getting older we are becoming less tolerant. And we now both work from home so are sat in a freezing office, with plug in fan heaters. The only radiator in that room is hidden within one of the office cabinets behind a wooden lattice, so the heat never really makes it out or is effective.
Is there a simple way to solve this problem? I have no idea whether any of that free insulation was ever done, but doubt it. And can you still get that done? Isn't it just some form of expanding foam shoved into all the gaps? I remember our old neighbours had a group round with some form of gun where they just put bullet holes all over their brickwork and "squeezed something in". Is it even advisable?
Just trying to work out how we solve this issue. Thanks.
Its all brick but no idea what else, I assume block and brick? It was done in 2005 by a builders firm locally. The roof at the back is false pitch and felt, but along the side it is pitched with tiles. But I have already been around with numerous foam cans over the years filling in so much of the kitchen and front loo, whenever it gets cold the air literally pours in like an air conditioning unit - generally the heating heats these areas regardless. The air doesn't pour in at the back, but that is the coldest room by far.
It would probably help to post some photographs of the extension, inside and outside, and that way people may be able to give you relevant suggestions.
I would have expected something built in 2005 to be not too far away from today’s building regs in terms of basic construction, but the first area I would want to check is what insulation is in the roof sections, if it is just 100mm or so of fibreglass then that would be something to improve first with simple addition of more over the top. If I understand your description correctly then you have a flat roof section, and that may be more limited in depth available for insulation so I would want to make sure it is filled with rigid insulation (I.e, celotex or equivalent). Assuming you can’t actually get into the ceiling void currently then worth thinking about a plan to pull down all the ceilings to do the job properly.
I would have expected something built in 2005 to be not too far away from today’s building regs in terms of basic construction, but the first area I would want to check is what insulation is in the roof sections, if it is just 100mm or so of fibreglass then that would be something to improve first with simple addition of more over the top. If I understand your description correctly then you have a flat roof section, and that may be more limited in depth available for insulation so I would want to make sure it is filled with rigid insulation (I.e, celotex or equivalent). Assuming you can’t actually get into the ceiling void currently then worth thinking about a plan to pull down all the ceilings to do the job properly.
If it’s dot and dab plasterboard you might have cold air getting into the top of it so you end up with a concept called “plasterboard tent” where all the outside walls are doing is keeping the rain off.
Parts of our extension are like that and it was only built 3 years ago - the builders just didn’t get the concept of sealing the plasterboard at all. Does keep the house very dry though.
Parts of our extension are like that and it was only built 3 years ago - the builders just didn’t get the concept of sealing the plasterboard at all. Does keep the house very dry though.
Sheepshanks said:
If it’s dot and dab plasterboard you might have cold air getting into the top of it so you end up with a concept called “plasterboard tent” where all the outside walls are doing is keeping the rain off.
Parts of our extension are like that and it was only built 3 years ago - the builders just didn’t get the concept of sealing the plasterboard at all. Does keep the house very dry though.
See also, cavity walls with open cavities at the top, around window and door frames.Parts of our extension are like that and it was only built 3 years ago - the builders just didn’t get the concept of sealing the plasterboard at all. Does keep the house very dry though.
The plasterboard open to the loft trick is often compounded by a gap between the plasterboard and the floor, resulting in draughts under the skirtings.
Sounds like a room with lots of external walls, not the best insulation ( but better than many UK houses) and ineffective heating.
In an ideal world you'd insulate it, but there's not often an easy way that doesn't have potential downsides. A simple and quick solution could be to improve the heating. Big radiators in the coldest areas. Then look at improving insulation in the longer term.
In an ideal world you'd insulate it, but there's not often an easy way that doesn't have potential downsides. A simple and quick solution could be to improve the heating. Big radiators in the coldest areas. Then look at improving insulation in the longer term.
OutInTheShed said:
Sheepshanks said:
If it’s dot and dab plasterboard you might have cold air getting into the top of it so you end up with a concept called “plasterboard tent” where all the outside walls are doing is keeping the rain off.
Parts of our extension are like that and it was only built 3 years ago - the builders just didn’t get the concept of sealing the plasterboard at all. Does keep the house very dry though.
See also, cavity walls with open cavities at the top, around window and door frames.Parts of our extension are like that and it was only built 3 years ago - the builders just didn’t get the concept of sealing the plasterboard at all. Does keep the house very dry though.
The plasterboard open to the loft trick is often compounded by a gap between the plasterboard and the floor, resulting in draughts under the skirtings.
Sheepshanks said:
It's completely insane really - our builders used some high spec insulation in the cavities and in the vaulted ceilings, but take a light switch out and a gale-force wind hits you.
'Insane' might imply a defence against criminal f
kwittery. I'm not buying that!Off with their heads!
Perhaps there's one thing worse than the gale force breeze when you remove a light switch and that's a cascade of vermiculite or WTF that lumpy powder insulation is.
Sheepshanks said:
If it’s dot and dab plasterboard you might have cold air getting into the top of it so you end up with a concept called “plasterboard tent” where all the outside walls are doing is keeping the rain off.
Parts of our extension are like that and it was only built 3 years ago - the builders just didn’t get the concept of sealing the plasterboard at all. Does keep the house very dry though.
This came up earlier in the year with comments about plastering on our build. First proper cold week, the main living room is losing about 1 degree between midnight and 7am which I think is pretty good.Parts of our extension are like that and it was only built 3 years ago - the builders just didn’t get the concept of sealing the plasterboard at all. Does keep the house very dry though.
The double height open kitchen/main entrance hall is lossing about 2-3 degrees overnight, but there is substantial amount of undressed glazing. So more heat loss than the living room but still better than the old 1960s stuff.
I'm sure passive house heat loss are much less, but most people in the UK aren't building air tight houses.
If you take out a light switch and there is a gale, wouldn't that suggest to you that the builder didn't put in any insulation in the walls at all?
Even a bit of the soft fibreglass/rockwool stuff would block a lot of any airflow in the cavity.
+1 for getting the plasterboard off and doing it properly.
Even a bit of the soft fibreglass/rockwool stuff would block a lot of any airflow in the cavity.
+1 for getting the plasterboard off and doing it properly.
We have a just completed self build to current regs. I have never looked before but we loose 0.5 degree overnight which given it is jolly chilly i am pretty impressed with.
We have 3 floors and only have heating on in half the downstairs and the whole house is warm.
Insulation really is worthwhile.
We have 3 floors and only have heating on in half the downstairs and the whole house is warm.
Insulation really is worthwhile.
Ubiquitous2024 said:
So is there any way to add insulation or we are stuck being cold?
Turning this on its head.Do the heat loss calcs, and compare to the installed radiators output at your prefered flow temps.
- You can do this for both well insulated, and poorly insulated, and see how the numbers compare!
Apols havent got round to photos yet.
So how do you know if it has cavity wall insulation or not?
My boiler digital thermostat is by the back doors which is the coldest place in the house (on purpose). Overnight when heating is off the temp will drop to around 17 degrees easy, it might even be lower - heating kicks in and we will see 20 - 20.5 when up to temp.
So how do you know if it has cavity wall insulation or not?
My boiler digital thermostat is by the back doors which is the coldest place in the house (on purpose). Overnight when heating is off the temp will drop to around 17 degrees easy, it might even be lower - heating kicks in and we will see 20 - 20.5 when up to temp.
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