1900 Property Insulation
Discussion
This might have been asked before, but just joined this forum to clarify regarding insulating older property based in Glasgow.
My house is a 1900`s build property with solid stone walls and with lath n plaster for inside walls. We have room in roof with sloped ceiling as well without insulations.
I need to understand if there is any way to insulate the internal walls in ground floor and the ceiling in the upper rooms. I read about blowing celloluse beads, but not sure if it would be possible with the huge gap between the outer brick and the lath.
Thanks.
My house is a 1900`s build property with solid stone walls and with lath n plaster for inside walls. We have room in roof with sloped ceiling as well without insulations.
I need to understand if there is any way to insulate the internal walls in ground floor and the ceiling in the upper rooms. I read about blowing celloluse beads, but not sure if it would be possible with the huge gap between the outer brick and the lath.
Thanks.
There is some great advice from historic buildings Scotland
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-...
Or abbreviated here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-su...
Also from SPAB: https://www.spab.org.uk/sites/default/files/SPAB%2...
In short, you need to be careful and not leap to blindly using modern materials and methods or you will (sooner or later) wreck your building, don’t use someone who doesn’t have expertise of historic/solid wall buildings.
The ideal solution will depend on what you are trying to achieve and the details of the construction of your building.
For example, internal insulation will mean your solid walls beyond the insulation are cooler, if you use the wrong materials, moisture will condense on the wall beyond the insulation cause damp.
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-...
Or abbreviated here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-su...
Also from SPAB: https://www.spab.org.uk/sites/default/files/SPAB%2...
In short, you need to be careful and not leap to blindly using modern materials and methods or you will (sooner or later) wreck your building, don’t use someone who doesn’t have expertise of historic/solid wall buildings.
The ideal solution will depend on what you are trying to achieve and the details of the construction of your building.
For example, internal insulation will mean your solid walls beyond the insulation are cooler, if you use the wrong materials, moisture will condense on the wall beyond the insulation cause damp.
This book is a really good guide for period properties.
https://shop.heritage-house.org/product/book-the-w...
https://shop.heritage-house.org/product/book-the-w...
Thread on Internal Wall Insualtion here that I started.
The work I talk about in my initial post is actually only mid way through….we’re only internally insulating two rooms. One of which is my son’s bedroom which has made a massive difference to it. I think we used 30mm of insualtion on one external wall and 50mm on the other two. Room was big enough to take that and glad we did.
You really need some proper advice and a contractor who knows what they are doing though as done badly you can end up with moisture getting trapped which can literally be ruinous for the building.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
The work I talk about in my initial post is actually only mid way through….we’re only internally insulating two rooms. One of which is my son’s bedroom which has made a massive difference to it. I think we used 30mm of insualtion on one external wall and 50mm on the other two. Room was big enough to take that and glad we did.
You really need some proper advice and a contractor who knows what they are doing though as done badly you can end up with moisture getting trapped which can literally be ruinous for the building.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
It's worth understanding how much heat should be leaking through the walls.
Compare that with the actual heat loss.
The difference is draughts, windows, floor ceiling.
If you can deal with those, then you may be able to live with the walls..
Also, solid walls have high heat capacity, they store heat (or cold!) as well as transmitting it.
Compare that with the actual heat loss.
The difference is draughts, windows, floor ceiling.
If you can deal with those, then you may be able to live with the walls..
Also, solid walls have high heat capacity, they store heat (or cold!) as well as transmitting it.
Cold isn’t a thing
It’s lack of heat.
Walls store heat
When they’re cold (ie lacking heat) they take a lot heat to heat up.
But anyway yeah the core point is sound, the best way to insulate an old house to address the bits you can without wrecking it:
In order of biggest effect first:
Properly insulated roof/ceiling
Properly insulated floor
Then windows
Then draught stuff (but really better for buildings one occupants to keep chimneys open, but stick a ventilated cover on the top)
Finally, walls.
Often just getting them dry (remove any sources of dampness and remove anything inhibiting them from drying - cement render on outside, or cement mortar, or on inside the gypsum plaster, or modern paints, or moisture barriers and plasterboard) and then warmed up. Damp solid walls will lose so much heat, dry solid walls aren’t really an issue imo.
It’s lack of heat.
Walls store heat
When they’re cold (ie lacking heat) they take a lot heat to heat up.
But anyway yeah the core point is sound, the best way to insulate an old house to address the bits you can without wrecking it:
In order of biggest effect first:
Properly insulated roof/ceiling
Properly insulated floor
Then windows
Then draught stuff (but really better for buildings one occupants to keep chimneys open, but stick a ventilated cover on the top)
Finally, walls.
Often just getting them dry (remove any sources of dampness and remove anything inhibiting them from drying - cement render on outside, or cement mortar, or on inside the gypsum plaster, or modern paints, or moisture barriers and plasterboard) and then warmed up. Damp solid walls will lose so much heat, dry solid walls aren’t really an issue imo.
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