There is a lot of media attention around Cavity Walls and the benefits of having Cavity Wall Insulation injected into the cavity gap in a property. It is regarded as one of the biggest energy saving areas that can be undertaken on a property and is the focus of many subsidised schemes and grants around the country.
That’s all fine for Cavity Walls, but what if you have solid walls? Are you excluded from having any form of insulation on your property? Well, the answer is no. There are types of wall insulation available to people who have a Solid Wall property.
First off, what is a Solid Wall? There are many types of solid wall out there. Solid Wall can be brick, concrete or stone, or just any material where the entire wall is solid with no gaps in the structure. If you aren’t sure if you have Solid Walls we would always advise you to get professional advice to confirm if it is or is not.
There are two types of standard Solid Wall insulation available and these are Internal and External Wall insulations. If you are undertaking this type of insulation you will have to seek the relevant permissions and you should ensure that the works, if permitted, are done to the most recent building regulations approval.
Internal insualtion involves battening out the internal walls to a minimum depth of 50 millimetres or two inches. Within this battening there will an insulation lining placed, normally some form of waterproofing, to stop the transmission of moisture from the outer solid brick to the insulation. There are many types of insulation from rubberised foam boards to fibrous insulation. Once everything is in place and correct then plasterboards are fitted to the battening and the room is available to be used again.
So what’s the benefit of Internal Solid Wall insulation? Well, obviously, primarily the insulation will help to prevent energy loss through the walls, helping to cut utility bills, save money and keep the property warmer for longer. This might be the only type of wall insulation open to you in a conservation area.
The downside is that you will have lost some internal wall space from all the external walls in the property. You will also have to be careful with the hanging of pictures and internal decorations, to make sure they are securely attached to the battening, not loose on the plasterboard.
This process is very similar to the Internal Wall Insulation, involving fitting a frame to the exterior of the property and placing insulation inside. There are various different types of both external insulation and technique, but the end result is that the original outside is covered with insulation and there a new outer weatherproof skin, which normally simulates either brickwork or pebbledash.
The External Insulation won’t continue right to the ground, there is a gap between the floor and the start of the insulation, sometimes several inches, to prevent covering the damp course, or obstructing drainage. Because there is now an external frame over the property, the windows will tend to look ‘set back’ compared to normal windows, but that is normal for External Wall Insulation. There may also be some remedial roof work needed, including guttering and services movement, to ensure the External Wall Insulation is correctly installed.
The benefits are identical to the internal insulation. It provides thermal efficiency savings throughout the property. Again building regulations approval and, probably, planning permission will be required before this can be agreed. The level of work involved should really only be undertaken by those professionally qualified to do so. They will be able to ensure the work is completed to the correct standard and issue warranties and guarantees!
Overall, the negative with Solid Wall Insulation is that it just isn’t as simple or inexpensive as Cavity Wall Insulation to install. Some schemes may offer subsidies or grants towards Solid Wall Insulation but it is labour intensive and it will by necessity cost more. Costs may come down slightly over time but it is never going to reach the levels of the current values of Cavity Wall Insulation, plus you will have permanent Internal or External changes to the property.
If you are keen to spend the money to save money on an ongoing basis then Solid Wall Insulation is an excellent idea. However, you will need to commit time and research into making sure that it is right for you. In the long term you will save money and energy in a similar way to having Cavity Walls and that can’t be bad!
Written By Symon Silvester, MD of SAS EPC Limited
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