Keeping your home warm / heating / energy crisis / insulation etc

there's such a huge issue with whatever the process looks like for getting accredited under these schemes - a huge number of qualified contractors are still trying to offer me spray foam with zero consideration for moisture management

the other issue is companies like everwarm who just scale their prices along with whatever support is available, regardless of costs

Spray foam, lol. The cowboys who offer it will be the same ones who rock up to your doorstep a year later (under a new name) to remove it

Adverts for this stuff all over Facebook for me. Slightly terrifying.

It is possible to do ‘mix on site’ right. But it has to be right, first time. And if it’s not…what a bastard to fix.

I'd get something on the exposed wall if I could

A mate had their place externally insulated and rendered and apparently it made a massive difference.

I wonder about this, but as dull as our 50s semi is I quite like it being brick. That said it did make me think about getting the external north wall alone externally insulated + render.

ASHP company is organising spray foam cavity wall insulation as part of the install. What should I be looking out for? Open-cell?

Cavity is 80mm wide and AFAIK clean dry and good to go.

Any thoughts on PIR backed plasterboard vs. insulating plaster for internal wall insulation?

There are a few potential issues with retro fit cavity insulation. Driving rain soaking in and not ever drying out, cold spots where they can’t get the stuff in causing condensation issues, other things I’ve forgotten.

Hopefully the heat pump folk will be using a reputable firm, but give it a Google and ask them a couple of questions ‘this bloke on the internet said I need to be careful of cold spots, is that right?’. If they’re good they’ll have the answers.

Yeah that’s my plan, thanks. Harvesting questions here. They’re registered with the insurance backed guarantee scheme so worst case, we won’t have to pay to fix things ourselves.

You can fix brick slips to it if you really value the aesthetic.

Maybe have a quick search of the different types? Some can be removed, some can’t. Suspect mix on site is the later

Well you can go thicker with the PB but you have to be aware of interstitial condensation and fix to walls accordingly. (Dot/dab or battens)
I’ll be fitting 62mm kooltherm K118 dot/dab to a 50’s flat in the new year.
I’m not going to be battling damp though as external brickwork is in good condition and no rising damp as it’s on 6th floor.
Solid walls would mean a bit more thought regarding any existing damp issues.
I’m hoping it makes a difference to warmth/heating and also in the summer.

Interesting, it looks (from some bodgey calcs) that PIR is still going to be better than a good insulating plaster. The room is on a top floor at the back of a victorian terrace. The rear wall had been rebuilt some time in the 60s so they concreted rendered the inside and then skimmed it. The difference in wall temps between that wall and the front wall which is still lime plaster is staggering.

We have a 4 bedroom 1934 brick house with 2 seperate courses of bricks with an air gap between them. Is insulating in the gap a thing or will it ultimately harm the house etc?
I guess that it's called cavity insulation as mentioned above?

With these last couple of frosty days the leaves have finally fallen off the tree outside our window and we can enjoy dat solar gain.

Heating set to 16, so that’s 4 delicious free degrees. Thanks Mother Nature.

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Get icynene if you can

Talk of Meaco dehumidifiers being OOS everywhere...
The newer 25L one just turned up again in Argos this morning -https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8809492

Its the same every time from the free boilers to the insulation and the heat pumps is the next thing. The SG just dont have a clue and its if your big enough and can jump through all the process you can get it.

We've been to some shocking jobs done by them.

Not in stock in Cumbria either in store or for delivery , says nearest is Hereford :(

Ah, this was in London's famous London (delivering to Charlton store)

Keep forgetting the "L" in LFGSS is London lol

easily done. full name is 'London For God's Sake, Stupid!'

brick slips

Cheers. Did not know about this.

if you really value the aesthetic.

Well 'value' is a bit strong. But I prefer it.

Attic has layer of rockwool, then what appears to be straw, string, soil etc. Is this the remains of original victorian insulation? Should I remove before adding another layer of insulation or just leave? would be a massive job but have the opportunity I suppose.

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I think it was as much for sound insulation as much as heat. Lot of ash underneath tenement floorboard here in Glasgow

Keep it if you're going to be walking around I guess?

Is that a dead dog / cat / fox tail?