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Insulating your walls

 

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Why insulate your walls?

It’s simple really, un-insulated walls cost you money. Up to 45% of the heat produced in your home is lost through the walls, therefore insulation can;

  • Reduce your heating bills
  • Lower the ‘wear and tear’ on your boiler
  • Positively impact Global Warming & Climate Change.
  • Create a warmer and more comfortable home.
  • Lessen the risk of ill health from damp and draughts.


Also insulating your property will increase it’s market value, as well as potentially reducing the amount of maintenance required for it’s upkeep.


Cavity Wall or Solid Wall?

In general, the walls in your home can be categorised into 2 distinct types. Modern style homes, usually built post-war (1945), are constructed with Cavity walls. Older style homes are constructed with Solid Brick walls.

If you are unsure which type of wall you have, then try checking the thickness of an outside wall by any door or window. Cavity walls are at least 26.5cm (10.5 inches) thick. Alternatively, look at the brick pattern of your outside walls, as cavity walls usually differ from solid walls, see image.


Regardless of the types of wall your house is constructed with, there are plenty of different types of insulating material on the market for you to choose from. Use the links below to find out more;


Domestic energy efficiency ratings

Wall insulation is a crucial part of the Energy Efficiency Rating of the governments new home information packs (HIPS), which must be provided on each property for sale as of July 2007. Use the link below to make sense of these ratings:


How are the walls insulated?

Getting your walls insulated couldn’t be easier. If you own a relatively modern house, with cavity walls, then the insulation is normally injected through small holes from the outside, with the entire process taking just a few hours to cover the entire house.

If you own an older house, with solid walls, then the material can either be applied internally in the form of thermal boards attached to the inside walls of your house, or externally as a protective render.

  • The heat loss through an un-insulated solid wall is typically more than double that of an un-insulated cavity wall.

Is wall insulation costly?

Cavity wall insulation is one of the most cost-effective energy efficiency measures in the home. An average grant aided cavity wall installation will cost around £135, which with the savings you can make on your heating bills (usually between £100 and £120 each year on a typical home’s fuel bill), will pay for itself in just over a year.

The cost of insulating solid walls can vary dramatically depending on the approach taken, be it internal or external, the types of material used, and the size of the building in question. It is a fairly safe bet, however, to assume that the cheapest method will be to line the interior walls, and the most expensive (but most effective too) is to render the outside walls.

The main point to note though is that un-insulated solid walls lose so much more heat than un-insulated cavity walls, therefore even the cheapest form of insulation will make a huge difference to your annual fuel bills. Typical savings vary from £90 per annum for internal wall coverings to £270 per annum for external rendering.

Grants to help pay for insulating your walls

There are a range of grants and offers available to help you implement energy saving measures in your home. Most of the grants and offers you can benefit from are provided by three main groups.

The Government

The UK Government funds schemes providing up to £2,500 to households on certain benefits to improve their heating and energy efficiency. In England the scheme is known as Warm Front, in Northern Ireland it is Warm Homes, in Scotland Warm Deal and in Wales it is the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Energy suppliers

The Government's Energy Efficiency Commitment means energy suppliers of a certain size operating in Great Britain are obliged to help achieve targets for improving home energy efficiency.

The suppliers therefore provide a range of offers which significantly reduce the cost of installing energy efficiency measures. What's more, you can take up offers from any of the energy companies, regardless of who supplies your gas and electricity.

Local authorities

Local authorities provide grants and offers for local residents to install energy efficiency measures in their home.

The Building Regulations

Part B (Fire Safety), Part C (Site Preparation & Resistance to Moisture) and Part L (Conservation of Fuel & Power) all make clear references to the use of wall insulation.

When considering insulation for your home, and especially if you are renovating and/or adding an extension to your property, you must adhere to the current building regulations.This is important for 3 distinct reasons;

  • You must ensure that any materials you use to insulate your walls have met the relevant standards required.
  • Any building work you carry out must meet the requirements, particularly for fire safety, which make particular reference to the construction of cavity walls.
  • Due to the positive environmental impact of insulating your home, you may be eligible for a grant to help you pay for the necessary work to be carried out.


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