insulated render

system and this is known as the ” marginal cost ” ie the extra money the insulation element will cost.

The marginal cost of fitting an insulated external system  would be returned in around 3 to 5 years depending upon your heating patterns . As an example the Energy Saving Trust say a typical 3 bed semi has 75m2 of wall area and will enable saving of around £350 per annumn and so based on £15 extra per m2 the £1125

cost of insulation

will be recouped in around 3 to 4 winters.

Do not forget that in addition to the heating bills coming down there is no ongoing outside maintenance and your home will increase in value over an uninsulated like property in the same area according to a RICS valuation.

Other considerations are the unknown rate at which heating bills will continue to rise and of course every family heats their home in the way that best suits them so savings, costs and therefore payback will vary a lot.

The U value is therefore a measure of how quickly heat escapes through a structure to the outside and as a result also how much carbon is leaking through the walls as well. In todays hard pressed times with ever rising heating bills it is very important to have a home with a low U value if you wish to keep those winter bills down.

The Building Regs state that if the walls are worse than 0.7 in U value you have to fit insulation if adding or replacing a layer to an external wall . The target to try and hit is 0.3 but they will accept a higher figure if 0.3 is not achievable due to the property features etc. An average installation would be around 0.35 U value which still represents an improvement of over 80% in thermal efficiency of the wall.

However the Government do only charge 5% vat so in effect give a 15% subsidy through the taxation system and they have also instructed the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors to give a higher value to homes with substantial energy saving measures such as external wall insulation systems. Whilst RICS are still formulating the new valuation models it is thought that a premium of around 5% to 6% will apply ie an increase in value of around £8000 to £10,000 on the average property price of £160,000.

The Green Deal will also report in early 2012 on possible low interest loans tied to the property on the basis of the money saved on lower bills being used to pay the loan installments. The big flaw in current thinking is that under this proposed scheme there is no financial incentive for the home-owner unlike the Feed In scheme for solar panels.

For more information on potential insulation grants 0800 975 5231

When insulating from the inside of a wall ie dry lining ,you are cutting out the insulating effect of the 9 inches of solid wall behind the internal insulation. When insulating  a solid wall externally you are using the thermal mass of the 9 inch of brick as extra insulation and typically this method is 25% more efficient than an internal system and as such will save more carbon emissions and lead to lower fuel bills.

Another great benefit is that the dew point at which condensation damp appears on a wall is transferred outside the home so no damp can occur on interior wall surfaces that have been externally cladded. This obviously has health benefits as well for tose people with allergies and asthma in particular small childrenand babies.

External solid wall insulation is therefore the best option subject to affordability of course and with free surveys and no obligation quotes there has never been a better time to explore the benefits of solid wall insulation.

Any builder or contractor that fails to mention Building Regs or to steer you away from them should be avoided at all costs. Similarly we would always recommend you check which system the builder is recommending and that he is accredited to fit that system.

Most importantly of course make sure you get a good quality materials and workmanship guarantee

Call 0800 975 5231 for  Help with L1B Building Regs

The process is to send in a simple Building Notice – available on line or from the Council – at least a week before work starts to inform the Building Inspector you are having work carried out and for them to come out to your property to inspect the work to make sure it complies with the Regulations.

What happens if I do not file a Building Notice and do not include insulation when renovating my walls ?

Both you and the builder will be in contravention of the law and you run the risk of being served with an Enforcement Notice whereby you will have to then have the new work removed and the correct system fitted with insulation included . Failure to comply can then lead to a financial penalty in addition to having to pay again for the work to be done.

Another measure often recommended as a more personalised and relevant figure is that a Building Regs compliant system will lead to cost savings on external wall insulation by cutting heating costs by around 40% .

Important to remember though is that heat will try to find the path of least resistance so ensure loft and roof insulation is adequate and that doors and windows are draught proofed otherwise the gain from the wall insulation will be greatly reduced.

The other important fact of course is that heating costs are based upon oil and gas prices and everyone agrees these will only continue to rise in the years ahead so annual bill reductions will also continue to rise as well.

In the vast majority of cases you only need to serve the Council’s Building Control with a Building Notice under Building Regs L1B and the Inspector from Building Control will pop along on the first day to meet the installer and again at the end of the job to sign it off and give you an Approval Certificate.

Exceptions

If your house boundary directly abuts a public pavement or pathway then the extra depth to your home can be viewed as an encroachment onto public space and so you will need to apply for Planning Permission.

If your home is listed,  is in an Area of Outstanding Beauty or a Conservation Area then again you must apply for Planning Permission before work is started.

We are very experienced in working with the Building Inspectors and can answer their questions on your behalf and we also provide product drawings and specifications for the Planning Department upon request.

If in doubt CALL US 0800 975 5231

Complimentary Thermal Rendering

Most people chose to buy a Victorian property precisely because of the apearance. In particular the large front windows and stone bay mullions contrasting against the red brick, are especially sought after along with some fancy brick detailing around doors and at the roofline.

Unfortunately these attractive homes do leak a lot of heat through the solid walls and can be very cold in winter and expensive to heat.

A good solution is to thermally clad the large gable side walls as these are the largest area of heat loss and are not that aesthetically pleasing in the first place.

If a neutral soft colour is used as the finished render coat the effect can actually enhance the look of the property whilst stopping any damp problems and of course reducing those heating bills.

Internal Insulation  for the Front Wall

It is still possible to maintain the original period frontage – and preserve the property’s value – whilst insulating internally to cut heat loss and lower running costs. The choices really are to dry line and plaster board the interior walls or, if this will affect dado or picture rails for instance, a better alternative may prove to be the latest 3mm thick thermal lining papers. These are incredibly effective especially when then painted using insulating paint additives which give a combined 40% reduction in heat loss and stop condensation damp as well.

CALL  0800 975 5231 or Email for Victorian Insulation Advice

How Exterior Insulation Stops Condensation

Solid wall insulation systems cure condensation by moving the dew point of a wall from the internal plaster surface to the outside of the external insulation boards surface ie the coldest part of the newly clad wall is the outside and not the inner sections.

Condensation – wet patches on the plaster leading to black mould or white “furring” – only occurs as a result of warm moist internal air hitting a cold surface such as when showering and seeing the mirror and windows steam up.

What is happening is that the water vapour in the air condenses from a gas to liquid  when it comes into contact with a surface whose temperature has dropped low enough to reach the “dew point ” . This is the point at which condensation thrives and the only real way to stop it is to increase the wall temperature sufficiently to allow the moisture to pass through the walls as vapour and escape to the outside.

What about Interstitial Sweating ?

This is when moisture becomes trapped in the inner core of the wall and cannot escape to the outside as quickly as it needs to and so builds up to a point where the vapour condenses to liquid and begins to wet the core of the wall. Unlike surface condensation this interstitial damp cannot be seen so is especially dangerous and harmfulto the structure of our homes.

All reputable  outside cladding and rendering systems have been tested by the Government funded British Board of Agrement for suitability of use on the UK’s solid wall homes and as part of the thorough testing regime they are checked to ensure they breathe more than sufficiently to avoid trapping moisture in the wall behind the thermal boards.

Better than Standard

The system renders that THINC Wethertex use al perform far in excess of the British Test Standard. The testing authorities use what they call a Dynamic Sweep Gas test to determine breathability and on their scale a material needs to score 25 or below to not be harmful to a home’s structure. Our thermal renders measured 12.8 which is classed as being highly breathable for a cladding system and way in excess of minium standards.

Stop Condensation Now 0800 975 5231 or Email your query