Internal wall insulation allows you to keep your home’s existing external appearance and character intact and can be an option if attached neighbours do not want to have insulation fitted on their own homes.
As insulation is fitted on the inner face of walls, this will somewhat reduce the size of any rooms with external walls. The work can also be quite disruptive as rooms will need to be cleared and any original features that are attached to an external wall, such as skirting boards, plaster and coving or radiators and electrical sockets will need to be removed.
Once internal wall insulation is fitted, your external walls will be colder than before. This can increase the risk of condensation forming within the walls if this is not properly considered when designing the system. For this reason, all internal wall insulation measures need to be carefully designed for your home and accurately installed by professionals.
Learn more about IWI.
Does insulation choice matter when fitting solid wall insulation?
It’s important that a coherent approach to retrofit is adopted when looking to make changes to any property. A proper assessment and development of a design and plan for improvements should be part of that approach; what is right for one property, may not be right for another, but as all solid wall insulation options will increase the thickness of your walls, it is important to use, wherever possible, materials with a low thermal conductivity (also known as a lambda value). These are more effective at preventing the main forms of heat loss, meaning a slimmer layer of insulation can be fitted. This is particularly important for internal wall applications as the thickness of the insulation will impact the overall space in the room.
How can I decide which solid wall insulation approach is right for my home?
The best way to decide whether solid wall insulation is right for your home, whether an internal, external or hybrid approach should be taken, and the specific design and materials used for these systems is by taking a whole house approach.
What is a whole house approach?
A whole house approach describes a process where a thorough survey is carried out on your home and a tailored package of improvements are developed for it. This is designed to ensure these improvements provide good value to you and to avoid potential unintended consequences from the works.
This approach is important because every home is different. Even neighbouring properties which were built at the same time, by the same builders and with the same design may have differences such as:
Different orientations meaning certain walls are more likely to be exposed to driving rain.
Problems with condition such as missing pointing, broken guttering or damaged roof tiles.
Alterations which have been made over time such as an extension or if double glazing has been fitted in one home and not the other.
These can all have an impact on which home energy improvements are right for your home.
In a whole house approach, a qualified individual will carry out a detailed survey of your home to identify things such as the materials it is constructed from and any issues with its condition that need to be addressed before improvements are carried out. They may also suggest improvements to your home ventilation to ensure there is a good supply of fresh air and that moist air doesn’t become trapped inside, potentially leading to damp.
Once a package of improvements is agreed, they should coordinate any improvement works which are carried out to ensure they’re properly fitted and performing correctly.
Taking a whole house approach can therefore help ensure the SWI system chosen for your home is appropriate, properly designed and installed by qualified individuals so that it delivers lasting savings and avoids potential problems.
Can I have solid wall insulation fitted on my heritage home?
In many cases, this is possible but there may be additional considerations due to the types of materials used on these properties, or additional planning restrictions which apply to them. These factors should all be considered as part of the whole house approach.
I’m planning to get a heat pump. Is it worth having solid wall insulation installed first?
Solid wall insulation can often help heat pumps to perform more efficiently and affordably. These systems generally work best at a lower flow temperature than modern gas boilers. If this heat is allowed to escape through uninsulated solid walls, it can mean heat pumps need to work much harder to keep your home warm. A well installed SWI system can help reduce the demand on your heat pump and may even mean a smaller, cheaper system can be fitted.
Why might extra ventilation may be needed when installing solid wall insulation?
In addition to reducing heat loss, all solid wall insulation installations should also make your home more airtight. This can help to cut out unwanted draughts but if additional ventilation isn’t added it can also mean that moist air gets trapped in your home which can cause condensation issues. For this reason, it is often a good idea to add additional ventilation either before, or as part of having solid wall insulation fitted. These changes are often relatively straightforward improvements such as adding trickle vents to windows, extract fans in kitchens and bathrooms, and trimming the bottom off internal doors so air can pass from room to room.
Can solid wall insulation cause damp?
When designed and installed correctly, solid wall insulation should not lead to damp problems.
Before carrying out any work, as part of a whole house approach, installers should carry out a careful pre-assessment of the condition of your property to ensure that it is in good condition and the walls, floor, and roof are dry. This should include addressing any existing damp problems, along with issues such as missing pointing, broken bricks, or damaged guttering which may cause issues in the future.
The installers should also carefully plan and design the installation with close attention paid to junctions around features, such as windows and doors. In internal wall insulation applications, they will also need to look carefully at junctions around the floor and ceilings and any penetrations such as joists or pipework to ensure a continuous layer of insulation and vapour protection.
As internal wall insulation applications will mean that external walls remain cold at all times, there may be cases where installers advise that solid wall insulation cannot be fitted. This may be the case where the materials used to construct the wall are particularly porous and planning restrictions prevent effective external weatherproofing.
Interested in exploring solid wall insulation options for your home? Get in touch with the experienced team at Ezy Fit.
Alternatively, if you are interested in learning about other home energy retrofit options, visit our homeowners hub.
