Internal wall insulation applications may be the only option if your property has planning restrictions or if you simply would prefer to retain the original external aesthetic. As the insulation is fitted on the inner face of walls, these systems will allow your home to warm up more quickly when heating is turned on.
For a standard solid brick wall, this can be achieved by fixing timber studs to the walls with a strip of damp-proof membrane to separate the two layers. A layer of insulated plasterboard can then be fixed to the battens with suitable fixings and the surface skimmed. In some cases, it may also be necessary to fit insulation on the ground floor and around any joists.
Internal wall insulation applications require a good deal of work. Before any insulation is installed, it will be necessary to clear the room and strip away features such as skirting boards, plaster and coving, and radiators that are attached to external, walls and reposition sockets and pipework. Floorboards will also need to be removed so that installers can check the condition of the floor joists and ventilation.
All of this means that ideally this work should be carried out whilst the property is unoccupied. For example, if you have recently purchased a house, you may choose to have the work carried out before you move in. If this isn’t possible, then another way to limit disruption is by having the work carried out room by room rather than all at once.
For more information on internal wall insulation for your property, take a look at our article 'What to consider before installing 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 and proper assessment and development of a design and plan for improvements is 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.
What are lambda values, R-values and U-values?
Find out more about the importance of lambda values when selecting insulation.
