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Wall insulation is key to making your home more comfortable and energy-efficient, which in turn will also reduce your heating and energy bills for some significant savings. By making your home more energy-efficient, you are also reducing your carbon footprint.
The average house loses 30% of their heat through external walls and another 30% through the roof, this is particularly true when it comes to older properties. On average, properly insulating your home will save you around €600 a year. Since insulation has a 25 - 40 year lifespan depending on the material you choose, the savings will soon cover the cost of your wall insulation projects many times over.
There are five main types of insulation that can help improve the energy efficiency of your property and reduce both your carbon footprint and heating bill. These are:
There are a variety of insulating materials on the market, each with its own thermal or acoustic performance, health considerations, and lifespan. The most common materials for wall insulation are:
Fibreglass batt is the cheapest wall insulation option and has no particle inhalation issues, but compresses over time and is not as effective at filling gaps as foam or other materials. Rockwool is a sustainable option that doesn’t degrade over time and provides excellent acoustic insulation but is also more expensive.
The type of wall insulation required depends on the type of wall you have. Houses built before the 1920s typically have solid walls, which means that cavity wall insulation will not be an option. In these cases, you will either have to use internal wall insulation, which will reduce the floor area of your rooms or external insulation, which might require planning permission. Internal wall insulation is also the most disruptive option, as rooms will have to be cleared out, and any built-in furniture and electrical fittings will have to be removed.
If your house was built between 1930 and 1980, you likely have cavity walls, in which case you could go with cavity wall insulation, internal wall insulation, or external wrapping. External insulation is the most expensive, but it is also the most efficient form of insulation.
You can look at the brickwork of the walls to work out what kind of walls you have. Walls with a running lengthwise pattern are generally cavity walls. If the brickwork alternates so that you can see the short edge of the bricks and the sides, your house has solid walls. The cavity will have to be at least 50 mm wide and free from rubble for cavity wall insulation.
You can also look at the thickness of the walls if the bricks have been covered to work out what kind of walls you have. If the walls are more than 260 mm thick, they are likely cavity walls. Thinner walls are generally solid. If your walls are made of stone, they are most likely solid walls, although they are thicker than 260 mm.
Before making a final decision, it is advisable to get a borescope inspection of your walls to check the type and condition of your walls. If your property is of unconventional construction, such as prefab, concrete, steel, or timber frame, you will need a specialist to advise you on alternative wall insulation methods.
For external insulation, you should start by checking if the gas or electric meters are attached to the outside of your house. If they are, you should contact your service provider to have them moved before the wall insulation installation can commence. Any windowsills, reveals, cables, house numbers, or other exterior fittings will also have to be removed. The walls will also need to be cleaned, structurally sound, and smooth. Any pebble dash covering will also have to be removed.
Whether inside or outside, you must also ensure that the walls are free from damp patches. If your walls have not been damp proofed, this will either need to be done before any wall insulation can be installed or, in the case of cavity walls, you will have to use polyurethane foam as insulation. If your house shares external walls with another property, your contractor will have to install a cavity barrier to ensure your neighbours aren’t affected. If you have solid walls, problems with your dampproof course will have to be corrected before insulation can be installed. External insulation will not solve existing rising or penetrating damp.
If you use one of YourPro’s wall insulation experts that can assist you with all of the above and advise you in the right course of action to ensure your insulation project goes off without any issues.
For some types of wall insulation, such as cavity wall insulation and polyurethane foam, you will not be able to. Unless you have a flat roof, you might be able to insulate your attic yourself if you are going with a simple insulation method. Wall insulation installation is best done by a YourPro registered installer. This will ensure the project is completed properly and will last for a long time.
The time it will take to install your wall insulation depends on the type of insulation you plan on using. If done by an experienced and registered contractor, cavity wall insulation will take around two to three hours for a typical three-bedroom house with easily accessible walls. Your installer will drill small holes into the cavity and inject the wall with insulation before closing the holes with cement. This option is not only the fastest but also the least disruptive.
External wrapping takes around two to four weeks, depending on the size of the property and weather conditions. Although this will not cause any disruption to the inside of your house, you will experience some low-level noise for a few days.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) issues grants for wall insulation to improve living standards and reduce energy consumption. SEAI insulation grants vary from €400 to €6,000. If you complete multiple home energy upgrades, you could also qualify for an additional €300 - €400 grant.
To qualify for the grant, you must be the owner or landlord of the property. The property must have been built and occupied before 2006, as determined by the electricity metre’s installation date. The grant amount depends on the type of wall insulation work you are planning to undertake, whether it’s an apartment, semi-detached, or detached house, and whether or not you are receiving certain welfare benefits.
As of November 2019, your property will also need to comply with Part L of the 2003 Building Regulations after renovation. This means that your home will either have to achieve a minimum B2 BER rating, or your attic insulation and heating system must comply with Building Regulation standards.
How much it will cost to insulate your walls will depend on several factors:
Our wall insulation installers service all of Dublin. Regardless of where in Dublin you live, YourPro will help you find the right insulation installer for your project and ensure they reach you as scheduled. With YourPro, you’ll have the peace of mind that a registered contractor will handle your insulation project without any unnecessary disruptions to your day-to-day activities.
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