Draughtproofing

[Onoff]

Since VVP invaded we've had the oil central heating off and subsequently been freezing. Running a 2kW fan heater in the lounge, a convector in the study and got a couple of oil filled rads as and where needed.

Let's be honest we've all been spoilt for years with cheap energy but now it's really hit home how badly insulated my house is.

The lounge is proper cold. Convinced I could feel a draught around the window I pulled the sill off and there was a gale coming up the cavity (we've external brick vents). Cavity is only 35mm if that.

I pulled this bit of felt out the window was sat on. No point, it's a plastic window!

The "cavity wall insulation" was dated October 1998!

Hoovered it out, wedged some cut down pipe insulation in there and foam gunned it over the top:

Of course my gun was seized solid so I went and borrowed a neighbour's:

Sure some of it's psychological but it feels a bit warmer already.

 

[dobbslc]

Filling holes with an expanding foam gun is very therapeutic!

 

[dobbslc]

Those curtains won't let any heat into the room if you close them at night, it'll go straight out the window!

 

[brightspark]

go round your rooms with a thermal camera you will be suprised where the cold spots are theres a draught coming up from cavity through a gap between the window and the sill in my utility bog was quite surprised

 

[gaz1]

thats interesting

brick wall then wood latts then wall boarding before plasterboarding

and your single vent radiator is the old type at that

 

[Onoff]

thats interesting

brick wall then wood latts then wall boarding before plasterboarding

and your single vent radiator is the old type at that

It's 1" roof battens with 1/4" hardboard on instead of say plasterboard. Then the all important woodchip!

There's only two double sockets in the lounge with 35mm back boxes. As the batten plus woodchip is circa 31mm, where the two sockets are, the wall bulges.

I didn't do it btw!

 

[Barking Mat]

I can so relate to this.

My drafts are bigger than yours.

 

[Mikey D]

@brightspark Can you hire these thermal image cameras then ?? This suposededly renovated house leaks heat like a sieve , found plenty of gaps in the little insulation that's fitted ... to be fair I did buy it knowing they didn't bother with building regs ...

 

[Barking Mat]

@brightspark Can you hire these thermal image cameras then ?? This suposededly renovated house leaks heat like a sieve , found plenty of gaps in the little insulation that's fitted ... to be fair I did buy it knowing they didn't bother with building regs ...

I don't know where you'd hire one.

I looked into smart phones with thermal imaging cameras, they start at about 500 quid.

Out of my price range.

But cheaper than an Iphone, I think ?

Quick look, not a phone but a thermal imaging camera, 300 quid, no idea on quality, quick interweb trawl.

 

[Onoff]

@brightspark Can you hire these thermal image cameras then ?? This suposededly renovated house leaks heat like a sieve , found plenty of gaps in the little insulation that's fitted ... to be fair I did buy it knowing they didn't bother with building regs ...

Tbh air tightness should go hand in hand with insulation.

 

[Mikey D]

Yes of course it should be air tight .... not much good when u have recessed down lighters poking thru the insulation between the roof rafters , massive draft when the bulb is removed , insulation between rafters not a tight fit etc
I ne , dry lined over stone walls no cavity no insulation

 

[Mikey D]

I need to start anew thread for advice ....

 

[brightspark]

a guy i do work for had his own insulation business and he had one i once had a go of it / you can hire them mind

 

[Barking Mat]

I need to start anew thread for advice ....

It would tragically be, rip it out and start over I'd imagine.

At least here, there was nothing.

I've got maybe 2/3 done, it's the last third dragging it down.

Pointless having a 2/3 insulated house when the kids and dogs leave doors open, to the uninsulated back shed.

Sometimes I sit in the kitchen with the rayburn at full pelt and you go looking for doors left open, curtains over doors, not shut...

You can feel icy blasts.

 

[Gareth J]

The gale will be stemmed from getting in but it'll still be whipping around the cavity. Making a mockery of any insulation that's there. Could you consider getting it filled with EPS beads? A lot of people have had issues with cavity infil and damp but if it's not in the wrong place, could help a lot. And let the inside skin of the house get somewhat warmer than the outside world!

 

[Blobber]

The biggest difference we noticed was decent quality heavy curtains, massive difference, also a shelf over the rad so it forces the convected air into the room and not straight behind the curtains! we don't want to live in a sealed box though so there is always a window cracked open, normally the bathroom and bedroom

 

[Onoff]

This is the same window from the outside. I need to whip the external beads off the top and sides then foam the undoubted gaps. I'll then have to chisel off the old super glue and fit wider beads. Around the corner from this window is a set of ancient Everest patio doors.

Tbh I think this room might be falling off the corner of the house. See the nice crack?

These doors need to be changed pronto. Trouble is the ground is too high outside. Well, the lounge floor is too high and when dropped level with the rest of the house, the outside ground and inside finished floor will be about the same level.

 

[Onoff]

The gale will be stemmed from getting in but it'll still be whipping around the cavity. Making a mockery of any insulation that's there. Could you consider getting it filled with EPS beads? A lot of people have had issues with cavity infil and damp but if it's not in the wrong place, could help a lot. And let the inside skin of the house get somewhat warmer than the outside world!

Cold? I go round INSIDE the house looking for warm spots where there's gaps to the outside!

 

[Ross365]

I've just taken a look at two window bottoms here to see how they showed up on my thermal image camera. My house was built in the 60's using reconstituted stone, which I don't think wins any prizes for thermal performance!

I hadn't sensed any drafts from these two windows, and sure enough the camera showed the sills to be fairly warm.

Of course, all this does is show that every house will be different, which doesn't really help much, but don't dash off ripping of window sills unless you're sure there's a problem.

My own house has a very low-pitched roof; you can just about stand upright under the apex, but as you move towards the eaves you really have get on your belly. That probably explains why the thermal camera found that there was very little rock wool installed above the bedroom ceilings near the eaves - which I was subsequently able to improve on quite easily.... sent up the wife with a roll of insulation; her belly is smaller than mine .

 

[voipio]

Jewson do thermal imaging camera hire. Not very high resolution, at 60x60 pixels, but still of some use.

Flir i7 Thermal Imaging Camera hire

The Flir i7 is a revolutionary thermal imaging camera. It is incredibly easy to use and requires no former experience.

www.jewson.co.uk