One of the best ways to insulate your home is to install cavity wall insulation. Generally speaking, most homes built after 1920 come with a gap between the external and internal walls that can cause your home to be significantly less insulated. Consumer group Which? actually reported that if you leave this gap untreated then you are wasting 35 per cent of all heat loss from the home through your walls. Even so, many homes in the UK are leaving this improvement on the wayside because they simply can’t afford to install the cavity wall insulation. This blog explores the different types of cavity wall insulation you can use that are most cost-effective.
The figures already show that investing in wall insulation will save a three bedroom semi-detached home around £140 per year in bills. When the cost of installation is around £500, the insulation pays itself off in a few small years. However, some households can’t afford the initial cost.
How much will it cost to insulate my home?
The price of installing cavity wall insulation obviously depends on the size of your property. A mid-terrace house will be around £300 and a bungalow will probably cost more in the region of £400. A larger four-bedroom home will be more up in the £700 region.
How is wall cavity insulation installed?
A professional installer will drill small holes in the external wall and then specialist equipment is used to blow insulating materials into the cavity or gap between the walls. The insulating material is made up of granulated mineral wool fibre that has been recycled or polystyrene beads.
Is there another option?
You can opt to add solid wall insulation to your home to improve your home’s energy efficiency, however this procedure costs £1000s to install and is a much bigger job than the wall cavity insulation.
Another option is to add a thermal liner to the walls in your home. This is particularly good for homeowners with a home built earlier than 1935. A thermal liner is a thin, strong and flexible piece of material that, when attached to the walls in a room, increases the energy efficiency of that room. This liner is significantly cheaper than solid wall insulation.
What other insulation can I install in my home?
If you have already got cavity wall insulation or you want to look to other insulation opportunities first then you need to look to your loft and the floor.
Loft insulation: This is the easiest and cheapest way to add insulation to your home. Currently you need to have 300mm worth of thick insulation in your loft to meet the regulations. You can add additional insulation too that won’t cause any problems so long as you have it installed correctly.
Floor insulation: The type of floor insulation you install depends on the type of floor you are dealing with: suspended, solid or tiled.
Suspended: This type of flooring is where floorboards rest of joists. This extra air space can be responsible for 15 per cent heat loss in your home. You can fill this space between the joists with insulation such as mineral-wool rolls
Solid Floor: There is no way of insulating a solid floor other than to add a new rigid layer of insulation on the top. This insulation is usually made from chipboard and then the flooring you desire on top. This option does raise the level of the floor.
Tiled Floor: There isn’t much you can do to a tiled floor other than check for leaks. You need to check both the skirting board and the grouting between the tiles.
Additionally, you can use sealant to ensure the gaps in your skirting board aren’t losing heat. Rugs and carpets also really help to insulate your home, block off draughts and make you feel generally warmer.
Renewable Heat Incentive: Most homes that apply to the Renewable heat Incentive will have to have cavity wall insulation and loft insulation. If you decide to add more insulation to your home beyond these requirements then you should see an improvement in your Energy Performance Certificate.
Are you currently trying to tackle insulation issues in your home? What have you done to try and improve the Energy Performance of your home? Let us know below in comments section or connect with us on Facebook and/or Twitter.
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