Internal insulation for a Victorian property.

[NaturalBaby]

We've had a green deal contractor out to quote for energy improvements on our Victorian house. They've measured up and quoted for internal insulation on all the external walls.

Has anyone had internal insulation or can offer advice?
I don't know whether to go with the overpriced green deal company for convenience or find someone else to install it. There doesn't seem to be much information and advice available and we really need to get the house warm and dry.

What's special about their insulation? Have they given you insulation standards that you could measure other quotes against?

We went for high performance stuff that was as thin as possible for under the plasterboard. The builders/plasters installed it but we were already back to bare brick.

I'd get at least 3 quotes, then when you have a basis for comparison you can ask for some to be requoted if you need to.

It gets paid for with the savings from the energy bills. They've said it'll be 60mm. I have no idea where to begin trying to find anyone else to quote (getting a bit bogged down with everything that needs doing!). The thought of having it down while we live there makes me break out in a cold sweat.

we did it ourselves - cost a few hundred and a lot of labour by OH, but basically you nail wooden batons into the wall and stick the insulation into the gap, then plasterboard straight over the top into the batons. That and central heating made a huge difference.

Maybe try a couple of local building firms for quotes?

We can't do it ourselves, much as we'd love to save money but it's just not an option. We've just had a new boiler put in so was hoping that would make enough of a difference but seeing the state of the house through a very wet and mild winter is making me think it has to be done for next winter.

Be careful- old buildings are designed to breathe. Insulation on the walls can cause damp issues in the long term. You need to also balance it up between insulation and loss of character (skirting, cornices etc).

How do you keep a Victorian property well ventilated and warm? The windows are single glazed timber framed with no vents so that's something else we're planning on doing asap.

I'd proceed carefully with internal insulation - you need to be careful about lots of things such as thermal bridging, temperature gradient and moisture (you don't need to know about these things but the person installing it sure as heck does). We have just renovated our edwardian place and only used internal installation in a newer (50s) extension block. We had weep vents installed to all moisture to escape. We had the thick internal insulation as there were no features in that part of the house. In the rest of the house we i mean builder insulated under the floor extensively (with breathable membranes etc) All the gaps were filled esp around pipes.

I think one of the challenges of internal insulation is you spend a lot of m

.. Money turning a sieve into a bucket with holes (if you follow the analogy).

Is it a detached house?

Lots of things. You can get your windows draft stripped which makes a huge difference to heat loss, without costing the earth and keeps the character. Loft insulation and underfloor insulation. If you have open fires you can get chimney balloons. Other measures such as thermally lined curtains make a huge difference too. Behaviour is also important- don't hang wet washing everywhere as this can cause damp and also make it feel cold.

The Victorian Society have advice as well as English Heritage.

It's a detached property that used to be a bungalow so the upstairs is in the roof and there's little we can insulate up there.

The windows need replacing. There's nothing we can really do with them due to the age and condition of them.
We've got chimney balloons.
We watch things like where the washing dries, keeping doors closed etc but it's still a very cold house. I don't know if it's mainly to do with the very damp winter - we had water seeping through the internal wall in a couple of spots. This was our first winter there and the mould/mildew and damp was a bit overwhelming after being in a new build!

I'd suggest you get the water ingress sorted first. Internal insulation could just hide the problem and then it get worse. Would still be worth checking upstairs insulation -is the attic new?

The green deal guys looked at the loft and I can't remember them recommending anything but we need to dig out the report and check then decide what to do.
We were thinking the water ingress was just bad luck with the wind and rain. The room is wallpapered, hasn't been decorated in over 20yrs and has no other water marks.
My main concern is finding someone who seems to understand Victorian properties. The green deal guys seem a bit put out that I am not interested in external cladding.

Where abouts in the country are you? olivia has some good advice about victorian society and english heritage. Historic scotland also sometimes run events on hard to heat homes. Sounds like you need a second opinion on what your house needs - you then may or may not decide to go with the green deal guys if it is financially sensible.

I would hang fire on the Green boys and get some proper advice. They aren't going anywhere. If you do decide to insulate internally, it will affect the depth of the window so that decision goes hand in glove with the timing for the replacement of the windows so you can measure up properly whichever way around it goes.

Water ingress is possibly bad luck but if there's a weak spot there now, its worth investigating first. We've had no visible sign of flooding but it's become apparent that the damp course/ground level under the floor boards at the rear of the house has suffered this year. We're about to have the kitchen floor boards up to take a look. I have a horrible suspicion that there may only be a few inches between boards and earth.

I've only lived in victorian terraces, so my experience is quite different. Replacing the windows, underfloor insulation and insulated plasterboard on external walls made a staggering difference though. Provided you ventilate well, it's fine though we make a lot of use out of a condensing tumbledrier.

I've never even heard of a Victorian bungalow. Are you in the UK?

Yes, in the UK. It was a thatched bungalow coach house that's had bits extended and tacked on over the years so a couple of the upstairs bedrooms have a pitched roof. The gutters also need attention which doesn't help the damp round the windows.

We're planning on making a few short term fixes to tide it over till we can get it fully stripped out and modernised (if that's an option). At the moment we're thinking of doing a room at a time and stripping it right back to brick and floor boards.

Sounds quite a unique property -lovely!! But off the peg options really might not be for you. Some times architects will spec for insulation etc. even if you don't need them for the whole project.

Sounds lovely op! But it also needs treating with care- I think you need to address the penetrating damp (check mortar and repoint in lime based mortar if needed- this can often be a reason for water ingress). Guttering is also really important. If you have damp it can make the house feel colder and regardless of insulating, it needs looking at.

It would be worth checking insulation in the roof- this can make a huge difference. BG are doing this for free at the moment too.

Windows- I know you say they are old and need replacing, but I have seen miracles worked with windows, looks can be deceiving.

We are doing up a Victorian house- it is a labour of love. I work with old buildings so I'm very into keeping original features etc. There is lots of 'less is more' type solutions you can do before going for huge jobs such as internal insulation. Well done on resisting external stuff to, looks awful IMO.

Is it in a conservation area or listed? Your conservation officer shoud be able to advise.

Ps is it still thatched?

Green deal said the roof insulation was fine. It isn't thatched anymore, think it was extended into the roof a long time ago and tiled then. It's not listed or in a conservation area.

I was up for refurbishing the windows but DH isn't at all. They don't match all the way round the house - some good features worth keeping on one side of the house but then old, cheap upvc double glazing in other parts so I'd like to work our way round in phases replacing them all.