Cavity wall insulation question.

iverjohnston

Hi all,
We have a dormer bungalow built 10 years ago.There is no insulation in the cavity, the external walls are all insulated on their inner faces with insulated slab boards, plus the usual fibreglass in the attic and "side attics"
Now the problem is that there are drafts coming in around the skirting boards and under the window boards. I assume this is cold air entering at the eves/facia boards and then either running down the cavity of the wall and leaking to the back of the insulated slabs, where it is not tight to the inner walls, or running down behind the insulated slabs from the eves level?
I am considering pulling off all the skirting and sealing between the bottom of the slab boards and the floor slab with expanding foam, and running a bit of clear silicone under the window boards, or should I get the cavity pumped with expanding foam? Or polysteyrne beads?
Any opinions out there?
Iver in Cavan
PS there was an opening in the kitchen at ceiling level in the slabboards, to route in a el. cable for cabinat lights, just through the slab, not the inner leaf of the wall, and there was a gale blowing in. So I filled it with foam.

grange mac

Have a 7 year old semi with boom prices and was a cold house. I enquired about it being cold and was told it was built to the planning regulations. Went away and pumped the walls with beads. No grant as was 16days out of grant date. Best thing we ever done. Heard stories about condensation. on windows from the insulation but dont affect us as we open the vents in windows to circulate the air.

In your case I'd apply for your grant and get it done as should cost about 600 plus grant. Will pay for itself in few years.

Tip, when they drilled our walls they asked for paint so they could paint over the filled holes when finished. not all co's do that.

Ring around as there are chancers in. every business!

iverjohnston

Thanks, Grangemac, will make a few calls.

Merch

How do they know they fill all the cavities?, they could be leaving big gaps
and no one would be any the wiser, including them.
I suppose its possible they could estimate the volume and measure the volume of insulation they put in, it does leave it wide open for the chancers though.
From what I have read external insulation is better, but it seems like the most expensive.
Personally I'd be weighing the cost to the potential savings.

I recommend doing the expanding foam in any gaps, I took off the skirting boards when I was putting down wooden flooring and there was a noticeable cold draft coming from the space where they were, before I put down the underlay I filled the gaps and cut when dry, big difference when putting the hand to it, had to have been cooling the rooms.