General insulation query

DrPhilG

I have a bungalow, built in around 2006 (not by me).

I live on the side of a bloody windy and exposed hill in Donegal that gets the worst of the weather pounded off it most of the year.

Attic - a few years ago I doubled the attic insulation, cross batten and raised the floored area to prevent compression.

Roof - my wife has always wanted to get that foam spray stuff on the actual inside of the roof, but given that we have insulated the attic that seems counter productive to me. You'll just end up with a nice warm attic, no?

Cavity walls - to the best of my knowledge, all we have in the cavities is some aeroboard but only up to about a metre. Should I have the walls pumped? Or does my house location with regards to the weather mean that I'd risk penetrating damp? I've read a number of reports suggesting that in house with strong exposure to the wind and rain, damp can get through the wall and if that happens, cavity wall insulation can increase the chances of transferring that damp to the internal wall.

Interior walls - the whole place could do with being dry lined, but in particular the end of the house that faces the wind, namely our bedroom and ensuite.

Exterior walls - as I understand it, this is the grand daddy of insulation? Prohibitively expensive though.

Chimney - we do have a chimney and open fire in the living room but we're getting a stove in shortly. We don't have a back boiler though and don't really have the option to install one due to the amount of work needed. But at least the stove will stop me losing so much heat up the chimney.

Heating - we have both oil burner and slack burner, but both are in the garage. This means a pretty long run across the yard which isn't ideal. To make it worse the pipes under the yard seem to be very poorly insulated which means we lose a lot of heat as it crosses the yard. Ideally I'd like to dig them up and replace them, but that would mean a big fat scar across the concrete which my beloved will not stand for. So any butchering of the back yard would require resurfacing the whole yard and driveway which would cost a mint.

So any thoughts or suggestions? What should my insulation priorities be?

sydthebeat

Is your oil boiler an old one?
Youre best efficiencies could come from replacing it with a modern condensing type against the rear wall off the house

DrPhilG

sydthebeat wrote: »

Is your oil boiler an old one?
Youre best efficiencies could come from replacing it with a modern condensing type against the rear wall off the house

It's a condenser, fitted when we moved in 6 years ago.

And moving stuff to the back of the house has about as much chance as me ripping up the back yard, and for the same reasons, lol.

sydthebeat

DrPhilG wrote: »

It's a condenser, fitted when we moved in 6 years ago.

And moving stuff to the back of the house has about as much chance as me ripping up the back yard, and for the same reasons, lol.

If snow melts and frost defrosts along a clear line in the ground then there's serious heat losses happening.... So aesthetics can go on hold really....

DrPhilG

sydthebeat wrote: »

If snow melts and frost defrosts along a clear line in the ground then there's serious heat losses happening.... So aesthetics can go on hold really....

Absolutely agree. But ripping up the yard is for now not happening so for now my priorities are insulating the house.

Calahonda52

DrPhilG wrote: »

Absolutely agree. But ripping up the yard is for now not happening so for now my priorities are insulating the house.

You need to address airtightness before you think about insulation as its the air tightness, or lack thereof, is what is causing the heat loss.

Are the soffits ventilated?
Do you have concrete barges on edge of roof to keep slates on.
EWI, using a rain barrier and a ventilated space behind it would work well on the exposed side.
It would need to go up and tie in with the insulation in the roof, hence my ? re the barges

DrPhilG

Calahonda52 wrote: »

Are the soffits ventilated?
YES

Do you have concrete barges on edge of roof to keep slates on.
NO IDEA

Answers above in capitals.

Calahonda52

DrPhilG wrote: »

Answers above in capitals.

Pictures please of the outside of the house

DrPhilG

Calahonda52 wrote: »

Pictures please of the outside of the house

Will do tomorrow, where do you need? Gable end that takes the brunt of the weather?

Calahonda52

DrPhilG wrote: »

Will do tomorrow, where do you need? Gable end that takes the brunt of the weather?

gable/soffits, showing roof as well