Save money on your heating costs
Insulating your solid walls could cut your heating costs considerably, and make your home more comfortable.
If your home was built before the 1920s, its external walls are most probably solid walls rather than cavity walls.
Cavity walls are made of two layers with a small gap or ‘cavity’ between them, solid walls have no gap so they cannot be filled with cavity wall insulation.
The answer for solid walls to insulate them from either side of the wall, either on the inside or the outside.
Solid wall insulating does cost more than cavity wall insulation but will save you a lot more money.
Working out your wall type
We can call out and see what walls you have so then can rule it if you have any cavity wall insulation.
If you want to check yourself and you can see your brickwork on the outside of the house, look at the pattern of the bricks because this can show how the wall has been built.
Cavity Wall
If your home has cavity walls, the bricks will usually have an even pattern with all the bricks laid lengthways.
Solid Wall
If your home has solid walls, the bricks will have an alternating pattern, with some bricks laid across the wall so you can see the smaller ends from the outside.
If you cannot see the brickwork because it has been covered with cladding or render or something else, you can also tell by measuring the width of the wall. Examine a window or door on one of your external walls.
If you measure a brick wall and it is more than 260mm thick then it is most likely a cavity wall, if its any narrower then the wall is probably a solid wall. Stone walls may also be thicker still but are usually solid.
Internal wall insulation
Internal wall insulation is done by fitting rigid insulation boards to the wall, or by building a stud wall filled in with insulation material such as mineral wool fibre.
Internal wall is generally cheaper to install than external wall insulation but will slightly reduce the floor area of any rooms in which it is applied (the thickness of the insulation is around 100mm). We always try to work with the minimum disruption but it will require skirting boards, door frames and external fittings to be removed and reattached.
Please note this work will not solve rising damp problems without the problem of that being dealt with first.
External wall insulation
External wall insulation is done by fixing a layer of insulation material to the wall, then covering it with a special type of render (plasterwork) or cladding of your choice.
The finish can be smooth, textured, painted, tiled, panelled, pebble-dashed, or finished with brick slips.
External insulation has lots of other benefits as well like:
Creates a new modern look to your property
Improves the weatherproofing and sound resistance of the wall it is applied to
It will fill cracks and gaps in the existing brickwork and will reduce draughts
Because of the protective element it will automatically increase the life of the wall
It reduces condensation on internal walls and can help prevent damp but will not solve rising or penetrating damp.
Things to note:
You may need planning permission – we can check with your local council
We will need require good access to the outer walls
FAQ’s
Successful application dates back within the UK since the mid 1980s, with External Wall being one of the main forms of construction within mainland Europe.
All systems are designed to have sufficient resistance for areas where general wear and tear, impact is expected. Additional security can be specified for areas requiring high impact resistance. However, where, damage is sustained, through accident or vandalism, replacement and repair is easily achieved.
All systems are tested by the BBA for life-expectancy and achieve a rating in excess of 30 years.
The systems are covered by a manufacturers 10 year warranty relating to labour and materials, however extensions may be applied for which may carry an associated cost.
All Ecowarm approved systems are manufactured and independently audited in accordance with ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard. External Wall Insulation systems incorporate insulation materials that are CFC and HCFC-free.
By nature of the thermal upgrade EWI significantly reduces pollution and improves environment locally, as well as globally.
We only offer External Systems which achieve zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP).
The system will be installed in a number of key stages. All the external fittings will be removed or redirected, the insulation slabs may have an adhesive and/or a mechanical fixing, followed by the applications of a render system to provide protection and a decorative finish. Upon completion, all external fittings are then repositioned.
A wide choice of colour texture and styles are available including brick effect finishes.
Ecowarm prides itself on quality installations and EWI is no exception. In fact the number of installation trades and complicated detailing on any one project means regular management and quality assurance. Checks on site is vital for a successful project.
Ecowarm implements rigorous and regular on-site quality assurance procedures in conjunction with the system manufacturer to ensure successful handover to the client/tenant is achieved
All of the systems are designed to be virtually maintenance-free and self-cleaning. As with good normal building maintenance, checks are required on movement joints, rainwater pipes etc and general building maintenance is advised to ensure the longevity and performance of the system.
Yes, Grant Funding is available (subject to application conditions). Click here to apply.
