Do you mind me asking but how much did the external insulation cost?We had a very similar problem to you when we first moved into our 1970s dormer. It was a disaster for heating costs and comfort levels. We spent a fortune on gas and were still sitting under blankets with hot water bottle the first winter.
Best value for money was insulating the attic. We had rock wool insulation with a plywood flooring over the top. They then also put a big pillow of insulation over the hatch and the doors to the crawl space. This made a massive difference to the bedroom draughts. I used to hear the wind whistling in the crawl space in our bedroom and feel the draught on my head at night. This was all sorted by the attic insulation.
Got the chimney lined and stove fitted and this made a very noticeable difference to draughts in the sitting room when the fire wasn’t lit. We did this for the heat at the time but sorting the chimney draughts was an added bonus
We were getting new flooring anyway, so got the carpenter to lift the floor boards and put insulation between the joists. Then some form of board over the top and the we put down laminate and carpet. This was transformative to the comfort levels downstairs.
While we were saving for the new windows, I just bought a lot of second hand, heavy interlined curtains from eBay in the UK that people were selling when the redecorated. I put these over the front door and patio doors as well. That made a surprising amount of difference and the second winter was OK.
Eventually we changed the windows and got external insulation, got a B3 rating so heating bills came down.
But the other changes made the house comfortable enough to live in.
Based on three of my kids new builds, what you have said there makes total sense. Problem is though, as far as can see all, the surveyors seem to be attached to companies that just want to sell. I want someone to look at the situation and say, "doing 'X' first will be the most effective", or "considering the available funds, you can't do 'X', but doing 'Y' would be worth doing".The solution starts with an independent heat loss survey which includes an air tightness test in addition to thermal imaging survey. Key to this is the surveyor is experienced and expert in their building physics knowledge because internal moisture control through appropriate ventilation is also vital to get get a comprehensive solution.
Happy to help. I will send you a messageI live in the Meath / North Kildare area, if you know of someone that fits the bill, I would appreciate the contact details very much,
North Dublin here, would appreciate sameHappy to help. I will send you a message
@Micks'r - South Dublin here, also interested in getting an independent survey done, would be very grateful for a recommendation.Happy to help. I will send you a message
Ideally yes as there is a risk of missing something if the internal / external temperature differential is not sufficient (>10ºC).@Micks'r
Is this best done during cold weather when draughts and leakage are more obvious?
Many thanks
Stan
Reminder: Recommendations via private message are not allowed. Post publicly only please.I am also very interested in an independent survey, based in Dublin 16 just off the M50, please message me thanks
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