Find an Insulation Installer you can trust in Wednesbury.

A lot of an uninsulated property’s heat is lost through the roof and that’s even more alarming, when you realize this figure is up to a quarter of the total heat of the house. Hence, the tremendous importance of preventing this heat loss through loft insulation which will go a long way to help you against spending unnecessary thousands of pounds on heating bill as well as energy loss.

Loft insulation is an effective method to achieve the desired result, however the question is, how exactly does it work? Well, it’s time to find out!

Using either a fireplace or central heating to heat up your home, a large quantity of that heat would be lost through the roof of your home. Generally, heat rises and when it does, there’s simply no way to prevent it - it’s just science. Escaping by both the conduction and convection methods via your roof, the heat escaping through your ceiling, into the loft space and out into the open air outside can only be significantly reduced by laying loft insulation.

Generally, the added layer of insulation works by trapping the heat inside the room below the loft so as to enable the air within your house to stay warmer for longer. What’s more? The layer of insulation also keeps cold air from the outside from entering your home. As a result, you don’t have to heat your home as much in order to achieve the same temperature for each individual room. Over time, just by doing this you can potentially save hundreds pounds. Getting it installed in your home may actually seem a bit expensive at first, but it’s something that’ll eventually pay off.

How long it takes to install insulation will depend on the size of your property. In general, loft and cavity wall insulation can be installed in a day or two. External wall insulation will usually take longer to install. The rep or installer will be able to advise you when quoting for the job how long this will be.

The best type of insulation for your property will depend on the type of walls and any insulation that’s already present. It’s usually a good idea to have some form of wall insulation as well as loft insulation, as this helps to prevent heat loss in both areas.

With the title of this blog, do not be deceived into thinking the purpose is to encourage you to install an external insulation by yourself. Even as a competent DIYer, it’s not advisable to buy a couple of materials and start slapping it into the wall hoping for the best outcome. External insulation is by no means a DIY job and without the proper training and experience, it can easily turn out disastrous resulting in loss of time, effort and money in such a valuable project. This blog, however, will give you a great insight on how the installation process works and help maximize knowledge ensuring you do not spend more than necessary.

External Insulation Installation

lRender Test

• This is done to ensure the existing render is good enough for insulation support.

• If positive, the insulation can be applied directly onto it.

• If negative, ensure removal of the old render before fitting the insulation.

lPipework Adjustment & Removal

• Remove all pipework prior to insulation fitting

• Install temporary downpipes to ensure water is not wasted and everything continue to function normally during the insulation fitting process.

lWindow Protection

• Protect the window with a protective layer or film.

lStarter Track Fitting

• Determine level you want the insulation to start (height).

• Fit the aluminium start track or carrier tray at the identified level.

lInsulation Boards Fitting

• Apply a layer of adhesive to the board and glue them to the wall in a staggered pattern.

• Cut to fit round all obstructions and windows.

• File off the edge of the board where necessary using a rasp upon successful fitting of the boards

lMechanical Fixing Inclusion

• Hammer around 10 fixings per square metre into the board.

• This is to secure the insulation boards.

lBeading Fitting

• Add corner beads and stop beads to ensure the insulation is secure and to prevent it from making contact with other materials.

lReinforcing Mesh & Render Addition

• Apply two layers of strengthening properties and between the two layers of render, include a fibre glass mesh.

lPrimer Application

• Paint on the primer

lFinal Render Application

• Choose your most preferred texture and colour as this will be the last coating of the installation process.

lPipework Re-installation

• Re-install all detached pipework at the start of the installation process.

External wall insulation works to keep your home cosy and comfy while also helping to cut the energy bills. However with the great benefits also comes great costs, so it’s actually a logical decision to know whether there are grants out there which you’re eligible for to help you handle the cost of the external wall insulation.

There are grants available for external wall insulation, but rarely will you find one that covers the full installation cost. With the help of the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, a couple of energy companies assist in making your home more energy efficient by offering grants or free insulation. In certain cases whereby you receive particular state benefits, you may as well qualify for a higher grant that’ll cover more of the insulation cost.

However, if your energy supplier doesn’t offer any grant, you need not worry as you can save as much on energy bill after installation. Here’s what insulation can help you save per year on energy bills:

• Floor insulation can help you save within a range of £30 to £75 each year.

• Cavity wall insulation can help you save about £85 to £280 a year.

• Loft Insulation (270mm) can help you save about £135 to £250 a year.

Generally, the amount you’ll be able to save on your energy bills depends mainly on the type and size of your property, as well as how energy efficient it already is without the insulation. In the long run, your external wall insulation will more than give you back your investment on the valuable project through your savings on energy bills. In other words, whether or not you’re eligible for a grant should never stop you from installing an external wall insulation.

Before the commencement of any project, it’s always best to get an estimation of the cost. However, determining the cost of an external solid wall insulation is not the easiest of tasks as it relies on varying components such as the insulation materials to be used, labour cost and installation as well as the type of decorative finish to be incorporated. And depending on your choice of insulation material, some may need some adhesives while others may require some fixings which also contributes to the differences in price. As a result, the determination of the material cost alone can be tricky and even more so when various materials cover varying areas.

With that in mind, the cost of external solid wall insulation generally ranges between £80 to £100 per square metre2. As a result, a small flat can cost from £6000 to £9000 whereas a large detached house can have a price ranging between £21000 to £23000. To earn back your investment in terms of energy bill savings can take a couple of years, but it’s surely worth the try as there are several other benefits associated with installing an external solid wall insulation system. What’s more? Another huge factor that can influence the cost of your system is also the amount of work that’s required, how easy it is to be accessed by the installers and lots more

If you’re looking to cut down on the cost of your external solid wall insulation, then the best time for an installation might just be when you’re having another decorating or building project done such as fitting a new roof, window painting, installation of solar PV panels and more. This way, you’ll be able to spread the cost and have a greater value for each penny expended.

This is a very great opportunity to not only get free external wall insulation, but also cut down your energy bills depending on the type of property you live in. Generally, to enjoy free external wall insulation you must at least be part of the group receiving one of the benefits listed below and also depends on the amount of money you earn. The benefits include:

• Income based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)

• Income support

• Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)

• Tax credits

• Pension credit guarantee credit.

• Universal credit.

There are also other important factors that determines if you can have a free insulation fitted on your property. These includes the place you reside, the carbon level of your home and according to some suppliers, the level of beneficial impact the insulation will have on your home. In order to have a free external wall insulation installed, you must either be the owner of your home or at least obtain the go ahead from your landlord before any external wall insulation activity can be made.

Good news is, if you fit the aforementioned criteria and you’ve already installed an external wall insulation, you just may be entitled to receive a refund for the good job done. However, to really find out if you’re eligible, we’d recommend you get in touch with your supplier directly. Also, the Energy Saving Trust (EST) can direct you to some organizations who can assist you in the determination of your eligibility.

As a home and property owner living in England, you can also check out the Each Home Counts Advice Website which is committed to giving impartial energy efficiency advice.

At the end of the day, if it turns out you happen to be ineligible for a free external wall insulation, you can still go ahead to contact a professional installer for a help at a competitive price to enjoy the several benefits that comes with home insulation.

Do you know about 25 percent of heat that escapes from an uninsulated house are lost through the roof? Fortunately, roof insulation is something that can done by all DIYers irrespective of their experience levels. However, if you happen to lack the confidence necessary to pull off this, then it’s strongly recommended that you hire the services of a professional who can guarantee the best results and also save you time and money that could arise from potential cost mistakes. Let’s take a look!

• Clear out all clutter. This involves taking out all the rubbish and clutter from the loft. In order to work effectively, you’ll need a totally clear and empty loft space.
• Ensure that there’s sufficient insulation. The importance of a good ventilation cannot be overstated. Poor ventilation will result in forming of condensation and this condensation can make the roof timbers rot and compromise the structural integrity of the entire roof. If there are no roof windows which is the easiest way to provide a loft ventilation, the next best option would be to follow the loft floor along to the point where the roof comes down to meet it. There should be a gap at this point, also referred to as the eaves, between the outside wall and the underside of the roof.
• Measure your loft area. Take a measurement of the loft space in order to calculate the amount of insulation as well as the type you need. If you’re not sure, always get more that it’s required as skimming on the amount you use will only back fire in form of increased energy costs
• Check for water pipes.

To get started, simply make sure all cracks and gaps in the ceiling are filled using a standard filler or decorator caulk. Once done, clean the gaps in the joists and even to the point of hovering all the dust up. Finally,check for the hazards that can cause you problems before laying the loft insulation.