External Wall Insulation
If you're a Dragon's Den fan like myself, you may have heard Bobby Kerr talking about External Wall Insulation in the last series. He was trying to get his head around what exactly it was and he came up with a nice description. So is it like a great big tea cosy for your house he asked. That sounds like a pretty good way of summing it up. We've talked to External Wall Insulation specialist, Paul Black of Wrap Up Warm to learn some more about External Wall Insulation (or EWI), the ups, the downs, and the important stuff to know.
First of all, what kind of house is most suitable for External Wall Insulation?
If your house was built before the 80's, the chances are that it has a cavity block wall i.e. a single block wall. That means it's not possible to insulate the house by pumping beads or foam into the cavity so the only options are internal insulation and external wall insulation.
Internal insulation starts off cheaper but it has some drawbacks. Firstly, it reduces your living space. Secondly, it causes quite a lot of disruption, in terms of moving radiators, lights, skirting boards etc, so the costs can add up.
Can you give an idea of costs of External Wall Insulation?
Yes, for a 3 bed semi detached house, the cost for all work and materials may be as low as €6,000. This is based on a cost of €10,000 for work and materials, less the €4,000 SEAI Better Energy Homes Grant.
For a 4 bed semi-detached house, the cost is between €8,000 and €10,000 approx. depending on the size of your house. This is based on a cost of €12,000 to €14,000 (depending on the size of your house), less the €4,000 SEAI Better Energy Homes Grant.
What about savings?
We use Baumit External Wall Insulation, a top quality material so you can expect substantial savings on your heating bills.
The comfort level provided by your insulation will mean that you will not need to turn on your heat as often or turn it up so high.
That can mean savings of between €300 to €700 per year.
What level of disruption is involved?
The work is all carried out outside, so there's really no disruption inside the house. There will be scaffolding erected of course, but you will still have access to your front and back door.
If you have a narrow side passage, you may temporarily loose access on the side due to scaffolding there.
What about the appearance of my house - will it change?
That's really up to yourself. You will be getting an external makeover with your external wall insulation. The house will be replastered (in a special plaster which doesn't need repainting for about 15 years. It's a speciable, washable finish in itself.
However, we can of course match the existing appearance of your exterior in terms of bricks and finishes. For example, Baumit offers a complete product range suitable for new or existing concrete, masonry or rendered surfaces. It is available in a wide range of colours, textures and design features.
If you're house is semi-detached, you will notice a 4 inch offset between your house and your neighbours house. This just looks a little like a paint line from the side. Window sills are replaced to ensure the insulation completely covers the house and no cold bridging occurs. The replacement window sill will match your existing window sills. You'll also notice 4 inches "taken off" your soffit.
Other things will be fixed too - if you had bad plaster work or cracks on the exterior of your house, that all gets fixed. It's basically a new house on the outside.
Paul, what's the biggest benefit, in your opinion?
Most people would say that it's the level of comfort they get. They'll also say that they hardly every use their heat after they've had it done. When they turn the heat off, the house stays warm - it doesn't get cold again within an hour.
it holds the heat.
pickapro.ie would like to thank WrapUpWarm Insulation, for their helpful advice and tips for this article.
