If
you have solid walls you could install external or internal
wall insulation. Solid walls lose heat more quickly than
cavity walls,but because
they are solid there is no easy way to insulate them.
A solution to this is external and internal wall insulation.
External wall insulation
This involves adding a decorative
weather-proof insulating treatment to the outside of your
wall. The thickness of the insulation needs to be
between
50 and 100mm and is usually installed where there are
severe heating problems or the exterior of the building
requires some form of other repair work,
providing the opportunity of adding insulation. This is
more expensive than cavity wall insulation but it could
save you £290 - £350 a year on you energy bills.
The marginal* cost for external wall insulation starts
at £1,800 for a semi-detached house.
*The marginal cost includes the
insulation and labour costs when wall repairs are being
undertaken.
Internal wall insulation
Solid walls can also be insulated
by applying internal wall insulation. You can use ready-made
insulation/plaster board laminates or wooden battens in-filled
with
insulation or flexible linings.
Insulation/plaster board laminates
usually consist of plasterboard backed with insulating
material typically to a total thickness of up to 90mm.
Installing them involves
the boards being fitted directly to the inside of the
wall and the thicker the board the better the insulation.
You can also attach wooden battens in-filled with insulation
to a wall.
This involves attaching battens to the wall, filling the
spaces between the battens with insulation and then covering
them with a plasterboard finish.
Costs for internal wall insulation
start from £40 per square metre, and you could save between
£270 - £340 a year on your energy bill.
Please note: both methods can be disruptive to the existing
building and costs can be high.
Flexible insulating linings (a form
of dry lining) can also be used. These are cheaper
and less disruptive to install, though savings on your
energy bill are lower,
typically £90-£100 a year.
Source: The
Energy Savings Trust January 2007
