A property that has been built without cavity walls is said to have 'solid' walls. Many homes were built this way up until the 1950s but the design is not at all energy efficient; solid walls tend to retain only half the heat of a cavity wall. This makes solid-walled homes much more expensive to keep warm, and the presence of cold walls can also give rise to problems with condensation and damp.
Fortunately, as this customer testimonial illustrates, there are some very effective solutions that are both reliable and affordable. These fall into the following categories:
External Wall Insulation
Internal Wall Insulation
Hybrid Wall Insulation
Solid Wall Insulation - External Wall
This is the most common form of solid wall insulation. It keeps the interior unchanged and the insulation boards greatly improve heat retention - saving around £300 per annum for an average semi-detached property. These are covered with an attractive decorative render that provides added protection against the elements.
Solid Wall Insulation - Internal
With this option, insulating boards are affixed to the inside of the walls in order to trap more heat and minimise draughts. This is a good option if you don't wish to change the appearance of the building's facade, but it does require internal redecoration and it inevitably entails more disruption and a small loss of floor space.
Solid Wall Insulation - Hybrid
Hybrid systems involve fitting a combination of internal and external wall insulation. In this case, internal insulation is usually applied at the front of the property (to preserve its original facade) and external insulation is applied to the other walls so as to minimise the loss of floor space and the need for redecoration.
Sustainable Energy Services can help you with any of these three options but, in most cases, external wall insulation is the most efficient, the most cost effective and the most convenient for the customer. If you would like help in choosing the system that's right for you, please contact us and ask for a free survey.
How Does External Wall Insulation Work?
As a BBA-certified installer, Sustainable Energy Services uses only the very best external wall insulation systems. We can work with virtually any high quality EWI system but our preferred choice is the WarmHome system from PermaRock - Britain's most well established manufacturer.
Benefits of External Wall Insulation
Typical energy savings of 35%
Cut your energy costs by £250 to £350 per annum
Keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer
Reduce condensation problems
Improve weatherproofing and draught-proofing
Add around 14% to the value of your home
A choice of colours and finishes to update your home's appearance
Materials guaranteed for 25 years
25 year SWIGA Guarantee also available
Interest free credit also available
Enhances and refreshes the appearance of the home
Internal Wall Insulation
Internal Wall Insulation is applied to the internal walls of a building. It typically consists of dry lining in the form of pre-insulated plasterboard or built-up systems using fibrous insulation such as mineral wool held in place using a studwork frame.
Internal Wall Insulation:
is generally cheaper to install than external wall insulation
will slightly reduce the floor area of any rooms in which it is applied (the thickness of the insulation is around 100mm)
can be disruptive but can be done on a room by room basis
requires skirting boards, door frames and external fittings to be removed and reattached
can make it hard to fix heavy items to inside walls – although special fixings are available
needs any problems with penetrating or rising damp to be fixed first
External Wall Insulation Finish Samples
Chestnut Brick Effect Render
Red Cedarwood Brick Effect Render
Brightstone Cream Dry Dash Render
Classic Spar Pink Dry Dash Render
Polar White Dry Dash Render
Sunflower Yellow Dry Dash Render
Silicone Ultra K Finish
Permarock Facade A1 Colour Range Card
Examples of Completed Projects
Completed installation - Bungalow
Completed installations - Terraced Houses
Complete project - Detached Property
Completed project - Victorian Period Detached Property
Completed project - Semi-detached Property
Completed project - Rear Aspect of a Semi-detached Property
Completed project - External Wall Insulation and other energy efficiency improvements
SWIGA 25 Year Guarantee
For added peace of mind, all solid wall insulation works come with a 25 Year SWIGA (Solid Wall Insulation Guarantee Agency) Guarantee.
This is an independent guarantee covering professionally installed external, internal or hybrid solid wall insulation solutions and provides cover for 25 years against defective materials, design or workmanship.
The guarantee is transferable with change of ownership of the property and is also not dependant on installer insolvency.
Find Out More
To see whether your home would be suitable for a solid wall insulation system, please call usor use our reply form to request a free survey.