How to insulate floors insulation is an important investment and can increase comfort, safety and energy efficiency. It is also good for the environment and future-proofs the building against tighter code requirements. It can also help to protect the value of your property.

Adding insulation to an existing home is often easier than it might seem, but it’s important to do it correctly. Ecohome investigates the best way to retro-fit external wall insulation to an existing brick or timber-frame house.

Aesthetics, Efficiency, and Durability: The Case for Exterior Insulation Cladding

When insulating an older house you need to establish whether the walls have cavities or are solid brick. If they are solid you can either insulate from the inside by drilling holes in the brick wall and blowing in insulation or injecting foam or cellulose pellets directly into the wall, then a new layer of sheathing (aluminum or vinyl siding or stucco) is installed over the insulation. This method can reduce the cost of a retro-fit by eliminating a sleeve or wrapping around the insulation, but it will add to the time and complexity of the job.

In frame houses it’s a little more complicated. The construction of the frame walls and details such as fire stops, blocking, plumbing and wiring can interfere with the installation of insulation. Also many frames have a 25 to 50 mm (1 to 2 in.) air space at the drainage plane of the walls which is not normally insulated. This can cause problems in the form of condensation points and moisture which is not able to flow away from the wall assembly.