The Best Internal Wall Insulation for Old Properties?

[@CharlieDIYte]

🛠Charlie DIYte Amazon Tool Store amzn.to/3fcLnY4 - all my tried, tested and much loved DIY tools. ☕Patreon membership bit.ly/3xuQ3zb - includes Discord access. ☕Buy Me a Coffee bit.ly/3xuQ3zb - to help support my Channel - also use it for membership a bit like Patreon. 👚Charlie DIYte Official Merch Store charlie-diyte.myspreadshop.co.uk/ - all new range of professionally designed merch.

[@dankirk4186]

Your stuff is absolutely cracking Charlie. As a young home owner you’ve saved me a fortune on showing me stuff I can do myself, and a fortune on knowing enough to tell when a tradesman is talking shite

[@nohandle474]

Love it when u catch them talking bolloks!

[@Chris-vc6bn]

Great video I so need to do this with my solid walls 👍

[@alis49281]

There are better ways. And cheaper too. Even without plastics, foil and all that tape...

[@Johnno-vj3yp]

@@alis49281Could you please explain ?

[@Senna-xi1gr]

Totally agree, love genuine utube vids giving u help & honest advice.

[@paulhodgson4790]

Good to hear that a manufacturer gives good after sales and tech support.

[@xokissmekatexo]

Im in the USA and looking to add insulation to my “old” home from 1940. This is one of the best videos I’ve watched. Thanks for sharing!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks so much - chuffed you've found it watching from the US.

[@BaughbeSauce]

Same. I'm in Iowa and trying to figure out how to finish the basement and potentially insulate some of my cavity walls in my 1913 home.

[@cnut4563a]

Charlie I feel like we need more of the story of the emotional roller coaster you went through doing all this

[@y002cjw]

Another great video Charlie. I'm doing up an old stone railway cottage in Ireland, so very much on topic. I did dry line a wall last week in another cottage and your tip for taping the socket box is a good one and I will go back and do that.

[@alexstern6281]

Hello Charlie. Glass-and stone wool are very normal to use in Norway. You're so right when you say it's easy to use. The difference between glass wool and stone wool (how we call it in Norway) is that stone wool does not burn. It can withstand temperatures up to 1000⁰c whilst glass wool starts melting at around 500⁰c and it can burn.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Alex, that's good to know 👌

[@markthomasson5077]

Not sure that is an issue. But what is is the moisture resistance. Saturate both types and you will find Rockwool is far superior.

[@the_judge_8262]

This seems very common to systems prevalent in warmer parts of the world, e.g. like how Scott Brown has been doing in NZ on his channel recently. Might have to look into it myself when we get round to insulating our house 👍🏼

[@Vanjonsorz]

We used swip last year. Fabulous

[@DJ-uk5mm]

Hi Charlie isolated at 3600 ft.² single brick walls farmhouse 10 years ago, using the come out for Michelle system which looks like the one that your people are using. Since then, it has made a dramatic improvement to the quality of the environment in the house. It is completely removed any bold issues and we’ve had no problems with it. We did also add Underfloor Heating and did instillate the first floor too. Absolutely brilliant system not the cheapest, but if you plan to live in your house for any length of time then it is definitely worth it and I’m pretty sure Epc and reduce your heating costs significantly. I’m always amazed when I visit people who have renovated old houses, but haven’t considered insulation.

[@lksf9820]

This is what happens when you post up after being in the pub all day.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks for sharing 👌

[@CharlieDIYte]

🤣

[@benhiggins8921]

Brilliantly helpful, Charlie. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Great work 💪

[@satwinderdhariwal]

You can also add some ply in-between the OSB battens so you have a solid fixing surface all across the surface.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes you could do that - just making sure the screws you attach to the ply when you fix things to the wall don't penetrate the vcl

[@EeeeenSH]

I might be misunderstanding what you mean, but dew point is a temperature - variable depending upon a number of factors - not a place or area.

[@GeorgeHafiz]

I think he was saying just dew point when what he meant was “dew point caused condensation”, ie “there we are getting dew point caused condensation”

[@Stewart_Bell]

Somewhat over simplified, dew point is where warm meets cold. Familiar example being single glazing when it's cold outside and heated indoors, dew forms on the inside face of the glass.

[@EeeeenSH]

@@Stewart_Bell You are of course right - up to a point. The meeting of the warm air and the cold air cools the warm air, which because it's warm has the capacity to carry a relatively large amount of water vapour, it cools the warm air such that the warm air becomes saturated with water vapour and condensation likely occurs. The dew point is a measurement of the temperature at which this happens - the saturation process - and is, as such, measured as a temperature, i.e. in degrees celsius. In your example, dew point is reached at the inside surface of the window for the reason that you state, but dew point is the temperature to which that warm air contacting the window pane falls, for condensation to occur.

[@gandhi9936]

I had condensation on every window in a 200 year old building, until I had a PIV unit installed in the attic. Like magic, all the condensation disappeared!

[@bertibear1300]

So 10 years ago the builder did a not great job and you have built all this knowledge up since then.Well done, I had a heart failure start up instead!

[@ZohoExpert]

Sooo happy to finally see a new video from you! I’ve been visiting your channel regularly hoping to find a new one but being sorely disappointed! Keep up the good work 😊

[@markdyballuk]

Dear Charlie, thank you so much for the information and making this clear video. Insulation seems a very difficult area and full of conflicting advice and you have made it seem logical. thanks so much

[@CharlieDIYte]

Cheers Mark, I appreciate that 👊

[@Mike-ms6he]

Nice to see someone is dealing with this issue. My builder friend didn't know about this but did warn me about dot and dab to external walls causing damp spots to come through. We used instastick to glue up foil backed PIR boards and it's been OK so far. The cable derating is no different whether it's in the insulation or not- it's all installation type A whether it's buried or just butted against with a board on one side to cool down as you've done. Another great video Charlie- you'll need a new house to refurbish soon 😄

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks mate.. Yes I'm kicking myself I didn't mention the benefits of using foam with PIR/ insulated plasterboard. I've done a few videos on this now and forgot to do this on each. I think expanding foam would eliminate much of the issues I mentioned.

[@patpatpat999]

This is one of the videos I’ve seen that helps you understand how to insulate an old house.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks 🙏

[@ssoffshore5111]

I'd venture to say very few builders would go down to the level of detail you did installing this stuff, likely not that many DIY's would either! Well done Charlie!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks, I really appreciate that 👊

[@gibbodive140]

Hello Charlie. This is something I am considering myself but I am receive conflicting information. I am not being critical but do have a few constructive questions - Do you not need a ventilation gap between the insulation and the outside wall ? Does the outside wall not need heat from within the house to keep it naturally dry from the elements - rain in winter particularly? Would it not have been a lot easier to build an independent stud wall from floor to ceiling so no leveling out. Also eliminating the possibility of moisture from the outside wall travelling in to the new work - ventilation gap prevents ?? Thank you...

[@davideyres955]

A ventilation gap is only any use if you have air movement. It does stop the direct transmission of water which is why cavity walls exist and it’s a bad idea to fill them with insulation as you then create a bridge. All air has some moisture in it. The problem comes as the temperature changes and it starts to condense. The trick is keeping a route for more humid air as difficult as possible. Vapour barriers are actually vapour retarders that slow down the transfer of air. You are unlikely to get a house airtight, but can reduce the transfer and therefore reduce the risk of moist air hitting a surface that is colder than its dew point. MVHR is the gold standard in a well sealed home. It it were me I’d consider Stormdry on the outside, MVHR and vapour barriers with insulation.

[@ETH92]

I'm struggling to see the difference between this and the Kingspan system used in the bedroom other then the VCL. I expect the PIR and stud system with a VCL is going to be a lot cheaper. It overcomes cold bridging but the at those thicknesses of insulation the difference in the R-value between a normal stud and the insulation is not going to be enough to result in a condensation problem on the cold bridge. Given the Insulation should be behind a VCL in both systems the vapour permeability of the insulation won't matter. If the VCL fails and the vapour permeability of the insulation does become a factor then surely a less vapour permeable insulation would be better to prevent interstitial condensation occuring on the wall behind. Perhaps I missed something in the video? I also think the thermal massing mentioned at the beginning goes both ways. A lot of thermal massing will sap heat out of the building and make the internal temperature a lot less reactive to turning the heating on/up. Works better in hotter countries to prevent overheating.

[@richardwallinger1683]

best yet. I have recently installed 80 mm polystyrene insulation on my bedroom / downstairs fairly modern 30 ish year old home in Portugal. NOTICEABLE improvement . Upstairs floors are ceramic tilled over concrete / gravel filled heat sink,s . So Impressed with the ceiling insulation that I am looking to insulate the outer walls from the inside . Ab small amount of mould has occurred in the outer corners of the bedroom ceilings / walls. If you fancy a look see please come out to Alvito Portugal for a stop over break / holiday . Airport pick up and loan car foc .

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Richard. 👍

[@julian-fricker]

OMG, the masking tape to hold the foam insulation is DIY gold. I came to this video hoping for something to help me. I had new windows installed in a bungalow with cavity walls and discovered cavity closers when it was too late. So I've been struggling to fill the cavities with foam, but not any more. Thanks.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Julian. Really glad you found it useful..👊

[@videogalore]

Great update, nice to see the move away from PIR on the whole, just need to work on your foam addiction next! 😄 A note about the tapes to say that they should be pressed into place with an applicator tool to make the joints fully sealed.

[@lksf9820]

Thanks for bringing another option of breathable IWI to our attention, it's something I'm really needing on our project and this is possibly the answer. I was thinking of using woodfibre, but it requires a flat surface to bond to and like you (and most others) I don't have that. I'm a bit suspicious of the use of FF everywhere as I know it doesn't fill voids anywhere near as well as we think it does, but unsure how much, or if it does matter in this situation. As regards lime V gypsum, it's not about whether one is more vapour permeable than the other (they both are and every building material is to a degree), it's that one is ruined by constantly having damp go through it and the other one isn't. Every system has it's pros n cons and should be used or modified to suit the situation it's fitted into. The good thing about this system (for us, not SWIP) is that you can buy all the components elsewhere and make it yourself, probably a lot cheaper - if you have the tools.

[@kevocos]

Yeah I was wondering the same regarding the gap filling behind the stud. Another comment below had a great suggestion that the studs can be fabricated onsite, just buy the XPS insulation, osb and bond them together. I wonder could you go a step further and bond a layer of mineral wool to the XPS. The mineral being compressible would fill the gaps against the wall.

[@lksf9820]

@@kevocos Yes I was thinking of putting the wool behind the studs too, but it depends how irregular your surface is perhaps. You could also gun the foam on the back face just before finally fixing it to the wall. As regards making the studs you can buy PIR already bonded to OSB in sheet form, all you need to do is run the saw down it. You need to make sure you choose the right type of wool, IIRC one soaks up water, the other doesn't.

[@petel3366]

Such a professional video Charlie! There’s content and there’s presentation- you nailed (or glued or screwed or foamed) both 😂! I wish you’d done this video a year ago! Same type of property and although no damp I suspect that’s because all doors and windows are wood. Cold areas everywhere! It’s an old coach house - though it’s conversion is only surface ! Just finishing off polished concrete kitchen flooring - it’s an interesting product. Keep the vids coming!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Love that comment - thanks so much mate. Love the sound of the polished concrete too - bet it looks amazing👌. I've got a tiling vid to do - newly finished laying the monster 1200mm square porcelains. I think it's created a similar effect. 👊

[@xorsyst1]

I really wanted to do this with my victorian house ... but chickened out and went for the much cheaper and easier Wallrock wallpaper instead. It's still made quite a bit of a difference, although obviously nothing on this. I couldn't find a single company who would give me a sensible quote for doing the job properly - something we really need in this country.

[@siprior7393]

Love this Charlie i have been searching for the best system for ages and this is just right for my room -- followed step by step and worked out really well..

[@kevocos]

I have done extensive research into IWI in solid wall construction as I have 130 sqm to do on an upcoming project, tbh I am absolutely sick to the teeth of reading about it and trying to decide which system to use. The SWIP system looks promising and I may even use it myself however IMHO woodfibre boards and a lime based finishing plaster should be regarded as the benchmark, I believe it is the system that is least likely to suffer from interstitial condensation. But every situation is different and SWIP may be totally satisfactory in many houses, certainly those is low exposure areas of the country.

[@alexclifford8961]

Correct. Woodfibre with lime plaster. Fully bonded with vapour open adhesive. Very simple and most effective at dealing with moisture.

[@darrensmith7853]

Or you go hemp lime solid plaster

[@markthomasson5077]

..but does it achieve the same insulation value, for a similar thickness.

[@simonhall2682]

Fantastic video, I’ve been looking for an understandable explanation of this for months and this really helps.

[@averymitchell6696]

This is great information, Charlie. I considered drylining our house before but the conflicting information on how to do so with solid walls was head melting, so I never did it. Fortunately we were able to get external insulation, but had I known this a few years ago I likely would have gone down this route.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks.. You're much better off with external though. 👌

[@GeoffreyPapin]

I was so looking forward to this video ! Pretty much since the first insulation video you did. I got to say it was worth the wait. This is going to turn our old victorian house into a cozy home and I'm really glad I won't have to pay a fortune to have the walls lime-rendered. It's going to be so much better to have those smooth and flat plasterboard sheets. One questions though, what would you recommend for internal walls ? especially ground floor where rising damp might be an issue ?

[@robn749]

I’ll be installing this system at some point over the next few weeks. Really appreciate the video Charlie. Thank you.

[@danielmcgregor3124]

Hi mate, how have you gotten on with SWIP? What rooms are you doing?

[@robn749]

@@danielmcgregor3124 hi mate, it was an old kitchen being decided up into smaller rooms, utility, wc and entrance area. Still ongoing as I have my usual 9-5 on the go also. I’ve been impressed with the swip so far quality of the materials is decent and knowing that Charlie and others had given it a go gave me a bit of faith in the system. The tech support are always open to a video call to discuss if needed. Still got the membrane to fit and a few more of “wool“ batts whilst the final few services are finished.

[@robn749]

@@danielmcgregor3124 this video from charlie was invaluable also!

[@FiscalWoofer]

Like the insulated PB, I’m guessing the studs are also fairly closed to vapour, so it relies on the Knauf to breathe albeit slowly. And the Inteilo membrane helps regulate vapour. Very interesting and useful build out. I’m sure for your property it’s going to work well and will be warm! Like you said vapour plan especially in the kitchen is needed anyway. Excellent video Charlie! Thank you!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes that's right. Thanks 👊

[@alexclifford8961]

Bit of a misunderstanding about how moisture buffering in lime works. Rather than moisture pass through it will normally go into the lime during periods of high humidity then back into the room when humidity drops. The knauf insulation allows moisture to pass through but will not deal with moisture as well as products like wood fibre. The easiest system is simply fully bond wood fibre insulation to the wall and plaster over with lime based plaster. No membranes required.

[@lksf9820]

It's not the easiest, it's just a different method. WFB requires a perfectly flat breathable surface to bond to, not many old houses have those.

[@alexclifford8961]

@@lksf9820 if there isn’t a breathable surface, the non breathable material, ie cement or gypsum plaster should be removed first anyway whatever the system. A wall can be levelled up with the lime based adhesive prior to binding wood fibre. This system is clearly a reasonable alternative but imo slightly over complicated.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks for sharing that. 👌

[@kevocos]

Agreed, from my own basic research, wood fibre and lime skimcoat seems like a system that will perform the best in terms of moist management. It would be interesting to compare the price/m2 of both systems.

[@hewoguys2506]

lime coat with cork or wood fibre would cost shit loads​@@kevocos

[@teddyreeves1847]

Great video Charlie, can you hang heavy radiators off the swip studs or is there another way to do this without cold bridging?

[@sir-dil-a-lot]

This is more like a hybrid passive house refurb.. Great work and well thought through..

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks 👊

[@tinfoilhat4837]

I've been restoring (not renovating) old properties for years. I do the exact same thing in areas that cannot be solved. I usually try to identify an issue and resolve it at source but sometimes you just can't win. I actually make my own studs using kingspan seconds and ply. Glue the two together as 8x4 sheets then rip with a circular saw to 75/80mm width studs, it works a treat and saves a ton of cash. Have you tried vapour barrier direct to the existing wall before the knauf fill to control moisture ingress to the batts? Your vids are great, keep going!!

[@martyc5674]

That’s a great idea with the kingspan

[@CharlieDIYte]

That is an excellent idea for the studs! I haven't tried that but I reckon the vapour barrier should be on the warm not cold side of the insulation otherwise you're encouraging the vapour to condense inside the wall. Remember it's the vape in the room we're trying to stop more than anything coming in from outside.

[@kevocos]

Brilliant idea making up you own studs. What type of glue do you use?

[@tinfoilhat4837]

@@kevocos I've used most things, silicon works super well, contact adhesive etc, it's only to hold the two together until you screw them to the wall. What I do also is pre drill the hole through the stud and jam a good glob of silicone or frame sealant in this hole to stop any moisture creep through the fixing..

[@hulkhogan9450]

@@tinfoilhat4837what thickness of kingspan do you use and any product names of the adhesive? This maybe a much better solution for those of us not in the UK Thanks

[@thequietmanakakieranohara.2837]

Charlie, just watched your video on ewi/iwi and noticed your shenanigans with expanding foam, just a tip,........ when using xfoam if you spray both the area and the say, board with a water atomiser then leave for five minutes or so until, when you touch the xfoam it is spongy ,but not sticky, it will come together so much easier and, will need minimal support !..........i like to think you will be amazed !............. Kind regards, Kieran Connolly (The Quiet Man)......

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Kieran. Funnily enough Sam on our Discord forum said something similar. I'll make sure I should you out when I do the vid on this. 👌👊

[@peterwalton1502]

Excellent video Charlie - I have a similar problem and this helps solve it 👍👍👏👏

[@kaspergruszczynski9919]

I'd like say that continuity of the vapor barrier is not critical for vapor diffusion (ie the insulation backed plaster board), but it does have a significant impact in air borne moisture movement which can transport significantly more moisture to a condensing surface than vapor diffusion. In the example of the insulation backed plaster board, as long as all the board is finished well, it will be air tight, with the foil providing the vapor barrier. However, when is the bottom edge of plaster ever finished nicely? That could be a major source of air movement. A dedicated air and vapor control layer like intello is a much better way to approach it. The second consideration with the insulation backed plaster board is that you will have a lot of moisture drive inward thorough the masonry. That will be trapped by the vapor barrier with the only way to dry out being outward. Depending on the water carrying capacity of the masonry and whether it had time to dry out sufficient before another water event occurs will determine whether there is mold and other moisture issues in the wall. To address inward water movement through the masonry, proper exterior bulk water management is key. Apologies of my terminology is off, I'm visiting from across the pond. : ) Love the masonry building content from England as yall have a much better understanding of solid masonry structures than we do.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks, yes that's a good point I should have mentioned. Also you can reduce this concern by using foam adhesive rather than plasterboard adhesive which creates a better vapour barrier around sockets and breaks in the board.

[@Swwils]

Lots of our structures were originally designed to be clad, the Victorians took it all and now still to this day we are struggling with damp solid walls.

[@GeorgeHafiz]

Interesting, clad with what?

[@rogerwhiteley606]

Charlie, great informative video, I'm refurbishing a timber framed house which is space 'challenged', I've replaced the ancient 2 inch glass fibre insulation with 50mm of PIR, all joints taped, then I've used a product made by SuperFOIL as an internal heat reflective vapour barrier before installing counter battening to create a service void before fitting the internal wall surface. UK made, their Tech Support did all the heavy lifting of calculating the U values for me. If I was doing a solid wall refurb I'd definitely be using SWIP, based on your great video and the product has all the features you'd want to avoid cold bridging and get a warmer house.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You've done a lovely job there. The difference must be extraordinary!! 👌

[@rogerwhiteley606]

@@CharlieDIYte When its finished I will let you know how good it actually is - we are also going for a Vent Axia PIV unit in the loft and humidity sensing fans in the bathroom, there's no room for an MHRV unit 😞 VentAxia tech support have also been very helpful.

[@riotgear6891]

This looks like a great system. Watching from USA where it's more an issue of keeping hot humid air out with cool conditioned air inside, but it looks like this would do well for that too.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks, I appreciate you watching it 👊

[@milanstepanek4185]

Have you looked into Steico wood fibre internal insulation boards? They should be suitable for older houses as well, basically they can be plastered right onto the brick because the claim is that the board is structured in a way that allows capillary action to wick the water away from the wall and to the side of the board which is getting heated.

[@brycon232]

I done a room in my house with this or actually it was the Gutex version. Never plastered before but I managed it and it came out great. Mind you I got a plasterer to do the finish lime plasterer. Clay based paint to finish. It's a very very pleasant and warm room. You can tell it's an airy and warm and healthy room to be in however..... It was very expensive to do in the end and couldn't justify to do the whole house that way.

[@milanstepanek4185]

Thanks for the info, yeah its not the cheapest, but I only have few walls which cant be done externally so in those few places I wouldnt mind paying more to get it done nicely with this. So to clarify you didnt use any sort of vapour control/barrier layer, just plastered the wall flat, slapped the fibre boards to it and then covered with lime?@@brycon232

[@lksf9820]

You need perfectly flat walls to bond wood fibre boards to.

[@brycon232]

@@lksf9820 not really.. mine was far from perfect but there is room to level out with the breathable adhesive you use for bonding. If it's very bad you can level it with a scud coat of lime plaster.

[@johnjeff3849]

Great video, you hit all the important points. One thing I don't get, surely the wool type insulation is far riskier than a PU insulation because at this thickness the dew point would be either within the wool or the internal face of the masonry, either way the wool is going to hold moisture. So why not use a PU insulation which has twice the R value?

[@TheSadButMadLad]

Can recommend the SWIP system. Used it one of our properties which was built in the 1840s. Brought the EPC rating up to a grade C from an F.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks that's good to know. 👊

[@geoffhunt6646]

A great video well done. That system seem well thought out. I particularly like the thermal break stud work. That is a clever idea. I agree with everything you say about the gypsum vs lime debate. think comments about gypsum plasterboard allegedly being non vapour permeable and not being applicable in period properties is a bit of new smoke and mirrors by the lime fraternity as a sort of mild scare tactic to improve uptake of lime products. I think you are absolutely right that you have to chose the right properties and the right type of vapour barrier for the right type of property and exposure. Also, occupation and how you manage moisture has a big influence on how much condensation may be generated within the wall and how much evaporative effect is created. There are some simple software apps that help you to calculate the condensation risk to test designs in a rule of thumb way. Its all a balance which I think you have got just right.

[@oliverwelch1672]

Been waiting for this vid for ages! Excellent as always, looking forward to following this method soon. 🎉

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Oliver. Glad you found it useful 👊

[@hackgolfer7352]

Just found this channel. The amount of work and effort you've put in both the build and video is next level. Thats not a small or easy job to get right and for the average DIY'er, probably proceed with caution😄

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks so much mate, I really appreciate that. Yes it's pretty debilitating at times - would be so much easier if I was just doing vlog style content and my videos would be a lot more regular. 😉👊

[@TheGMBJ]

Could you not effectively combine your methods by sticking PIR to the walls. Taping the joints. Add a vapour control layer. Then apply osb sheets over the PIr and mechanically fix through? So essentially making the whole wall one of the swip battens? Still some issues with sockets I conceded but they could be carved out and the same brackets used - plus greater uvalue for the space used?

[@paulf3353]

All you need to do is to glue kingspan board together. It is much better insulation in terms of stability and efficiency. Rockwool and Knauf will sag after some time making words around, especially in the walls.

[@kitchendiner]

18:02 it usually says on the can📝 allow 5-10mins for the foam to go tacky . at that point it makes a rock solid bond. (the product wont work as intended when still in liquid form)

[@jem8472]

I have a cold spot behind a washing machine that backs on to an outside wall in the kitchen. I was thinking about just using something like a PIR board glued to the wall. I like the idea of the Swip system but fara too overkill for about a 1.5MX 1.5M bit of wall. I am not sure if gluing PIR board might just make the problem worse or move it somewhere else.

[@kevinoak7558]

Cork spray insulation is the best product Ive yet to find. Incredible properties and 100% natural. Can be used internally or externally and combined with cork boards for natural superinsulation. Breathable and waterproof. Works out around £60 per sqm.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks for sharing 👌

[@Divinefemininemiracles]

Where do you buy and wiuld it work on a stone cottage internal walls ? It currently has lime plaster internally no insulation and is getting awful black mould and the cottage is freezing even with heating , humidity is really high..

[@johnhumphreys9887]

Having just viewed a cottage that was constructed in 1803, this video was a perfect example of what I'd be looking at doing. My plans, if we do buy, would be insulate, ventilate, make it breathable and I'm improve airtightness. Bash in solar and ASHP and it'd be lovely.

[@andrewfrodo2086]

Learning about insulation new ideas. Thanks for the vid. Midwest from the states - dreamer here for fixing up a house or mobile home.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Andrew. Always humbled when my vids reach so far afield. Hope you manage to realise the dream some day 🤞👊

[@CWebb-td8ve]

When internally insulating solid walls, using the SWIP method, instead of using plasterboard and then plaster on top of the insulation and battens/studs, could I use timber matchboard (breathable?) painted with breathable chalk paint as a finish? And if not, why not? Any advice welcome.

[@brycon232]

Similar to how I done my IWI. After a lot of research I settled on 75mm studs set off the wall and squared up, full filled with 100mm treated sheep's wool. Then the intello membrane followed by 50mm horizontal battens to create a service cavity which I then filled with 50mm wood fiber batts (steico flex) and finished with regular plasterboard and a nice fairly breathable paint. (Not full on clay paint but definitely not a cheap plastic paint) Has worked a treat so far.

[@CharlieDIYte]

What a great system - thanks for sharing. Yes I forgot to mention I've used a Jonmatt matt emulsion which I think is one of Johnstone's only breathable emulsions.

[@kevocos]

Sounds like a good job you have done. Can I ask how did you satisfy yourself that regular plasterboard would be sufficiently breathable? (given all the other components of your buildup are very much so). And did you skm over the PB with gypsum? I'm completely sold on the benefits of woodfibre and sheeps wool and I would like to use regular plasterboard and gypsum skimcoat but so many people seem to advise against it.

[@brycon232]

@kevocos I don't have the research to hand but as far as I remember there is enough vapour permeability and buffering in gypsum to work considering where it is placed in the wall build up. If it was up against a cold wall it will get overloaded and saturated and then fail but on the very warm side of the build up there are no issues along with regular skimcoat and a good emulsion. I also used hemplime and hemplime plaster that I mixed up myself to patch in around windows and in tight awkward areas.

[@kevocos]

@@brycon232 Yes makes sense. Like the idea with the hemplime around the window reveals. I think Charlie has done a great job but I wouldn't be a fan of foaming insulated PB around the reveal.

[@hulkhogan9450]

How far did you set the 75mm studs off the wall? Did you use anything say chicken wire or something to stop the wool falling out the back onto the external wall? I was thinking of doing 100mm stud with the Knaff rockwool and vapor barrier followed by standsrd plasterboard taped & jointed?

[@sygad1]

With that much attention to sealing and moisture control, I have to assume you're going for a door blower test and some form of MVHR, look forward to seeing the plans as they emerge.

[@CharlieDIYte]

I'm going to install a single room MVHR in the utility.

[@ateleskier7066]

Well that's me in a tailspin again. I'd settled on a hemp and perlite hot lime render for my stone and lime cottage walls to replace the woeful (but not damp) plasterboard and air gap existing 'system' someone left me with. I haven't found any damp problems anywhere other than the bathroom (more idiocy there), so a lime render doesn't worry me, but this system is cleaner, faster and cheaper, although it won't reveal the beauty of the uneven walls though which I like. 🤔

[@jc-fy1wl]

"whilst the ceiling board was, well...still a bit emotional" Haha. A nice reminder that whilst we always see Charlie in good spirits throughout his videos, there is undoubtedly many occasions of stress, swearing and no doubt some tears and feelings of hopelessness.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yep there have been many of those moments on this job!! 👊

[@Adventures-with-Ty]

Hi Charlie. Thanks for this video, it's amazing but I have a few questions. On an older Victorian house (single, solid wall construction) I'm told by some experts that the wall is designed to breathe both ways, this allows the solid wall to dry out using heat permeating from the inside out. If you create a heat barrier the external wall always remains cold. Whilst this might address vapour and heat values internally, wet and cold external walls will take longer to dry out. This will accelerate the weathering of the external walls (spalling and render degradation) - have you taken that into consideration and what advice can you offer before I embark on internal insulation? Many thanks, Ty

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. When you're insulating a period property there are always compromises - which is why EWI is always the best solution if you can. However whilst the experts are right on the theory, take my place which had cement Tyrolean render on the outside and the couple we bought from had polystyrene backed wallpaper everywhere inside. So it couldn't breathe but the walls were bone dry when we started stripping them down. My daughter's room was unheatable before we insulated it and the insulation transformed it into a cosy room so you have to decide what's important.

[@joseph-carlwood1964]

Hey Charlie, thinking of using this system in my 1887 end terrace - solid brick, lots of them external! Starting in the upstairs bedroom. The original floor joists are located on the external wall and I was wondering how you closed the system before your ceiling joists? As I would want to do the same but close it at my floor! Super informative video, keep up the great work! Thanks, Joe

[@Lewis_Standing]

I hear woodfibre or cork is the best products to use.

[@stephenshapcott1353]

Thanks so much Charlie, so much conflicting information out there. I had a suspicion there would be a solution to breathable walls other than the full eco route, or spacetherm, both very expensive. Your cost per sq m would have been a great additional bit of info. Spacetherm told me that they treat thin layers of wall plaster as breathable, so try to keep it below 2-3mm, basically a skim coat. All the more reason to get those walls plumb and flat. But they recommended MgO board instead. Did you consider MgO board instead of plaster board? If so why did you decide to go plasterboard in the end? Probably worth always highlighting that the moisture can come from outside in as well as inside out, so sorting out your external moisture sources, e.g. good drainage and/or water repellent creams on highly exposed walls is also essential. The real secret to this type of system is the vapour control membrane being on the warm side. The moist internal air can’t condense behind the plasterboard as it is still too warm (above dew point), and any moisture that is pushed through from the external walls will warm as it reaches the plasterboard and again not condense. Provided the costs are acceptable (they looked it from what you showed) I’ll be using this system for our next home. Thanks so much again!

[@kevocos]

Agree with all that but my understanding is that any external bourne moisture may condense on the cold side of the insulation,. The likelihood of that, and whether it would be a big issue, is something I'm trying to figure out before I'm sold on this system.

[@stephenshapcott1353]

@@kevocos it would condense first on the cold wall, which I suppose could wick into the insulation if in contact. The idea is that without so much additional moisture coming from the house then this is less frequent/ less likely. But as I say, it’s also reliant on minimising the amount coming from outside by dealing with drainage and ingress from prevailing weather. You then have to hope that with both moisture fronts managed the balance will be that during dry periods the walls dry out enough to avoid high humidity inside the wall during cold periods when condensing can happen. I would think in most situations that would be the case with this system. But there is a moisture balance simulation model that was developed by German researchers that looks at all factors and can advise on the level of vapour open system needed in any one type of construction in a specific geographical location and orientation. This is the good standard means to assess different internal insulation system, but not many have the skill to use it and so it’s a costly analysis. Sorry I can’t recall what it’s called off the top of my head.

[@kevocos]

@@stephenshapcott1353 I think the relevance of the basis of that German research is missed in most reviews of IWI system, that being the effect that geographical site location and wall orientation has on the effectiveness of each IWI system. IWI discussions are usually along the lines of "this/that system works/doesn't work due to these differences in their respective buildups". Whereas in reality the performance is more so as a result of where the house is situated and it's a wide spectrum; from a south west facing wall on a house in the highlands of Scotland to well shealtered gable nestled in a terrace in London and all in between.

[@paulaevans2555]

Hi Charlie. I’ve come across your Chanel, thanks for all the information. I’m not renovating but in the process of buying an old farm building that was converted in 2015. Never having lived in an old place like this before, I’m just nervous about the quality of the renovation bits that I can’t see. The wall insulation would be inside of course as the outside is the original brick. The survey hasn’t found anything….should I be worried about anything or look into anything more and how best to do this when I can’t see with my own eyes. Survey did mention patio had been built up a bit high to the damp proof course which is a slate course but nothing other than that. I’d welcome your thoughts if you have time in your busy day. Thank you.

[@banzaiman1]

Wow, Big Job. Would love to tackle something like this but know my DIY skills are a lot lower then my confidence to tackle such a job lol

[@CharlieDIYte]

That's the thing. Skills and confidence need to be nurtured at an equal pace. As one grows so does that other. That's how I started in this. 👊

[@mikegpbg]

Did you remove the cement render on the outside face of your external wall, before installing the SWIP system? I'm thinking of the wall's breathability to the outside. The north-facing frontage of our 1887-built Victorian terraced house has an outer pebbledash render (since1962). I've removed the internal lathe & plaster of the front ground-floor wall and, surprisingly, the original lime-mortar brickwork seems as dry as a bone, despite being abutted by a solid concrete path, around the outside of the front wall. The front wall has the original slate damp-proof course, which seems to have been doing its job. I don't wish to remove the pebbledash, but could I still use the SWIP internal wall insulation system, or would the foam-backed plasterboard be better in this situation? Thanks for any advice / comment on this. By the way Charlie, I love your videos - always very informative, easy to follow, and delivered with great enthusiasm !

[@rayhi5918]

I have a very similar situation and would love to hear any opinions regarding this

[@1414141x]

I am suprised you used insulated plasterboard around the door and window reveals when you have the fibre cement insulation panels to choose. Reason being is that plasterboard holds moisture where fibre panels reject it. And you can skim plaster them as well. Also they are a little more resistant to knocks. Just my choice for reasons mentioned.

[@mikegpbg]

Charlie, did you first remove the "cement Tyrollean render" on the outside, before installing the SWIP system on the inside? If yes, what did you replace it with?

[@woodworks2123]

Great video charlie. I've never heard of or seen this product before but it seems like a great solution for this issue with older houses. I'll definitely be looking into this system. 👍

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks. Yes it's a fab system. Really pleased with it.

[@lukesalter-ec3hh]

Thank you Charlie. First I’ve watched of your channel, but you got my sub! Gonna need all the help good folk like you share, as you’ve made folk like me decide to buy old stone cottages with no roofs to do up 😂

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

For the joints of the insulated drywall, just foam or glue the edge when installing.

[@MiracleManMatt]

hmm... Im not a fan of the total air sealing behind the insulation/studs. having renovated a North East granite Scottish farmhouse, I feel leaving an air gap between the cold side of the studs/insulation and wall is the best way to control damp and let some air movement behind do what its supposed to do. I have used the knauff stuff and it will wick moisture if the walls get wet and damp and is direct contact with the masonary.

[@oldboyuk]

I went the PIR backed plasterboard route. I appreciate the breathability/moisture argument but will likely just fit a MVHR system to help remove any excess internal humidity

[@kevocos]

The issue with that arrangement (in theory) is damp/moisture that makes its way in the wall build-up from the outside may sit cold side of the PIR, layer and the MVHR will have no affect on the source of damp/moisture. However In practice this may not be an issue in your particular situation.

[@SimonDrysdale]

@@kevocos Can this happen with a cavity wall or is it mainly with single skin brick walls?

[@kevocos]

@@SimonDrysdale If the cavity is functioning as it should then external borne rain/moisture shouldn't be an issue.

[@mharoon-n8u]

Fantastic video Charlie. I'm confused about couple of things- can you please clarify? 1) Does this system require VCL and Intell Membrane is the Intello Membrane=VCL. 2) Is the plaster board glued to the intellomembrane or mechanically fixed with nails above the membrane and the screws joined to OSB board XPS Stud batten. 3) What plaster finish did you go for - standard gypsum or a lime based product. Many thanks. Novice here so forgive the ignorance

[@sawdustwoodchips]

Great vid. Which nonstick foam gun do you recommend?

[@AttilaTheNun-te4hc]

Nice. Interested to see know the gypsum plasterboard plays out over the years. Did something similar using Steico products, instead of plasterboard we used wood wool and a lime based render... been brilliant so far. More work and higher costs though.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Good work 👌

[@RyanJohnsonD]

@07:22ff Thanks for comparing the Mineral Wool with EOS to RockWool.

[@christopherjamesmulholland4533]

Hi Charlie, could you expand on the cost? The cost you put up is just the price list from SWIP, im wondering if you could share the actual cost to you and the m2 you had to cover?

[@aaronvanhoucke2065]

Builder from Belgium here. We alsof use pro clima's intello plus. But use blown in cellulose. And normal SLS or CLS studs. I'm personly lookinh into hempcrete. Maybe u find it interesting to?

[@kirkby0076]

Multi-foil works fantastically well also, & other far infrared heating systems, similar to your IR underfloor heating 👍👍👍 Are you going to use, a breathable foam, in that door gap? That's what they normally use these days, don't they??

[@ironimp1]

Charlie, with respect plasterboard is not a good choice; yes it is breathable, BUT, it is calcium sulphate (gypsum) which, along with the paper face, attracts moisture and holds on to it, worse still it is a great nutrient to support mould growth; two very good reasons for not using plasterboard.

[@3d1e00]

So I have a underlay with dpm going down on a concrete slab. Engineered wood going on top. I got the sealing tape for the joins for the underlay but do I also tape to the wall? No really obvious damp issue from what I can see.

[@harry130747]

I went for external insulation. Biggest problem was having to extend the roof. But then I put on 24"/600mm of mineral wool insulation. Ventilation/draughts is the biggest problem now,

[@jyoung9181]

Well done!! Love all the detail.

[@clairesmith2157]

Hi charlie. What knauf insulation was it please. Dritherm 32 or 37 or something different. Thank you.

[@chrism3701]

Good video but what was the total cost to do the room ? The property I've restored needed this in every room, 3 receptions, 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms. I went down the Dryzone injection system route for the rising damp. Stormdry for the penetrating damp. Then the tried and tested dry lining of the walls. This being Sisalkraft building paper as a moisture barrier, 50x25mm battens on top. 25mm Kingspan insulation in-between the battens, then on the exterior walls, insulated plasterboard, uninsulated plasterboard on the interior walls. The building paper was, at the time £45.00 for a 50 metre roll, a big difference to the £245 for the membrane you used. Guess what I'm trying to say is, it all depends on your budget. If you can afford these systems great, but what if you can't ..

[@lksf9820]

If you can't then you've done a shoddy job.

[@nosammgiarc]

Great video, and very timely as I am just researching IWI. Can you share what your eventual price per m2 wall worked out for materials?

[@johnleung6243]

Great video and reflects what I am looking to do for my 100-year-old home on the Canadian Westcoast. Is this line of products available in North America and if not, what else can used?

[@CharlieDIYte]

Good question John. I'm afraid I don't know the Harriet for insulation in North America. However I imagine intello membrane is widely available around the world and the batts and battens are Knauf so that's a good place to start.

[@Hew.Jarsol]

Excellent job. So basically your tanking the house like some would with a cellar? Air tight box.

[@davidjblevine]

Thanks for a great video Charlie! Literally going to save me a fortune. Question - can you apply this system direct to plaster? I have a 100 year old house with single brick construction. Internal wall has plaster - never had any damp problems but it is a cold room. I was thinking of putting in this system on the video but wondered if I needed to remove the plaster from the wall? Would prefer to just apply on top.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes you absolutely can and in fact it's very much designed as a retrofit solution as you'll see when you do the course. No need to remove the plaster

[@Merlin55611]

Excellent information and job as usual Charlie. I couldn't help but think the expanding foam would prevent any vapour transfer as it is essentially water proof. Did you factor that into the design at all?

[@bojoggs-ik8tq]

Any advice on how you would go about putting lime plaster over this insulation system?

[@Mobile-pd1uc]

Hi Charlie. Help! I have a wimpey nofines property with a concrete slab cieling. The house has an appex roof then concrete slabs with concrete joists running across. Then over half a foot of space between the slabs and plasterboard on the cieling. The plasterboard are nailed into the concrete joists running across with the over half a foot of space. I was looking into getting external insulation, one builder suggested putting celotex boards between these joists. And another builder said to leave the roof alone as any insulation would cause damp since only half a foot space. We have not broken into the loft space due to the concrete slabs, in case it affects structural integrity etc. Any truth to damp issues, would you leave the cielings and just do external? ** also the rooms have wall vents, one company suggested window vents in the double glazing whilst the other sud they would just leave those vents as they are and extend them etc any suggestions Thank you

[@fearone9694]

Loft insulation and 3x2 from b&q would get you very similar results.

[@keirallen81]

This all sounds brilliant. But what happens when you go to add a kitchen unit to the wall? Does this not just puncture the perfection? Looking for a solution for an old house and it seems that unless you can get your level of perfection it is just going to create problems.

[@CharlieDIYte]

If you screw through a stud that'll be fine. Elsewhere I think you could fix without penetrating the membrane with the right fixing - eg like a T bolt kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJXYaoV_mZygb5Isi=BdvYFamCnQj6p9Cp I guess you don't worry too much about the odd penetration.

[@lksf9820]

@@CharlieDIYte You'd put the insulated studs where you expect to be fixing, if that's a row of kitchen wall units then it's easy.

[@olliepalmer3976]

Above your door, have you got a cavity tray leading to weep vents on the external wall? This will help remove the moisture and stop it staying in the cavity

[@CharlieDIYte]

No because there's no cavity. It's just a two course brick wall (victorian).

[@MagicianMan]

Standard plasterboard is absolutely vapour permeable. Otherwise you wouldn't see water marks when Dot N Dab is used. DnD is gypsum based and allows water permeability which then transfers into the plasterboard which degrades the paper facing and then you get damp spots. Externally you could use something like Dryzone to waterproof the exterior whilst still allowing water vapour transfer. Keeping the external building work dry will aid in the transfer of water vapour too. It's easier and more energy efficient to keep a dry house warm versus one with wet external materials.

[@MagicianMan]

Forgot to ask, did you dot and dab the insulated plasterboard in the upstairs room? Dot n Dab will absorb moisture and can deteriorate over time causing the boards to become unbonded.