Insulating a Grade 11 400 year old house.

[tabbypurr]

It wasn't leaded VIR. These days good earthing is not the only way to achieve reasonable shock protection.

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It was earthed here - after a fashion. At any junction there was wire wrapped round the lead sheathing of each wire and connected together. And a pretty thin wire running from the fusebox to the lead mains water pipe. Never did measure the earth, though. ;-)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Out of interest, I cut into the stuff I removed from here, and the insulation was in very good condition just a couple of inches in from the end.

[tabbypurr]

It normally is that way. Hence sleeving ends works, if you have a little space to do it.

NT

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Plowman (News) a écrit :

The proper way to do it, back in the day, was a correctly sized and reshaped copper Pyro / MI cable clip, with a small brass nut and bolt to make it tight and provide a connection for a lug.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd be surprised if Pyro was around when my house was wired with lead sheathed cable.

[charles]

I learned how to make it off in 1960, but I suspect your wiring was well before that. However, Wiki says is was first used in France in 1932 and in made the UK from 1937

[Robin]

PS

He's sent a link to a PDF of the Historic England booklet:

From a skim it confirms comments already made - e.g. about the importance of the house "breathing" and filling gaps to cut down draughts (although I guess even that may require esoteric mixtures of lime et al).

[DICEGEORGE]

Make friends with your Building Control officer, ask them for advice etc.

My house I cant insualte the outside so am sticking kingspan seconds on the inside, the 6" gap between ceiling and floors are fiddly to do, but often leak where joists etc go into the wall.

This book is great:

In Canada they have much greater temperature differences between inside and out!

[george]

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Thanks. English Heritage told him the only suitable materials to allow the walls and frame to breathe properly were natural things like wool.

But I've passed all the info on anyway - so thanks again to all.

[Bruce]

The alternative to leaving the house 'breathing' and costing a fortune to heat is to block up all the draughts properly and then install mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR). MVHR can transform the air quality inside an old slightly damp building.

[Robin]

As I indicated, blocking draughts through gaps and cracks is OK if done with the right materials. But that's not what's meant by "breathing" in old properties. See eg page 5 of the booklet:

"2.3 Breathing performance

Traditional timber-framed walls have very different characteristics to modern walls. They are typically built of materials that are capable of absorbing and releasing moisture freely, both internally and externally. They do not incorporate damp proof courses or air and vapour control layers which are a feature of modern timber frame construction."

With more following on what can go wrong if moisture is trapped.

[Tim Watts]

Sheep's wool insulation would be something for the OP to investigate.

[Adrian]

Talk to the people at Ty Mawr.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That's what English Heritage said to use. He was hoping there was a better more modern material. He's that sort of bloke.

[Tim Watts]

Sheeps wool in that context IS a modern material. It's so modern most builders haven't heard of it :)

It's more expensive than glass wool, but not in an eye watering way and obviously, it is a lot more pleasant to work with.

If I were laying stuff in a loft, I'd use it anyday having dealt with stripping out old friable glass wool which is foul disgusting nasty stuff.

[tabbypurr]

I've never seen the upside of sheep's wool. If you install interior insulation without VB you'll add to the wall's dampness. If you use a VB, wool is no better than fibreglass or PIR. The latter of course outperforms fibres.

NT

[Dave Liquorice]

investigate.

It's what we put in the loft after the refurb. Does the job as well as if not better than glass wool.

Very much so and is much more resilient to being crushed, ie it bounces back, glass wool doesn't.

[Tim Streater]

Wasn't there something about it not absorbing moisture?

[Tim Watts]

When I checked, the thermal resistivity was certainly very similar to glass wool and the company was selling the virtues of the fact it can buffer moisture. I was going to use it, until the BCO said I'd still need an air gap for ventilation - which meant I might as well switch to celotex and ensure the required ventilation (which I did).

Interesting - didn't know that.