Insulation - Building Inpsector!

Have a look through this:

Have a look here as well:

At the risk of suggesting the obvious have you asked the BCO what he would find acceptable?

-- Peter Crosland snipped-for-privacy@spamcop.net

Polystyrene or stryrofoam or similar?

Do you need a vapour check too?

What about any cold bridges, have they been designed out?

Have you also considered the prevention of the passage of moisture through the single skin?

Is the average thermal efficiency of the rest of the house such that you could have less insulation in the new room?

No you may not need to insulate the floor if you can prove increased thermal efficiency elsewhere

If you are doing this all yourself under a building notice, then I would just ask the BCO what he wants, else look at the LA website (or a neighbouring council)which normally has a guidance note published by Local Authority Building Control

dg

None. You muts not use polystryreme except in screeded floors AFAIK.

however 50-75mm of CELOTEX or KINGSPAN will be broadly 'to specs'

There is nothing to stop you using polystyrene as wall insulation.

dg

Fire risk. Attacks cables.

According to the manufacturers of Wickes polystyrene insulation and Jablite, it's also fine for installation under ground-floor suspended wooden flooring.

I had concerns about installing it in such a situation, Wickes were unable to tell me whether it's flame retardant or not, so they gave me the number of Vencil, who manufacutre the stuff. It isn't flame retardant, incidentally, and neither is Jablite, but the do conform to various applicable BS standards for manufacture and usage.

Their technical dept reckoned that in the cases that they know about where houses have been completely burnt out, the fire investigators had lifted the floorboards to find completely intact insulation.

Of course, adequate separation has to be ensured for cables, but that shouldn't be a problem if you have the whole cavity to play with, and you don't need to worry about cable current capacity derating issues.

However, I wouldn't use it in walls, under upper floors (not necessary anyway) or the loft.

cheers Richard

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 10:43:08 -0000, a particular chimpanzee named "RichardS" randomly hit the keyboard and produced:

Which only shows that fire burns upwards, and that timber has some fire resistant properties.

Yup, no surprises there.

However, I was concerned that I shouldn't install an inappropriate product under wooden flooring if it had been designed for installation only under concrete screed.

Fortunately, I had worried unneccesarily.

cheers Richard

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk