Waterproof wall panels ( like those used for showers)

[John Rumm]

It sounds like dry lining is what it needs - a layer of insulating board, and then a surface over it with a vapour barrier behind it. It will take some space but does not need to be huge. So foil 30mm of foil faces PIR foam, with a plasterboard lining would make a massive improvement. If you can afford more space, then 50 or 60mm of foam would work better.

The insulation should allow the inner wall surface temp to rise enough that it does not attract condensation in the first place.

You could just knock it off back to brick and then dry line without re-plastering. (you could have the PB skimmed though)

Also see:

[aprilsweetheartrose.]

I know this is a daft question really, but how do you know if you are connecting on usenet? or are all these groups on usenet? If so, how do I find usenet? I currently google google groups to find this.

[aprilsweetheartrose.]

The wall is a cavity wall. Block inside, brick outside. There are no cabinets on it . half of it was, before I made husband take it out, a pantry. That also seemed to suffer from condensation too which I thought was because it was a dark cold cupboard. Obviously this is the end of the house wall on the north of the property ( it faces directly north). I had always thought that taking the pantry wall out and letting the air on it would work but it hasnt. Putting insulation in the roof helped cure a lot in the kitchen. But its a cold room. no heat source. There is considerable discrepancy which I cannot understand , between the temperature of this was and the rest of the walls in the kitchen. But, it clearly needs insulation. Its just what to use.

[Spike]

<snip>

Another poster (Andy) gave a link to a free web-based (like Google Groups is) Usenet service, at:

which you might like to try, before Google Groups ends its access on Feb

22nd. I have no experience of this provider.

A more usual method is to sign up for a free account with a Usenet provider. Eternal September is popular provider, but there are others.

Usenet is a protocol that runs on the internet. You don’t really need to know about it.

To use the account you will need a Usenet reader, and a very popular free reader, that allows you to read and post messages on groups of your choice, is Thunderbird by Mozilla. This will need a little setting up, by entering details of the Eternal September servers, downloading the groups list (many thousands!), and choosing those you would like to use (called ‘subscribing’).

I suggest in the first instance you try the novabbs provider, as it seems to require very little setting up and I expect it is rather like Google Groups to use - perhaps someone else more familiar with it might like to comment.

The thing is, if you want to continue to post on Usenet groups, you will need a different way of accessing them than Google Groups once that shuts down in February.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Fredxx isnt very bright.

Of course that is the point of the insulation. It provides a vapour and thermal barrier between the cold wall and the warm sticky air.

And since polystrene foam cups prove that polystyrene foam is water proof, that works, as do cork tiles once sealed.

The McCoy solution is insulation backed plasterboard. But it is expensive

Waterproof alone is not the solution. Insulation is needed.

[The Natural Philosopher]

The occurrence of driving rain type damp or rising damp is actually quite low, and both can be treated by some sort of waterproof layer behind the insulation and vapour membrane.

That is why the pre made sandwich of plasterboard, insulation and tinfoil is so convenient

[Animal]

polystyrene foam waterlogs over time. It must be overcoated with a damp-proof membrane eg al foil.

better is insulation then pb. One of those needs foil on the warm side.

[Andrew]

Are there any external ventilation blocks built into the external leaf of this wall ?. If so, air movement through the cavity will always mean that the side of the inner leaf that is inside the cavity will be at outside temperature (plus wind chill). This will result in a cold wall, especially when there is no additional heating.

This might have ideal for a pantry, and the original builder probably intended this pantry to be 'cold'.

Lining it with insulation-backed plasterboard or using the DIY method of adhering 25 or 50mm 'celotex' with battens that foil backed PB can be fixed to is one way.

Years ago you could buy self-adhesive cork tiles that could be stuck on (intended for bathroom floors), but these now seem to very expensive.

[Andrew]

ROFL. Waterproof and effective vapour barrier are separate issues.

Cheapo expanded polystyrene is 'open cell'. It is a reasonable cost-effective insulator, but if used under a concrete slab then it must be above the DPC and also covered with a 2nd plastic sheet to stop water and cement 'fines' migrating into the insulation.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Oh dear.

[Andrew]

Not familiar with Goretex, or similar fabrics then ?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Oh yes, but the point that you have entirely missed, is that while not all vapour barriers are waterproof, all waterproof materials are 100% vapour barriers.

Goretex is not 100% waterproof. Except in the minds of its marketers. YOU can skin a canoe with it if you like

[Animal]

Water vapour migrates through waterproof plastics, albeit very slowly. It makes plastic bottled goods time limited.