DIYbanter - View Single Post

[email protected]

wrote:

I have just removed the chimney breast from the rear of my victorian
terrace and noticed that even though there is no real cavity there is a
gap of about an inch.

sounds suspiciously like a cavity to me.

The original reason for these cavities was to keep out damp, mainly in
coastal areas. If the outer leaf got wet the inner would stay dry.

Applying insulation on the surface works as well, and you can put a lot
more there, but of course its not as cheap.

Insulation on the interior keeps the outside looking good, but loses
the temp stabilising effect of the masonry's thermal capacity. It also
means replastering. Outside insulation means rendering over it. The
general best bet is internal insulation at the front, maintaining good
appearance, and exterior insulation elsewhere.

Materials for solid insulation are not hard to come by, I wonder if
youre just not sure what to get.

NT