Plum wrote:
Now that I know all about the grants - for which thanks by the way - I
need to ask another question. Has anyone ever heard of Sempatap
Thermal? It is a sort of foam blanket for internal walls (10mm thick)
with a hard exterior to enable papering or tile hanging or whatever. I
have all manner of info and samples (it is recommended by the Energy
Trust, the Council, etc., has apparently been used for thousands of
houses already) but nowhere can I find an experienced contractor. The
manufacturers could only find one in Derbyshire! It is supposed to be
very easy to apply but the people I have so far approached don't want to
know. Besides, I could use some feedback from anyone who has actually
tried it. I am always most grateful for your advice.

I will cross post the reply to uk.d-i-y as I suspect you will get more
joy there.

This is just one of many products that you can apply to solid walls.

The final U value is about the same as an uninsulated cavity from the
looks of it, so its well worthwhile on a solid wall.

Other possibles are combined celotex/plasterboard composites, that can
be glued straight to the walls.

There is a whiff of bull**** about their website though. The IR 'before
and after' pictures show a remarkable change in heatloss through the
*windows*..Odd that, because they are the same windows in both pictures....


If you are considering insulating a solid walled house, you should
tackle it room by room, unless you are going for an externally applied
insulant.

The problem is to do it properly, you need to strip all the radiators,
and cills in the external wall(s) and build up the insulation, then
retrofit new cills and the radiators.

And of course, redecorate.