29-08-2012, 08:47 AM
Hi,
Nice one Gary; I too will never have cavity wall insulation for the reasons stated and I'm sure Mark will be proved correct in years to come when a new industry springs up with lots of firms removing failed cavity wall insulation. I don't even trust the new generation cavity wall insulation built in from new in the form of slabs. Cavities are there for ventilation and even mortar dropping on the wall ties can cause problems by bridging. Thanks for bringing this subject up Gary as it's brought in some very useful information.
What a splendid home you have Lawrence thanks for sharing the pictures it is very well presented indeed and a credit to you. I bet there was a lot of huffing and puffing going on during installation of the stone fire place.
We have 12" loft insulation which has been great as it retains heat during winter and repels heat during summer; I've not noticed any down side due to damp. when I installed the new roof 23 years ago I "counter battened" the Marley Wessex tiles thereby lifting the tiles from the felt membrane allowing increased ventilation and I also added full length eaves ventilation strips. Additionally I added 1/2" thick exterior grade plywood strips along the ends of the rafters where they abut the fascia boards to prevent the membrane from sagging forming pools or ice dams.
A personal thing I dislike is plastic window frames; doors and cladding and I'll never install any of these. I prefer timber and all our window frames are original timber and in good condition; the double glazing units now need replacing but not bad as they have been in since the mid sixties. I don't want to live in a Lego house. I think it very amusing that much is said about modern double glazing then to add the window slot ventilators which appears to contradict the virtues of spending a fortune on double glazing.
Plastic doesn't last forever so what will happen to the millions of plastic window frames and doors in years to come; bigger landfill sites?
One thing I'm currently researching is pointing. Previously I've pointed using a mix of Portland cement; Hydrated Lime and sand. 1 x cement; 2 x Lime and 5 x sand. The random stone of the bungalow shows no signs of distress with this mix but as I need to re-point a full wall I would like to use a lime mix only but as I read about this there are downsides as a lime mortar takes quite a while to set and given that we suffer lots of rain I'm worried about such mortar washing out and making a mess of the stonework. A strong cement/sand mix is sure to destroy the wall so I need to be very careful I don't do more harm than good. Any information on lime mortar would be most welcome together with any websites.
With building materials being readily available it is very easy for a novice to jump in without first researching the subject as a lot of damage can be caused to a building.
Kind regards, Col.
Nice one Gary; I too will never have cavity wall insulation for the reasons stated and I'm sure Mark will be proved correct in years to come when a new industry springs up with lots of firms removing failed cavity wall insulation. I don't even trust the new generation cavity wall insulation built in from new in the form of slabs. Cavities are there for ventilation and even mortar dropping on the wall ties can cause problems by bridging. Thanks for bringing this subject up Gary as it's brought in some very useful information.
What a splendid home you have Lawrence thanks for sharing the pictures it is very well presented indeed and a credit to you. I bet there was a lot of huffing and puffing going on during installation of the stone fire place.
We have 12" loft insulation which has been great as it retains heat during winter and repels heat during summer; I've not noticed any down side due to damp. when I installed the new roof 23 years ago I "counter battened" the Marley Wessex tiles thereby lifting the tiles from the felt membrane allowing increased ventilation and I also added full length eaves ventilation strips. Additionally I added 1/2" thick exterior grade plywood strips along the ends of the rafters where they abut the fascia boards to prevent the membrane from sagging forming pools or ice dams.
A personal thing I dislike is plastic window frames; doors and cladding and I'll never install any of these. I prefer timber and all our window frames are original timber and in good condition; the double glazing units now need replacing but not bad as they have been in since the mid sixties. I don't want to live in a Lego house. I think it very amusing that much is said about modern double glazing then to add the window slot ventilators which appears to contradict the virtues of spending a fortune on double glazing.
Plastic doesn't last forever so what will happen to the millions of plastic window frames and doors in years to come; bigger landfill sites?
One thing I'm currently researching is pointing. Previously I've pointed using a mix of Portland cement; Hydrated Lime and sand. 1 x cement; 2 x Lime and 5 x sand. The random stone of the bungalow shows no signs of distress with this mix but as I need to re-point a full wall I would like to use a lime mix only but as I read about this there are downsides as a lime mortar takes quite a while to set and given that we suffer lots of rain I'm worried about such mortar washing out and making a mess of the stonework. A strong cement/sand mix is sure to destroy the wall so I need to be very careful I don't do more harm than good. Any information on lime mortar would be most welcome together with any websites.
With building materials being readily available it is very easy for a novice to jump in without first researching the subject as a lot of damage can be caused to a building.
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
