Insulating the house is a great solution to get more heat in the house without having higher energy costs. In a corner house, cavity wall insulation costs € 2,400, but you will save € 650 per year on the energy bill. You will have recovered the investment within four years. It is also called the most cost effective form of insulation. But what exactly is cavity wall insulation? And what other methods of insulation are there?
the cavity
AT know what cavity wall insulation is, it is important to understand what a cavity is. The cavity is the space between the outer and inner wall. Most houses built after 1920 have a cavity and are therefore suitable for cavity wall insulation. Houses from before 1920 usually have a single wall. To insulate these walls, a different solution is required.
The space between the two walls avoids humidity problems. In the cavity, the water that is collected by the outer wall can evaporate. You will often also see small ventilation holes at the bottom of the exterior wall. These holes are called open butt joints. If these holes are in the wall, you know for sure you have a cavity wall.
Cavity wall insulation
Cavity wall insulation is therefore possible for houses built after the 1920s / 30s. This helps prevent up to 40% heat loss when it comes to a detached house. Homes after the 1980s are often already insulated, but this can be outdated. Cavity wall insulation can be applied, for example, by polystyrene beads, glass wool flakes and PUR foam. A small hole is drilled in the exterior wall. The insulating material is placed in the cavity through this hole. In most cases, this can be done within a day.
Heat loss from frames and windows
Much of the heat is also lost through the frames and windows. When you have new windows installed, you naturally want to have windows that compensate for this heat loss. Most of the people who replace windows choose plastic, but also the wooden frames insulate well. Indeed, wood is a poor conductor, so that the cold from the outside does not pass inside. It is important to install good glass. The same goes for aluminum frames. Without a good glass, a very good insulating frame is really worthless.
With plastic frames, the insulation value is due to the air chambers in the profile. They all act like little hollow walls. To determine how well a certain frame insulates, it is important to look at the U value. The lower the value, the better the insulating capacity. It is still important for your own health and to prevent mold growth to continue to ventilate. It is also important to ensure that the joints and cracks between the frames and the walls are properly sealed.
Finally, it is important to choose a good drink. It is better to choose the triple glass (HR +++). HR ++ glass, also called double glazing, also has good insulating power. The same is true here as for the frames: the lower the U value, the better the insulation of the glass.
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