I've learned so much from this. Was nearly about to have insulated plasterboard put up on all four walls without being aware of building regulations. Life saver, thank you!
You're welcome. With insulating internally like this, you need to pay close attention to cold bridging points (breaks in the insulation). Cutting through the board for plug sockets, where each sheet butts up to the next and around windows are the big culprits. Expanding foam adhesive is one answer rather than dot and dab adhesive but you have to choose an expanding foam that's compatible with the Plasterboard. It's well worth doing this but you have to get it right to prevent moisture from the house getting between the boards. 👍
@@CharlieDIYte Thank you. Any recommendations on good expanding foam adhesive? I'll be using the Knauf Thermal Laminate and the Knauf Soundshield plus plasterboards.
@@CharlieDIYte Have you seen the gyproc insulated plasterboard? They do their own sealant for a mastic gun the same as your dot and dab approach, goes straight onto existing wall. Wondered about doing the two walls either side of the chimney breast as they're external and get really cold.
Thanks Greg, that's incredibly kind. Did you watch this update ua-cam.com/video/xxLyWv2vuHk/v-deo.html sand keep an eye on my channel as I'll be doing another update on what I've decided to do in terms of insulating our kitchen. I'm thinking of going down the breathable route in there. Thanks again for the donation 👊
Charlie, tidy quality job. I've been plastering 40 years and I'd score you 9/10. Just a few comments, too much adhesive. Dabs only need to be 600 centres edge and middle of the board, dabs were too flat and should pretrude from wall 75-100 mm and board from window reveal out toward corner of the room All these tips will use less materials but all in all you have done a great job 👍
Does this mean start at each window reveal on the face wall not the actual into the window reveal? So board from edge of window towards the corners then fill in the gaps between the board under and above the window?
Nice job Charl, I would never have known job like this had so many pitfalls for a nightmare outcome. Nicely explained, great that you listed all tools necessary. Really impressive, really interesting. Well done!
Thanks buddy, I really appreciate that. 👍 For videos like this straying from DIY into building work you have to be on your game or you get shot down in flames 😉
@@CharlieDIYte and more often than not, the ones who criticise are the ones who cut corners to save time and money. They might be able to talk a good job, but it stops there, I've come across those types so many times.
Great video with lots of informative information and links. Love it. Is it a necessity to remove the gypsum-based plaster from the walls to install the boards or can they go straight on top without any issues?
Fantastic video, thabks for taking the time to record, edit and share. I'm going to tackle my front porch which is only a single skin of brick as it's the cold spot of the house and I was looking for recommendations for an insulated and moisture-proof board and this came up right away. I'll probably go with the batten fitting solution as I doubt it has anything in the way of moisure prevention currently. Thanks again.
Good idea. The thing to remember when you do this is cold bridging, cold bridging, cold bridging. This is the biggest problem when insulating from inside. A lot of care needs to be taken with window reveals corners and plug socket boxes - which ideally need insulating behind to prevent cold spots and moisture ingress. Good luck 👍
Retired builder good demo Charlie. No rambling tech waffle nice straight down to brass tacks! Many rather pay its still a tough job ok if fit and enthusiastic!
Thanks Phil, I appreciate that. There are things I'd have done differently (like use the foam instead of the adhesive) but I covered as many bases as I could. 👊
Nice video, well explained and set out. Anything is possible with research, the right tools , and time. I feel D.I.Y gets better with trial and error, practice brings confidence to every job after the very first. What ever that might be. Thanks to guys like you , people can see its possible to have a go. Cheers 👍🏽
Amazing job m8, thank you so much. We are away to buy our granny's house as she passed away and I wanted to keep it in the family due to memories but it is a cold house, so was wanting to insulate all the boundary walls and this just looks amazing rather than messing about with wood and rock wool. Thank you
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this video and the one about relative humidity. I'm planning to purchase a property in Central Portugal where the older homes are notorious for being cold and humid during the winter. I now have a general understanding of how to tackle those issues.
@@robertsmart7484 Hi, absolutely but in certain circumstances/properties the cost may be acceptable as it's the only method / cost effective solution etc but yes, it's not cheap.
Useful video Charlie thanks for posting. You do make it look easy! I imagine some complexities not mentioned, such as boarding around the window and needing to extend window sills and what about electrical wiring, the cables would need to be long enough to feed a patress that was now further from it's original location and would need to be fixed to whatever the new insulation has been fixed to. No expert here so maybe i'm overthinking it.
You're right. There are lots of complications. Around reveals the insulation needs to be continuous and socket boxes are an issue both in terms of cable length - I guess you could extend with wago's - but also the cut out being a potential cold bridge as is the break in vapour barrier between each sheet. I'm currently working on a breathable internal wall insulation in my kitchen. If you can hang off for a month or so on your project, there should be a video. 👊
Another brilliant video, thanks Charlie. The way you installed your insulation was so much more thorough than our builders! Re solid walls and dot & dab v mechanical fixing: On an early Victorian 4 storey terraced house, we were advised by Kingspan to mechanically fix on the 2nd floor where the walls are thinner and there was a risk of water penetration but I wanted to let others know that we got away with dot and dab on the 1st, ground and basement. The basement has no soil against it and the walls and floor were damp proofed with a Newton membrane. In addition, the walls get thicker as you go down the house so Kingspan calculated from our dims that they would not suffer from water ingress. We also observed the walls over a couple of years and knew that there was no damp issue. So it is always worth checking with the very helpful technical team at Kingspan.
Had a mate that retro insulated 5 houses like this except he used PU foam adhesive to adhere it to the wall. And mechanic fixings afterwards. PU adhesive is less likely to draw water through the wall. But you can’t use it to plumb the wall. Great if your walls are fairly flat and plumb to start off with.
That pu foam has a good name because when i smells it I always say PU lol Seriously though if you have any damp issues that pu foam does eventually degrade, in my experience. Maybe not as fast as some silicone or other similar adhesives tend to though. Silicone is a lot easier to clean up though
Great video Charlie, clear and well presented. I have bought a villa in Spain with solid walls, and the rooms are COLD in the winter. I had thought about insulated plasterboard. Having watched your excellent video, I will be insulating the wall, so hears to a warmer property.
Thanks George. Before you do it, do lots of research on cold bridging and make sure you buy a board with an in built vapour barrier. Sockets and the edge of each board, corners and around windows are potential sources of cold bridging (cold spots) where condensation can form. And check out this video ua-cam.com/video/TIDb-pdOnXM/v-deo.html on keeping moisture levels down, though you may not have too much of a problem with that in Spain?
I love your videos Charlie. It’s been 3 years since you did this. Have you experienced any condensation issues or signs of condensation forming behind the insulation? I’m keen to do this at my house (already done one room) but my head is spinning with all the conflicting advice around the condensation risks and lack of breathability. This stuff is BBA approved for this application but there are so many experts warning against doing it at all or recommending alternative, breathable panels combined with lime plaster to maintain the breathability of the building. Interested to know your thoughts/experience on this
I’m having the same conundrum, George! Victorian building so 9” solid walls. We had some damp on one wall already but a specialist said it was mainly due to the incorrect mortar used when the pointing was re done some years ago. Replaced with a proper lime mortar we haven’t had many issues. But if I insulate with this method, am I adding to moisture/breath ability issues?
@@thewalkingsketchbookmy house has solid brick walls and I insulated the walls internally 40 years ago. There was not much information available. Some was very wrong. I was concerned about condensation in hidden away spaces.I had a choice of polystyrene sheet or fibreglass/ mineral wool. I used the latter as it was much cheaper. I made a frame of 50 x75 mm tanalised timber, screwed to the walls and filled with insulation. Then a polythene vapour barrier and then plasterboard. Keep the vapour barrier intact around power sockets was awkward. I’m still in the house and have had no issues. I have one last wall to insulate, the bathroom. It’s only a few m2. No external render. But it’s sheltered and I might bond directly to the wall. Still in two minds about it. 24:19
@@thewalkingsketchbookthink of it like this , your house needs to breathe hence the lime mortar outside and the same applies to the inside with regards to lime plaster and limewash/ breathable clay paint , this method will keep humidity controlled in your property and won't end up spoiling any brickwork because of a build up moisture 👍
Great video Charlie. How did you get the radiator remounted? Did you have to extend the pipes or have you come up with some other way of doing it? Thinking of doing the same and trying to avoid having to drain down the system.
1 thing i like about your videos is ... you will advise that you and I can do these projects... other videos is.. no you need a professional... you deserve a sub
Great video Charlie, it is something I really want to do and something I have researched a ton about, reading all the technical data etc but still feel there is not enough info out there. However this is by far the best video i have seen. I would love to pick your brain as you too appear to have done a ton of research. The main areas I have concerns with is the vapour barrier and access for wires without cutting or making holes in the insulation. So my thinking is to press the insulation against the wall (mines rendered and is sound), tape all the joins and foam/tape/seal all the edges. Then put 25x50mm (standard roofing type) battens against the insulation, 25mm thick and screw the battens through the insulation and into the wall. Then plasterboard (normals fine but i would choose foil backed) to the battens and skim. This way seems to allow for the best vapour barrier you can achieve and u would have a void for cables without compromising the insulation/vb, and you could hang selves, pictures etc to the wall as you would any plasterboard wall without messing with the insulation and vb, and from what I can tell buying insulation and plasterboard separately would be cheaper also. (Window reveals would have to be dealt with differently) Can you see any downsides to this approach other than losing a few mm due to battens being a bit thicker than dot&dab. You input would be very much appreciated. All the best
It's a nice video for installation. How to screw in or hang appliances on these insulated backed plasterboard. Which screws or supports to use to hang heavy objects like TV and radiators.
I worked for a double glazing and conservatory company a few years ago. We would always use kingspan as insulation. I remember it had a fishy smell when you cut it lol.
Thanks David. Possibly someone from the restoration lobby who thinks I should have lime mortared the room instead. This technique does have its detractors for old properties but for us it's been worth it as it's made it a much more pleasant environment particularly in winter.
Love the video, you make it look so easy. I have used insulated plasterboard in my garage conversion but found that the plasterboard came away from the foam and had to use lots of plasterboard screws to keep them firmly in place
Thanks mate! A lot of people split them up into a series but I think where possible it's best to keep it as one. That way you're not jumping around trying to find the next video!
What an excellent video really. Brilliant information very well made, you cleared up a lot of confusion for me. I'm concerned about condensation on the back of the board though. It seems people prefer to mechanically fix for this reason. I wonder if anyone has anymore information for this.... personally I think the adhesives these days are incredible.
Thanks Adam. Yes, I mechanically fixed the last room I did and going forward I think this is a preferable option. You're right to be concerned about condensation, particularly where you're cutting through the board for the electrical back boxes. You want to aspire to creating an impregnable vapour barrier and continuous insulation to eliminate any cold bridging - which is damn hard in reality. In the bedroom I've just done, I battened the wall with 2x1 tanelised, dpc between the batten and wall where it touches - as the wall isn't level there was a nice gap behind. Then I infilled with 1 inch Ecotherm, foil taped over the joins, and then mechanically fixed the Kingspan to the front. That way, the electrical boxes only penetrate through the front insulation (I foil taped a piece of 12mm ply to the back of the Kingspan at that point to screw the back box to), and there's no cold bridging. Oh and I used that expanding foam tape you might have seen in that vid, underneath the Kingspan. It's breathable but eliminates any cold bridging.
Charlie, do you have a video on applying insulating wallpapers (like WallRock or similar)? What is your view on how useful and effective they are? Installing insulated plasterboard is not feasible in our rooms because of door and window frame sizes and shallow depths.
Excellent video. Thank you for sharing. I had insulation boards put on two walls in my kitchen and on one wall in my bathroom by the Housing Association I am under several years ago. To my surprise they put the boards over plastered walls. Since then, I have encounter problems with mildew around the top and edges of the boards and think part of the problem might be that they haven't been sealed correctly.
Yes that'll be because of cold bridging. Take a look at this video ua-cam.com/video/TIDb-pdOnXM/v-deo.html It's important you have some ventilation in your place during the day (windows open if you can) just to let out the huge amount of moisture we generate daily
Coming to this one quite late. Another really high quality video - great explanations. One thing though, these boards are phenomenally expensive now. In my 100 year old semi, it’d cost approximately £1000 for the materials to do less than 2 of my first floor rooms (external walls only, 50mm board). Have any competing products been released since this video was first uploaded?
Before you carry out any work, make sure the house does not contain any asbestos. Also old houses with plaster walls would highly likely have no vapour barrier under the plaster to stop moist air from saturating the insulation. Back then, plaster walls were designed to allow the free exchange of air and moisture. If you're not sure if the plaster has been replaced with a vapour barrier or any insulation, remove a small area and check. You may just need foam or wool insulation and a vapour barrier underneath the plasterboards. I can highly recommend Tekwarm EPS HP, not sure if it's available where you live though.
Sadly this is just the way of the world now. Building material costs are significantly higher than they were in 2019 when Charlie did this video. It’s been a painful three years for us DIYers !
That's very interesting! Thank you for your video. Have you noticed any issues with condensation between the wall and the insulation? Would it even be possible to see if it happened?
I think you do have to be really careful - particularly around plug sockets, where each sheet butts up and corners and windows. Better to use the expanding foam glue rather than plasterboard adhesive as this is a much better insulator. I haven't had any problems in this room but we do manage humidity quite carefully. In the last room I did - our bedroom - I battened the wall, infilled between the battens with 1 inch PIR, foil taped over the battens then screwed the insulated plasterboard to the battens. That way you have no cold bridging around sockets etc as there's insulation behind them. I glued a 12mm board of ply into the back of the insulated plasterboard to screw the socket back box to.
Use a paint roller and tray to apply the PVA, load it up, start from the bottom and roll up, keeping a small wave of PVA between the roller and the wall, touch up with brush if necessary
I'm a plasterer and I'd like to say very nicely done make sure you use a secondary fixing the adhesive is more like a packer I like to use 6 fixings more like a 6 on a dice than the way the manufacturer recommend but top job I've had lads working for me with years of experience that turn out worse boarding than that well done
Thanks so much Robert - I've got to say I was a bit nervous about posting this one but felt strangely compelled to do so - but comments from professionals like yourself are massively appreciated! Out of interest do you use the cork screw style mechanical (secondary) fixings I mentioned, or something else?
@@CharlieDIYte I've tried many different types of fixing and to be honest I've never really been happy with any of them the insulation fixings are great because there all plastic but there about 5mm so skimming the wall becomes a pain I've settled on using a tile backer board washer with a zinc plated concrete fixing I have to make the hole in the middle of the washer bigger to let the screw head sit flat but it's the best I can come up with. most other options have either a small head so not really holding the board tight or othersare too thick to skim over
@@robandamyp Agreed. I thought about frame fixings (or the excellent steel core Corefix), rebated into the surface with a flat wood bit but being plastic they're not fire regs compliant.
Got all this on the inside of my house on the external walls... just dabbed on.... I know it is meant to have mechanical fixings in an ideal world but it was done before I had the house and I’m not tearing it all off now haha. No problems as such just a few annoying movement cracks on the joints even with scrim tape on. So when going though the rooms decorating I’ve drilled small holes on the joints back to the brick and wet in the hole with diluted pva then foam filled to effectively stitch the crack. The stuff is as warm as toast in the winter and the heat wave last year nearly killed me inside haha!
Really really excellent video lots of detail and u don't have an asome American accent just brilliant have a whole house to do built 1937 mass concrete walls
Awesome job mate! I wish I could do that here but my walls tend to be rather damp in this Old House and I don't trust the roof. It started to leaks in a few spots again, even after having all the clay tiles replaced a few months ago. I was able to get on the roof and sealed the leak spots but I'm not sure how long that will last. I don't mind running the heater in the winter more. I'll probably just stick to slapping some anti-mold paint up on these old walls and see if that does anything for me. Cheers!
Glad to hear it. If you have to install back boxes for the plug sockets, try not to cut all the way though the insulation or if you have to, re-insulate behind with spray foam to minimise any cold bridging. You could even glue the insulation boards in place with spray foam rather than plasterboard adhesive. 👍
Charlie brilliant video just what i needed as am going to do my small bedroom after having a steel girder fitted to extend kitchen dinner below so have ripped out old dob and dab plasterboard and will now fit the 50mm kingspan as the dobs on old ones were nearly 2" thick.!!
Hi Charlie, Thanks for this. Very helpful. Before applying the plasterboard - would you ever suggest plastering the stone wall first to increase insulation? Perhaps Lime Plaster if it’s a damp wall so the stone can breath?
David that's incredibly humble of you, and I say to any trade pro who comments favourably on my vids (eg the silicone one) that they're clearly very good at their job. We're always learning aren't we. Actually there are a few things I'd do differently since making this. On my most recent bedroom refurb to eliminate any potential cold bridging (sockets being a big source) I battened the wall with 2x1, infilled with 1 inch celotex PIR, foil taped over the battens and then screwed the K118 insulated plasterboard to the battens. Socket boxes were cut though the insulated board with a 12mm ply board foil taped to the back to screw the box to. That way there's no cold bridging though the socket. Also continuous insulation around the window reveals and breathable expanding foam tape under the insulated plasterboard. And I either didn't video it or I've lost all the footage 🤦🏻♂️ Thanks for the comment 👍
@@elltell8644 followed by damp and mould in the months to come. Needs a proper thermal break. the improved insulation on the rest of the walls increases problems in the remaining cold areas.
@@alexclifford8961 with window profiles of 30 - 40mm there is little else that can be used other than 12.5mm foil back boards. how they are fixed is down to the operative.
Great video. How do you make the judgment on damp to decide between batton or adhesive? Old houses that you might want to insulate rarely have bone dry walls and getting the opinions of dpc professionals can often lead to further confusion, ambiguity and diagnosis to product or service. If there is actually any degree of damp what's actually going on behind the board between the battons?
Andrew there's no right answer on this, except to say if you have damp in the wall coming in from outside you shouldn't insulate it until you've removed the source. That said it becomes more complicated because most internal insulation isn't done properly in that the vapour barrier is either non existent or, as I have to confess, I did, you cut through it to install the back boxes. Any cold bridge like this is a potential source of interstitial condensation. On our bedroom which I did a year ago I battened the wall with 2x1 tanelised, putting DPC behind the battens where they touch the wall. I then infilled the battens with 25mm Ecotherm sheet insulation. The walls are uneven so there was a bit of a gap behind the battens in places where i had to pack them out. I then foil taped the battens and finally screwed the Kingspan insulated plasterboard to the battens. That way it didn't matter that I cut through the insulation for the electrical boxes as there was insulation behind. I put a piece of ply at the back of the back box, again foil taped from behind to give me something to screw it. That's just about the best way to insulate a wall in my opinion. However you'll always get the angry restoration lobby saying you're creating a mini Grenfell that can't breathe, whilst the green lobby will salute you for cutting greenhouse emissions 🤷
Just a note, only use KNAUF bonding compound on foil backed insulation board k118 otherwise you are taking a big risk. There's no point in pva-ing the back of the boards then, knauf bags are readily available from all drywall merchants. When taking delivery of your boards lay them down as flat as you can get them especially if its going to be days before they get used to avoid them bowing.
@LB-gr5se I assume your asking why use knauf bonding compound specifically on the knauf foil backed k118. If you use BG bonding compound instead,you will certainly run the risk of the board coming away from the dabs once they had set as it is not designed to stick to foil. Where as knauf adhesive you will have no such problems. On normal wall board, BG,Knauf or Siniat bonding are all pretty much the same ,though I personally prefer BG bonding. With Knauf ,you have to pay a little bit more attention when mixing because it doesn't like being overmixed by drill and tends to thicken up quickly, which you don't necessarily want if you have a large mix to do. Hope that answers your question
Could those wooden planks be a possible mold risk when they are trapped between the insulation and brick wall as they will absorb moisture but won't be able to dry properly?
A couple of little visual little hiccups...... But totally overwhelmed by a fully informative and professional video :-) I really enjoyed it :-) Thank you
Fisher Duopower would do a good job. For the heavy stuff you could use wall anchors - probably 5x52mm. They work in insulated plasterboard as the umbrella forces itself open even in the insulated foam. The only downside is that the screw head on the bolt is reasonably large, or at any rate looks different to a screw. ua-cam.com/video/e3hjzPNe5wk/v-deo.html
Thanks. Take a look at the foam adhesive too - it's a better insulator, and will be more effective to reduce cold bridging around the back boxes you have to cut out for plug sockets. Cold bridging should be your buzz word throughout the project. You need to do everything you can to eliminate any. 👊
Remarkable that adding insulation to a property with no insulation requires Building Regs to approve it meets their spec. Does it meet their spec with no insulation? Jobs for the boys.
Hi Charlie, I’ve only just seen this video even though it’s almost a year old. I insulated the external walls in two bedrooms of my house the difference it makes is amazing. In one of the rooms I hacked of the plaster as it was very loose, but then I put a tight coat of sand and cement to get rid of some of the bows and bellies in the wall. Around the windows I framed them with 2x2 batterns. Before putting the boards up around I cut away the insulation only. When you put the board up around the window you can screw the edges around the window. Around the window you now have a reveal which you stick standard plaster board to using screws with a few dabs of adhesive. I’m about to move on to my bathroom. I just concerned about the condensation, and of course the tiles on that wall. Any advice
@@satwinderdhariwal I don’t think so. Around the window is framed with two by two and inside that it is insulated. I realise you will loose some heat but it is a vast improvement, which is what you want at the end of the day.
Nice video, very thorough. word of caution to all readers, if you have to remove lots of render as in this video. buy OR rent a much bigger low vibration breaker than the small drill / breaker in this video. twenty years ago I ruined my hands with a cheap drill. using a small cheap drill all day will give you vibration white finger. One project, one day with an undersized drill has given me a lifetime of problems. If you are going to be chiseling all day get the right tool. You were lucky this render is so soft Charlie you could have given yourself big problems.
@@CharlieDIYte its a strange thing, if I do over an hour now with any vibrating tools (drills, multitool, anything) my hands go white and numb. I had to give up motorbikes for the same reason (numb hands are not good at 160MPH :-) )
Hi Charlie, great video thanks. Just a quick question...... When you mark the walls and ceiling so you can align the plasterboard panels, do you have to take into account the depth the adhesive will bring the board out by? Hope that makes sense👍
Yes, you want the lines to be a finished depth guide. Otherwise you won't see them because the adhesive will bring the boards forward of the line you've marked.
Great vid, question do you need a vapour barrier between the PB and insulation to prevent issues with interstitial condensation? We did this method on old house and ended up with mould spots coming through the PB. All about the dew point.
Great stuff, clear and concise. Good to see building control nonsense tamed. It’s all a game to take things out of the hands of DIY and drive the contractors market. Look where cavity wall insulation got us !
I think you're absolutely right. And a builder mate said to me the other day when I told him I was preparing this video that in his experience these guidelines are often not followed!
Nonsense! The Building Regulations are the MINIMUM standards that have to be achieved and there is nothing apart from Heating and Electrical work that requires any recognised trades certification and therefore within the scope of a DiY'er. If you had seen the vast quantity of botches I have witnessed from both unknowledgeable amateurs and supposedly skilled tradesmen there is a case for more stringent application of the rules rather than less. The Building Regulations came out of the numerous local Public Health Acts that were brought together under a consolidating document, and without them we would still be victims of the Victorian slums. The Building Regs are continually evolving as they play catch-up with modern standards and innovation, the problem is that they are dealing in an ever more technological world so a becoming more prescriptive than performance based.
@@clivewilliams1406 I'm sure what he meant by "building control nonsense" is that the way the controls have evolved (and as you say, it's difficult to blame them for this as they play catch up) means that it's difficult for the average home owner, about to embark on a project, to make sense of.
Charlie DIYte There’s a lot to cover so I shall keep it brief(ish). I did a self build 20 years ago when things were still quite normal, and it was a pleasure to do. Now we are being turned into cash machines and it’s like Dick Turpin has written the building regs. Advanced they maybe, structured robbery it certainly is. All backed and influenced by Gypsum, Knauf, and all the rest. Replacing boilers at £2000 a pop, for something that’s going to break within 5 years. You don’t really get your money back! Electric consumer units seem to be changed more than underpants, that’s just making money out of people. Becoming an eco warrior has some merit, but it’s only forced and driven by the extortion of energy companies. Older property needs to breathe, and the funny thing is it’s already stood the test of time for there not to be an argument that it was built right in the first place. New builds I wouldn’t have given, and I could cry myself to sleep for the amount of ‘quality apartments ‘ I have inflicted onto the great British public. May the Lord have mercy on my soul.
Brilliant video, I'm about to insulate a 3m square room which will become a utility room. Looked at superfoil, Rookwool block, Celotex ....... etc etc ..... thinking attaching batons is the only way to provide some method of attaching wall units, or anything other than the lightest of decor additions to a 50mm or more insulation product. Would you be attaching shelves or other wall hung additions to the room you've insulated in this vid ??
Great video. Can you please upload video of the best plasterboard fixings, plasterboard with insulation. I saw many videos for plasterboard only but most new builds have insulation and wanted to know which one will be best.
Our 1875 built terrace suffers terribly with condensation on the solid brick external walls in the winter. They're absolutely freezing!! I'm unsure if there is any moisture penetration now. There used to be, but since we had the guttering fixed it's gone away. Downstairs we do have a small area which is below ground (we're on a slope). What am I better off going for? Assuming battens rather than dot and dab? I just need to raise the temp of the bloody walls! I'm assumung that the boards with foil backing are the ones designed to combat condensation in the void? Would I be better off hacking back to brick and adding pva beforehand?
I've spend many hours rebuilding studs in my 200 year old house to get things level, this looks like a much preferred option. Not a single wall in my house is square and it's a right pain in the arse doing it 'properly'
I've just done my bedroom wall the stud method, and my bathroom before that. It was more of a pain but I thought I'd do a video on it, and also, with that extra layer I've more than complied with building regs in terms of the u values.
would love to see a modern update on this subject with the new standards taken into account and, for example, the use of low expansion foam to stick the insulation panels to the wall...!!
It isnt a good idea to insulate from interor of the house... exterior is much better - u save the materials before destruction via water x freeze. once u insulate inside part - u shift zero ceslcius into the brick (water start to change into ice - expands and destroys the material, u are never able to restrict all af vapore to come inside the material). ... if u insulate exterior part of the wall... proper thickness of insulation will have zero celsius in itself...... PVA is supposed to be used , once u clean the wall properly :) it doesnt take such a lot of a time and effort :)
external insulation need be water resist, not suck water newer, only closed cell foam can use external insulation, interior can use all other, but not bathroom and water area rooms.or rooms were have sometime steam.
big thanks for your time and attention to this. Our walls are 3 bricks thick. Very dry. Considering mechanical fixing throughout though.. a longitudinal fixing of treated timber and then vertical fixing of softwood battening - to level. Fixing verticals with metal straps to reduce thermal conductivity - rather than timber to timber. Fill with fireproof insulation and screw fix 12.5mm plasterboard. Thickness 65mm internally. Wondering why you haven't gone for this approach, apart from the mechanics of getting it all aligned? with metal strapping, this has proven quite simple so far. Thank you R&T
😂😂😂😂😂😂 WTF are you doing fella,!, ABSOLUTELY no need to remove the old plaster 😂😂😂,! You took more time removing that old crap,,than fixing your boards,😂😂 Just drill through your insulated plasterboard AND the old plaster and (mechanically fix)using Fischer POLYPROPYLENE fixings to brickwork ,,12 fixings to each board,, Before you all start jumping up and down 😤I have been using this method for 28 years,!, my company has renovated more than 300 properties , I in fact still own 147 of these houses,as a private landlord,, PS,, very little point in applying pva directly to substrate that appears to contain old lime plaster,, PPS, I’m 73 years old started plastering at 14 I sincerely hope this has been of use to someone,👍🇬🇧
Three reasons 1) the plaster below was live and I didn't want to just hide it behind the new board (a botch in my opinion); 2) the walls weren't true - years of badly applied irregular plaster - so mechanical fixings wouldn't help with this; and 3) the wife is annoyed enough that I'm reducing the size of the rooms with this insulation so I was wanting to keep this to a minimum. I hear what you say that your approach is a lot less hassle though. Are the polypropylene fixings fire regs compliant? I thought they had to be metal.
Thanks this is a great and insightful video. Question- once completed, what about shelves or other fittings to the newly insulated plasterboard? Cheers.
You're welcome. On the insulation if you're thinking of doing this consider using expanding foam glue rather than plasterboard adhesive - so much better for insulation around plug sockets and in between sheets thereby minimizing cold bridging. On shelves, if not too heavy you could just anchor into the foam thereby not compromising the vapour barrier behind. Use a wall anchor or T bolt as discussed here ua-cam.com/video/L2Hy1IhQ17s/v-deo.html as they force open in the foam. If you're putting up something really heavy make sure you put plenty of foam or adhesive behind the area you're fixing into and you'll have to use a frame fixing and screw right into the brickwork behind. 👊
Really interesting and useful video - thanks! One question; when you used the insulated plasterboard for your bathroom, was there a moisture resistant version available, or did you apply a waterproofing agent (or additional cement backer boards)?
I used a ground down sawblade in alligator saw, grind offset teeth away to replicate breadknife. This reduced dust from kingspan to almost zero. Amazing trick. Not sure if it would work through the plasterboard backing, would give it a try.
Great video. We have a 200 year old house with no cavity. Our surveyor prior to purchasing was a heritage specialist surveyor who gave a lot of advice about how to look after older houses. Things like not using plastic masonry paint, gypsum plaster, sand and cement render etc as they are not breathable. They reckon external walls on the inside should be lime plastered. Since you own an older house I am interested on your thoughts on this? I guess its ok to put this thermal plasterboard on older houses? Is it breathable?
Your surveyor was basically right and no, this isn't breathable. Old houses are meant to breath but the problem is that also leaves them difficult to heat and susceptible to mould in unventilated areas. So you have to balance up the pros and cons. If you are going to insulate from the inside, it's critical you do everything you can to minimise cold bridging around windows, corners and plug socket boxes these being the major sources of cold spots and moisture ingress. Also do everything you can to keep the internal humidity down as discussed here ua-cam.com/video/TIDb-pdOnXM/v-deo.html
Would love to do this on a few of my internal walls that have no cavity....but how do you work around radiators and bt sockets etc...any videos of this..cheers
Get a spade bit for the SDS hammer !! - less damage, faster and more consistent. Do bear in mind that whilst your walls are dry at the moment, significant moisture removal could have been taking place from the internal surface that will now be trapped behind the foil on the Kingspan. If "wicking" of moisture is taking place from another area, it cannot now escape as it is sealed both from outside and inside.
Great video. I have limited space so the depth of the insulation board is an issue. Could you say what is the best/most thermally efficient panel with a max depth of 25 mm/1 inch?
I’m just about to start insulating a cold bedroom. I was hoping to do a single external wall which seems to be the coldest wall in the room. Can I get away with doing a single wall without causing issues, where this wall meets others?
I've learned so much from this. Was nearly about to have insulated plasterboard put up on all four walls without being aware of building regulations. Life saver, thank you!
You're welcome. With insulating internally like this, you need to pay close attention to cold bridging points (breaks in the insulation). Cutting through the board for plug sockets, where each sheet butts up to the next and around windows are the big culprits. Expanding foam adhesive is one answer rather than dot and dab adhesive but you have to choose an expanding foam that's compatible with the Plasterboard. It's well worth doing this but you have to get it right to prevent moisture from the house getting between the boards. 👍
@@CharlieDIYte Thank you. Any recommendations on good expanding foam adhesive? I'll be using the Knauf Thermal Laminate and the Knauf Soundshield plus plasterboards.
Instastik is a good one. Very easy to apply and is made specifically for this job.
@@CharlieDIYte Have you seen the gyproc insulated plasterboard? They do their own sealant for a mastic gun the same as your dot and dab approach, goes straight onto existing wall. Wondered about doing the two walls either side of the chimney breast as they're external and get really cold.
I also thought I’d need to do this! Does the video relate to the building regs of today? Thanks!
Thanks Charlie for the really useful info on your channel I have learnt a lot about insulating our home.
Thanks Greg, that's incredibly kind. Did you watch this update ua-cam.com/video/xxLyWv2vuHk/v-deo.html sand keep an eye on my channel as I'll be doing another update on what I've decided to do in terms of insulating our kitchen. I'm thinking of going down the breathable route in there. Thanks again for the donation 👊
Charlie, tidy quality job. I've been plastering 40 years and I'd score you 9/10. Just a few comments, too much adhesive. Dabs only need to be 600 centres edge and middle of the board, dabs were too flat and should pretrude from wall 75-100 mm and board from window reveal out toward corner of the room All these tips will use less materials but all in all you have done a great job 👍
Does this mean start at each window reveal on the face wall not the actual into the window reveal? So board from edge of window towards the corners then fill in the gaps between the board under and above the window?
Nice job Charl, I would never have known job like this had so many pitfalls for a nightmare outcome. Nicely explained, great that you listed all tools necessary. Really impressive, really interesting. Well done!
those things are a fire hazard. use Hebel Masonry Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
For anyone thinking "didn't he post this a few days ago", you're absolutely right! I took it down to add a few important details!
Are you going to plaster that yourself now or get a plasterer in to do it?
@@stephenoconnor1459 Check out the video linked in the closing screen. I got Gerrard a pro plasterer in ua-cam.com/video/Ksc2mghC-4c/v-deo.html
Thank you, that was very precise and well communicated, gives me enough info of where to start! Well done and thank you for doing this once again!
For a DIYer you're very thorough, and you put a lot of professionals to shame...An excellent informative video.
Thanks buddy, I really appreciate that. 👍 For videos like this straying from DIY into building work you have to be on your game or you get shot down in flames 😉
@@CharlieDIYte and more often than not, the ones who criticise are the ones who cut corners to save time and money. They might be able to talk a good job, but it stops there, I've come across those types so many times.
Great video with lots of informative information and links. Love it. Is it a necessity to remove the gypsum-based plaster from the walls to install the boards or can they go straight on top without any issues?
Fantastic video, thabks for taking the time to record, edit and share. I'm going to tackle my front porch which is only a single skin of brick as it's the cold spot of the house and I was looking for recommendations for an insulated and moisture-proof board and this came up right away. I'll probably go with the batten fitting solution as I doubt it has anything in the way of moisure prevention currently. Thanks again.
Good idea. The thing to remember when you do this is cold bridging, cold bridging, cold bridging. This is the biggest problem when insulating from inside. A lot of care needs to be taken with window reveals corners and plug socket boxes - which ideally need insulating behind to prevent cold spots and moisture ingress. Good luck 👍
Thanks
Love how comprehensive your videos are a pleasure to watch look forward to seeing more of your projects
Thanks Johnnie! This one's been a beast to edit for one reason or another!
Retired builder good demo Charlie. No rambling tech waffle nice straight down to brass tacks! Many rather pay its still a tough job ok if fit and enthusiastic!
Thanks Phil, I appreciate that. There are things I'd have done differently (like use the foam instead of the adhesive) but I covered as many bases as I could. 👊
Nice video, well explained and set out.
Anything is possible with research, the right tools , and time.
I feel D.I.Y gets better with trial and error, practice brings confidence to every job after the very first.
What ever that might be.
Thanks to guys like you , people can see its possible to have a go.
Cheers 👍🏽
Amazing job m8, thank you so much. We are away to buy our granny's house as she passed away and I wanted to keep it in the family due to memories but it is a cold house, so was wanting to insulate all the boundary walls and this just looks amazing rather than messing about with wood and rock wool. Thank you
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this video and the one about relative humidity. I'm planning to purchase a property in Central Portugal where the older homes are notorious for being cold and humid during the winter. I now have a general understanding of how to tackle those issues.
Thanks Jason. And some sort of dehumidifier perhaps, or possibly a PIV?
For your application it may be worth looking into a product called 'Spacetherm'. Much reduced (often 10x) thickness for similar U Value (W/m2k).
@@Bradleyguy22 But at a cost of about £100 per square metre it works out quite expensive.
@@robertsmart7484 Hi, absolutely but in certain circumstances/properties the cost may be acceptable as it's the only method / cost effective solution etc but yes, it's not cheap.
Well done mate I am a brit living in canada and iam going to try your method on my son's bedroom because we also live in a 1920s house
Glad to hear it, Steve. Good luck. It'll make a massive difference.
Finally! I've been waiting for someone to do it and show how it's done just so I don't mess up.
You're welcome. Good luck with your project!!
Useful video Charlie thanks for posting. You do make it look easy! I imagine some complexities not mentioned, such as boarding around the window and needing to extend window sills and what about electrical wiring, the cables would need to be long enough to feed a patress that was now further from it's original location and would need to be fixed to whatever the new insulation has been fixed to. No expert here so maybe i'm overthinking it.
You're right. There are lots of complications. Around reveals the insulation needs to be continuous and socket boxes are an issue both in terms of cable length - I guess you could extend with wago's - but also the cut out being a potential cold bridge as is the break in vapour barrier between each sheet. I'm currently working on a breathable internal wall insulation in my kitchen. If you can hang off for a month or so on your project, there should be a video. 👊
Another brilliant video, thanks Charlie. The way you installed your insulation was so much more thorough than our builders! Re solid walls and dot & dab v mechanical fixing: On an early Victorian 4 storey terraced house, we were advised by Kingspan to mechanically fix on the 2nd floor where the walls are thinner and there was a risk of water penetration but I wanted to let others know that we got away with dot and dab on the 1st, ground and basement. The basement has no soil against it and the walls and floor were damp proofed with a Newton membrane. In addition, the walls get thicker as you go down the house so Kingspan calculated from our dims that they would not suffer from water ingress. We also observed the walls over a couple of years and knew that there was no damp issue. So it is always worth checking with the very helpful technical team at Kingspan.
Great video - my old house has been cold for years - you've inspired me to sort it out uing this method!
Hello mate. I didnt know you could dot and dab foil backed boards like that. Did you make any adjustments to account for that?
Excellent video Charlie! Im looking to do this in the summer time next year. Currently too busy with other renovation projects.
Had a mate that retro insulated 5 houses like this except he used PU foam adhesive to adhere it to the wall. And mechanic fixings afterwards. PU adhesive is less likely to draw water through the wall. But you can’t use it to plumb the wall.
Great if your walls are fairly flat and plumb to start off with.
That pu foam has a good name because when i smells it I always say PU lol
Seriously though if you have any damp issues that pu foam does eventually degrade, in my experience. Maybe not as fast as some silicone or other similar adhesives tend to though. Silicone is a lot easier to clean up though
Great video Charlie, clear and well presented. I have bought a villa in Spain with solid walls, and the rooms are COLD in the winter. I had thought about insulated plasterboard. Having watched your excellent video, I will be insulating the wall, so hears to a warmer property.
Thanks George. Before you do it, do lots of research on cold bridging and make sure you buy a board with an in built vapour barrier. Sockets and the edge of each board, corners and around windows are potential sources of cold bridging (cold spots) where condensation can form. And check out this video ua-cam.com/video/TIDb-pdOnXM/v-deo.html on keeping moisture levels down, though you may not have too much of a problem with that in Spain?
I love your videos Charlie. It’s been 3 years since you did this. Have you experienced any condensation issues or signs of condensation forming behind the insulation? I’m keen to do this at my house (already done one room) but my head is spinning with all the conflicting advice around the condensation risks and lack of breathability. This stuff is BBA approved for this application but there are so many experts warning against doing it at all or recommending alternative, breathable panels combined with lime plaster to maintain the breathability of the building. Interested to know your thoughts/experience on this
I’m having the same conundrum, George!
Victorian building so 9” solid walls. We had some damp on one wall already but a specialist said it was mainly due to the incorrect mortar used when the pointing was re done some years ago. Replaced with a proper lime mortar we haven’t had many issues. But if I insulate with this method, am I adding to moisture/breath ability issues?
@@thewalkingsketchbookmy house has solid brick walls and I insulated the walls internally 40 years ago. There was not much information available. Some was very wrong. I was concerned about condensation in hidden away spaces.I had a choice of polystyrene sheet or fibreglass/ mineral wool. I used the latter as it was much cheaper. I made a frame of 50 x75 mm tanalised timber, screwed to the walls and filled with insulation. Then a polythene vapour barrier and then plasterboard. Keep the vapour barrier intact around power sockets was awkward. I’m still in the house and have had no issues. I have one last wall to insulate, the bathroom. It’s only a few m2. No external render. But it’s sheltered and I might bond directly to the wall. Still in two minds about it. 24:19
@@thewalkingsketchbookthink of it like this , your house needs to breathe hence the lime mortar outside and the same applies to the inside with regards to lime plaster and limewash/ breathable clay paint , this method will keep humidity controlled in your property and won't end up spoiling any brickwork because of a build up moisture 👍
Great video Charlie. How did you get the radiator remounted? Did you have to extend the pipes or have you come up with some other way of doing it? Thinking of doing the same and trying to avoid having to drain down the system.
1 thing i like about your videos is ... you will advise that you and I can do these projects... other videos is.. no you need a professional... you deserve a sub
Thanks so much, mate 👍
Great video Charlie, it is something I really want to do and something I have researched a ton about, reading all the technical data etc but still feel there is not enough info out there. However this is by far the best video i have seen.
I would love to pick your brain as you too appear to have done a ton of research.
The main areas I have concerns with is the vapour barrier and access for wires without cutting or making holes in the insulation.
So my thinking is to press the insulation against the wall (mines rendered and is sound), tape all the joins and foam/tape/seal all the edges. Then put 25x50mm (standard roofing type) battens against the insulation, 25mm thick and screw the battens through the insulation and into the wall. Then plasterboard (normals fine but i would choose foil backed) to the battens and skim.
This way seems to allow for the best vapour barrier you can achieve and u would have a void for cables without compromising the insulation/vb, and you could hang selves, pictures etc to the wall as you would any plasterboard wall without messing with the insulation and vb, and from what I can tell buying insulation and plasterboard separately would be cheaper also. (Window reveals would have to be dealt with differently)
Can you see any downsides to this approach other than losing a few mm due to battens being a bit thicker than dot&dab.
You input would be very much appreciated.
All the best
It's a nice video for installation. How to screw in or hang appliances on these insulated backed plasterboard. Which screws or supports to use to hang heavy objects like TV and radiators.
I worked for a double glazing and conservatory company a few years ago. We would always use kingspan as insulation. I remember it had a fishy smell when you cut it lol.
What type of person thumbs down a video such as this?!?! Weirdo's!
Great video! Extremely helpful!
Many thanks...
Thanks David. Possibly someone from the restoration lobby who thinks I should have lime mortared the room instead. This technique does have its detractors for old properties but for us it's been worth it as it's made it a much more pleasant environment particularly in winter.
@@CharlieDIYte I'm sure if your house could talk it would thank you for making it a home... 👍
Love the video, you make it look so easy. I have used insulated plasterboard in my garage conversion but found that the plasterboard came away from the foam and had to use lots of plasterboard screws to keep them firmly in place
Thank you! We have just done this to our kid's room from your instructions.
You're very welcome. Glad you found it useful and thanks for the comment 👊
That’s a great job and have to say I really enjoy a longer video like this....settles down with a cup of tea 😊👍
Thanks mate! A lot of people split them up into a series but I think where possible it's best to keep it as one. That way you're not jumping around trying to find the next video!
Excellent job ! You are the most Professional of all DIYers out there.
Wow, thank you so much 👍
What an excellent video really. Brilliant information very well made, you cleared up a lot of confusion for me.
I'm concerned about condensation on the back of the board though. It seems people prefer to mechanically fix for this reason. I wonder if anyone has anymore information for this.... personally I think the adhesives these days are incredible.
Thanks Adam. Yes, I mechanically fixed the last room I did and going forward I think this is a preferable option. You're right to be concerned about condensation, particularly where you're cutting through the board for the electrical back boxes. You want to aspire to creating an impregnable vapour barrier and continuous insulation to eliminate any cold bridging - which is damn hard in reality. In the bedroom I've just done, I battened the wall with 2x1 tanelised, dpc between the batten and wall where it touches - as the wall isn't level there was a nice gap behind. Then I infilled with 1 inch Ecotherm, foil taped over the joins, and then mechanically fixed the Kingspan to the front. That way, the electrical boxes only penetrate through the front insulation (I foil taped a piece of 12mm ply to the back of the Kingspan at that point to screw the back box to), and there's no cold bridging. Oh and I used that expanding foam tape you might have seen in that vid, underneath the Kingspan. It's breathable but eliminates any cold bridging.
Thank you thank you thank you! Excellent delivery, detail, and no faf. You are perfection ❤
your garage looks similar to mine, would this method be good to use in that kind of environment ?
Thanks Charlie. Presumably you only need to insulate external facing walls, not internal walls adjoining external walls? Is that right?
Charlie, do you have a video on applying insulating wallpapers (like WallRock or similar)? What is your view on how useful and effective they are? Installing insulated plasterboard is not feasible in our rooms because of door and window frame sizes and shallow depths.
Never ever heard of a daughter turning the radiator half way down! :-) :-) :-)
Well, exactly, Sean!
Excellent video. Thank you for sharing. I had insulation boards put on two walls in my kitchen and on one wall in my bathroom by the Housing Association I am under several years ago. To my surprise they put the boards over plastered walls. Since then, I have encounter problems with mildew around the top and edges of the boards and think part of the problem might be that they haven't been sealed correctly.
Yes that'll be because of cold bridging. Take a look at this video ua-cam.com/video/TIDb-pdOnXM/v-deo.html It's important you have some ventilation in your place during the day (windows open if you can) just to let out the huge amount of moisture we generate daily
Coming to this one quite late. Another really high quality video - great explanations. One thing though, these boards are phenomenally expensive now. In my 100 year old semi, it’d cost approximately £1000 for the materials to do less than 2 of my first floor rooms (external walls only, 50mm board). Have any competing products been released since this video was first uploaded?
Before you carry out any work, make sure the house does not contain any asbestos. Also old houses with plaster walls would highly likely have no vapour barrier under the plaster to stop moist air from saturating the insulation. Back then, plaster walls were designed to allow the free exchange of air and moisture. If you're not sure if the plaster has been replaced with a vapour barrier or any insulation, remove a small area and check. You may just need foam or wool insulation and a vapour barrier underneath the plasterboards. I can highly recommend Tekwarm EPS HP, not sure if it's available where you live though.
Sadly this is just the way of the world now. Building material costs are significantly higher than they were in 2019 when Charlie did this video. It’s been a painful three years for us DIYers !
That's very interesting! Thank you for your video. Have you noticed any issues with condensation between the wall and the insulation? Would it even be possible to see if it happened?
I think you do have to be really careful - particularly around plug sockets, where each sheet butts up and corners and windows. Better to use the expanding foam glue rather than plasterboard adhesive as this is a much better insulator. I haven't had any problems in this room but we do manage humidity quite carefully. In the last room I did - our bedroom - I battened the wall, infilled between the battens with 1 inch PIR, foil taped over the battens then screwed the insulated plasterboard to the battens. That way you have no cold bridging around sockets etc as there's insulation behind them. I glued a 12mm board of ply into the back of the insulated plasterboard to screw the socket back box to.
Use a paint roller and tray to apply the PVA, load it up, start from the bottom and roll up, keeping a small wave of PVA between the roller and the wall, touch up with brush if necessary
Thanks so much. Our walls are the same, and we're in need of better insulation as well.
I'm a plasterer and I'd like to say very nicely done make sure you use a secondary fixing the adhesive is more like a packer I like to use 6 fixings more like a 6 on a dice than the way the manufacturer recommend but top job I've had lads working for me with years of experience that turn out worse boarding than that well done
Thanks so much Robert - I've got to say I was a bit nervous about posting this one but felt strangely compelled to do so - but comments from professionals like yourself are massively appreciated! Out of interest do you use the cork screw style mechanical (secondary) fixings I mentioned, or something else?
@@CharlieDIYte I've tried many different types of fixing and to be honest I've never really been happy with any of them the insulation fixings are great because there all plastic but there about 5mm so skimming the wall becomes a pain I've settled on using a tile backer board washer with a zinc plated concrete fixing I have to make the hole in the middle of the washer bigger to let the screw head sit flat but it's the best I can come up with. most other options have either a small head so not really holding the board tight or othersare too thick to skim over
@@robandamyp Agreed. I thought about frame fixings (or the excellent steel core Corefix), rebated into the surface with a flat wood bit but being plastic they're not fire regs compliant.
@@CharlieDIYte Another tip which i always do is to drill a sequence of holes and stick the foam gun in for extra adhesion ..
Got all this on the inside of my house on the external walls... just dabbed on.... I know it is meant to have mechanical fixings in an ideal world but it was done before I had the house and I’m not tearing it all off now haha. No problems as such just a few annoying movement cracks on the joints even with scrim tape on. So when going though the rooms decorating I’ve drilled small holes on the joints back to the brick and wet in the hole with diluted pva then foam filled to effectively stitch the crack. The stuff is as warm as toast in the winter and the heat wave last year nearly killed me inside haha!
Really really excellent video lots of detail and u don't have an asome American accent just brilliant have a whole house to do built 1937 mass concrete walls
Awesome job mate! I wish I could do that here but my walls tend to be rather damp in this Old House and I don't trust the roof. It started to leaks in a few spots again, even after having all the clay tiles replaced a few months ago. I was able to get on the roof and sealed the leak spots but I'm not sure how long that will last. I don't mind running the heater in the winter more. I'll probably just stick to slapping some anti-mold paint up on these old walls and see if that does anything for me. Cheers!
Really useful. Thank you. I intend to do my conservatory in the new year.
Glad to hear it. If you have to install back boxes for the plug sockets, try not to cut all the way though the insulation or if you have to, re-insulate behind with spray foam to minimise any cold bridging. You could even glue the insulation boards in place with spray foam rather than plasterboard adhesive. 👍
@@CharlieDIYte really? That would work? Probably easier. I’m always worried about making the plaster too thin. Thanks for the tips.
Charlie brilliant video just what i needed as am going to do my small bedroom after having a steel girder fitted to extend kitchen dinner below so have ripped out old dob and dab plasterboard and will now fit the 50mm kingspan as the dobs on old ones were nearly 2" thick.!!
Thanks Jeff! It's great stuff, you won't be disappointed. It's worth getting a quote from SIG assuming they deliver in your area.
Thank you Charlie. Like that you keep it real and sensible. 👍
Thanks 👊
I do this on a daily basis. Well done!
Thanks mate - appreciate that vote of confidence from a pro!
What size timber did you use to mechanically bond your bathroom?
Hi Charlie,
Thanks for this. Very helpful.
Before applying the plasterboard - would you ever suggest plastering the stone wall first to increase insulation? Perhaps Lime Plaster if it’s a damp wall so the stone can breath?
I learnt so much from your video and I’m in the building trade!
David that's incredibly humble of you, and I say to any trade pro who comments favourably on my vids (eg the silicone one) that they're clearly very good at their job. We're always learning aren't we. Actually there are a few things I'd do differently since making this. On my most recent bedroom refurb to eliminate any potential cold bridging (sockets being a big source) I battened the wall with 2x1, infilled with 1 inch celotex PIR, foil taped over the battens and then screwed the K118 insulated plasterboard to the battens. Socket boxes were cut though the insulated board with a 12mm ply board foil taped to the back to screw the box to. That way there's no cold bridging though the socket. Also continuous insulation around the window reveals and breathable expanding foam tape under the insulated plasterboard. And I either didn't video it or I've lost all the footage 🤦🏻♂️ Thanks for the comment 👍
I would be interested in how you tackled the window reveal.
would be great to know this
a normal 12.5mm plasterboard would be used.
@@elltell8644 followed by damp and mould in the months to come. Needs a proper thermal break. the improved insulation on the rest of the walls increases problems in the remaining cold areas.
@@alexclifford8961 with window profiles of 30 - 40mm there is little else that can be used other than 12.5mm foil back boards. how they are fixed is down to the operative.
Great video. How do you make the judgment on damp to decide between batton or adhesive? Old houses that you might want to insulate rarely have bone dry walls and getting the opinions of dpc professionals can often lead to further confusion, ambiguity and diagnosis to product or service.
If there is actually any degree of damp what's actually going on behind the board between the battons?
Andrew there's no right answer on this, except to say if you have damp in the wall coming in from outside you shouldn't insulate it until you've removed the source. That said it becomes more complicated because most internal insulation isn't done properly in that the vapour barrier is either non existent or, as I have to confess, I did, you cut through it to install the back boxes. Any cold bridge like this is a potential source of interstitial condensation. On our bedroom which I did a year ago I battened the wall with 2x1 tanelised, putting DPC behind the battens where they touch the wall. I then infilled the battens with 25mm Ecotherm sheet insulation. The walls are uneven so there was a bit of a gap behind the battens in places where i had to pack them out. I then foil taped the battens and finally screwed the Kingspan insulated plasterboard to the battens. That way it didn't matter that I cut through the insulation for the electrical boxes as there was insulation behind. I put a piece of ply at the back of the back box, again foil taped from behind to give me something to screw it. That's just about the best way to insulate a wall in my opinion. However you'll always get the angry restoration lobby saying you're creating a mini Grenfell that can't breathe, whilst the green lobby will salute you for cutting greenhouse emissions 🤷
@@CharlieDIYte Thanks for this, very helpful.
Just a note, only use KNAUF bonding compound on foil backed insulation board k118 otherwise you are taking a big risk. There's no point in pva-ing the back of the boards then, knauf bags are readily available from all drywall merchants. When taking delivery of your boards lay them down as flat as you can get them especially if its going to be days before they get used to avoid them bowing.
What's the reasons for the KNAUF bonding compound? Thanks
@LB-gr5se I assume your asking why use knauf bonding compound specifically on the knauf foil backed k118. If you use BG bonding compound instead,you will certainly run the risk of the board coming away from the dabs once they had set as it is not designed to stick to foil. Where as knauf adhesive you will have no such problems.
On normal wall board, BG,Knauf or Siniat bonding are all pretty much the same ,though I personally prefer BG bonding. With Knauf ,you have to pay a little bit more attention when mixing because it doesn't like being overmixed by drill and tends to thicken up quickly, which you don't necessarily want if you have a large mix to do. Hope that answers your question
@@darylheasman1 that makes sense thanks for clearing that up
Could those wooden planks be a possible mold risk when they are trapped between the insulation and brick wall as they will absorb moisture but won't be able to dry properly?
Hi Charlie, great video! Just a quick question, how do you deal with the window molding? Can you just glue it on top or you need to secure it? Thanks
A couple of little visual little hiccups...... But totally overwhelmed by a fully informative and professional video :-) I really enjoyed it :-) Thank you
You're welcome, thanks for the comment. Yes, still learning on the visuals. I think I may have recorded this in the wrong codec.
Hi, What fixing should I be using to hang mirrors, curtain rails & picture frames on 50mm insulated plasterboard?
Fisher Duopower would do a good job. For the heavy stuff you could use wall anchors - probably 5x52mm. They work in insulated plasterboard as the umbrella forces itself open even in the insulated foam. The only downside is that the screw head on the bolt is reasonably large, or at any rate looks different to a screw. ua-cam.com/video/e3hjzPNe5wk/v-deo.html
Brilliant video, I've learned a lot and will be following it step by step to insulate the walls of my flat, thanks a million Charlie!
Thanks. Take a look at the foam adhesive too - it's a better insulator, and will be more effective to reduce cold bridging around the back boxes you have to cut out for plug sockets. Cold bridging should be your buzz word throughout the project. You need to do everything you can to eliminate any. 👊
@@CharlieDIYte Thanks for that Charlie, is there a brand of foam adhesive you could recommend?
Thank you thank you thank you. I have exactly the same walls with render on the exterior and they are always cold. This is just what I was after.
great video, gave me some pointers that I hadn't previously considered. Thank you .
Remarkable that adding insulation to a property with no insulation requires Building Regs to approve it meets their spec. Does it meet their spec with no insulation? Jobs for the boys.
I agree!
Oh and if you think that’s ridiculous, consider that most local authorities charge you per external wall insulated. performance of the whole building
Well said!
I’m doing mine and not telling them it’s for my benefit.
Screw telling them. how would those a-holes know!
Do you have to strip off the plaster to get to the bare brick? This will alter the power points with this extra depth?
Good video. Done this system 45 years ago. Still there.
Great presentation!! How many bags of knauf adhesive per panel did you use??
Thanks Martin. I honestly can't remember but it should say on the bag. I think one bag does at least 2 sheets - possibly 3.
Hi Charlie, I’ve only just seen this video even though it’s almost a year old. I insulated the external walls in two bedrooms of my house the difference it makes is amazing. In one of the rooms I hacked of the plaster as it was very loose, but then I put a tight coat of sand and cement to get rid of some of the bows and bellies in the wall. Around the windows I framed them with 2x2 batterns. Before putting the boards up around I cut away the insulation only. When you put the board up around the window you can screw the edges around the window. Around the window you now have a reveal which you stick standard plaster board to using screws with a few dabs of adhesive. I’m about to move on to my bathroom. I just concerned about the condensation, and of course the tiles on that wall. Any advice
Don't you lose heat around the standard plaster board on the window edges
@@satwinderdhariwal I don’t think so. Around the window is framed with two by two and inside that it is insulated. I realise you will loose some heat but it is a vast improvement, which is what you want at the end of the day.
Nice video, very thorough. word of caution to all readers, if you have to remove lots of render as in this video. buy OR rent a much bigger low vibration breaker than the small drill / breaker in this video. twenty years ago I ruined my hands with a cheap drill. using a small cheap drill all day will give you vibration white finger. One project, one day with an undersized drill has given me a lifetime of problems. If you are going to be chiseling all day get the right tool. You were lucky this render is so soft Charlie you could have given yourself big problems.
Thanks mate. Sorry to hear about that. Great advice that I'll bare in mind on a job I've got coming up.
@@CharlieDIYte its a strange thing, if I do over an hour now with any vibrating tools (drills, multitool, anything) my hands go white and numb. I had to give up motorbikes for the same reason (numb hands are not good at 160MPH :-) )
Hi Charlie, great video thanks. Just a quick question...... When you mark the walls and ceiling so you can align the plasterboard panels, do you have to take into account the depth the adhesive will bring the board out by? Hope that makes sense👍
Yes, you want the lines to be a finished depth guide. Otherwise you won't see them because the adhesive will bring the boards forward of the line you've marked.
Does the existing walls plaster need to be removed when fixing the kingspan boards mechanically? or is it only when dot & dabbing? Thanks. Great Vid!
Superb - really on another level Charlie. Thank you.
Great vid, question do you need a vapour barrier between the PB and insulation to prevent issues with interstitial condensation? We did this method on old house and ended up with mould spots coming through the PB. All about the dew point.
Great stuff, clear and concise. Good to see building control nonsense tamed. It’s all a game to take things out of the hands of DIY and drive the contractors market. Look where cavity wall insulation got us !
I think you're absolutely right. And a builder mate said to me the other day when I told him I was preparing this video that in his experience these guidelines are often not followed!
Nonsense! The Building Regulations are the MINIMUM standards that have to be achieved and there is nothing apart from Heating and Electrical work that requires any recognised trades certification and therefore within the scope of a DiY'er. If you had seen the vast quantity of botches I have witnessed from both unknowledgeable amateurs and supposedly skilled tradesmen there is a case for more stringent application of the rules rather than less. The Building Regulations came out of the numerous local Public Health Acts that were brought together under a consolidating document, and without them we would still be victims of the Victorian slums.
The Building Regs are continually evolving as they play catch-up with modern standards and innovation, the problem is that they are dealing in an ever more technological world so a becoming more prescriptive than performance based.
@@clivewilliams1406 I'm sure what he meant by "building control nonsense" is that the way the controls have evolved (and as you say, it's difficult to blame them for this as they play catch up) means that it's difficult for the average home owner, about to embark on a project, to make sense of.
Charlie DIYte There’s a lot to cover so I shall keep it brief(ish). I did a self build 20 years ago when things were still quite normal, and it was a pleasure to do. Now we are being turned into cash machines and it’s like Dick Turpin has written the building regs. Advanced they maybe, structured robbery it certainly is. All backed and influenced by Gypsum, Knauf, and all the rest. Replacing boilers at £2000 a pop, for something that’s going to break within 5 years. You don’t really get your money back! Electric consumer units seem to be changed more than underpants, that’s just making money out of people. Becoming an eco warrior has some merit, but it’s only forced and driven by the extortion of energy companies. Older property needs to breathe, and the funny thing is it’s already stood the test of time for there not to be an argument that it was built right in the first place. New builds I wouldn’t have given, and I could cry myself to sleep for the amount of ‘quality apartments ‘ I have inflicted onto the great British public. May the Lord have mercy on my soul.
Brilliant video, I'm about to insulate a 3m square room which will become a utility room. Looked at superfoil, Rookwool block, Celotex ....... etc etc ..... thinking attaching batons is the only way to provide some method of attaching wall units, or anything other than the lightest of decor additions to a 50mm or more insulation product. Would you be attaching shelves or other wall hung additions to the room you've insulated in this vid ??
Ah this is the doc I was looking for thanks.
Great video. Can you please upload video of the best plasterboard fixings, plasterboard with insulation. I saw many videos for plasterboard only but most new builds have insulation and wanted to know which one will be best.
The big question we all need to know is... how did you get a teenager to keep her room that clean? You can actually see the floor!
Lol 😂😆😆😆
In an old detached house do I just need to do this for my internal perimeter walls of the whole house or every wall ?
Those boards need fixings foil backs always pop off dabs
Our 1875 built terrace suffers terribly with condensation on the solid brick external walls in the winter. They're absolutely freezing!! I'm unsure if there is any moisture penetration now. There used to be, but since we had the guttering fixed it's gone away. Downstairs we do have a small area which is below ground (we're on a slope). What am I better off going for? Assuming battens rather than dot and dab? I just need to raise the temp of the bloody walls! I'm assumung that the boards with foil backing are the ones designed to combat condensation in the void? Would I be better off hacking back to brick and adding pva beforehand?
I wish this method was banned. It eases the builders job but its a total pain in the ass for the homeowner when it comes to DIY. Prefer the studs
I've spend many hours rebuilding studs in my 200 year old house to get things level, this looks like a much preferred option. Not a single wall in my house is square and it's a right pain in the arse doing it 'properly'
I've just done my bedroom wall the stud method, and my bathroom before that. It was more of a pain but I thought I'd do a video on it, and also, with that extra layer I've more than complied with building regs in terms of the u values.
Banned? Ok.
would love to see a modern update on this subject with the new standards taken into account and, for example, the use of low expansion foam to stick the insulation panels to the wall...!!
Here it is ua-cam.com/video/Ou1CjwflZtM/v-deo.htmlsi=Rbb-9IDxTn0oUkuu 👍
Bond the back of a board before sticking???
My arse, what's the point?
Pva on the back of the board isn’t the thing to do. You can buy the correct board. I think it’s called pl4000. It’s got paper on the back not silver!
I find a shovel and brute force works and it's quick for removing old Browning/render/plaster 🙂
It isnt a good idea to insulate from interor of the house... exterior is much better - u save the materials before destruction via water x freeze. once u insulate inside part - u shift zero ceslcius into the brick (water start to change into ice - expands and destroys the material, u are never able to restrict all af vapore to come inside the material). ... if u insulate exterior part of the wall... proper thickness of insulation will have zero celsius in itself...... PVA is supposed to be used , once u clean the wall properly :) it doesnt take such a lot of a time and effort :)
external insulation need be water resist, not suck water newer, only closed cell foam can use external insulation, interior can use all other, but not bathroom and water area rooms.or rooms were have sometime steam.
big thanks for your time and attention to this. Our walls are 3 bricks thick. Very dry. Considering mechanical fixing throughout though.. a longitudinal fixing of treated timber and then vertical fixing of softwood battening - to level. Fixing verticals with metal straps to reduce thermal conductivity - rather than timber to timber. Fill with fireproof insulation and screw fix 12.5mm plasterboard. Thickness 65mm internally. Wondering why you haven't gone for this approach, apart from the mechanics of getting it all aligned? with metal strapping, this has proven quite simple so far. Thank you R&T
😂😂😂😂😂😂 WTF are you doing fella,!, ABSOLUTELY no need to remove the old plaster 😂😂😂,!
You took more time removing that old crap,,than fixing your boards,😂😂
Just drill through your insulated plasterboard AND the old plaster and (mechanically fix)using Fischer POLYPROPYLENE fixings to brickwork ,,12 fixings to each board,,
Before you all start jumping up and down 😤I have been using this method for 28 years,!, my company has renovated more than 300 properties ,
I in fact still own 147 of these houses,as a private landlord,,
PS,, very little point in applying pva directly to substrate that appears to contain old lime plaster,,
PPS, I’m 73 years old started plastering at 14
I sincerely hope this has been of use to someone,👍🇬🇧
Three reasons 1) the plaster below was live and I didn't want to just hide it behind the new board (a botch in my opinion); 2) the walls weren't true - years of badly applied irregular plaster - so mechanical fixings wouldn't help with this; and 3) the wife is annoyed enough that I'm reducing the size of the rooms with this insulation so I was wanting to keep this to a minimum. I hear what you say that your approach is a lot less hassle though. Are the polypropylene fixings fire regs compliant? I thought they had to be metal.
@@CharlieDIYte you can get metal ones which are much better. 🍀
Thanks this is a great and insightful video.
Question- once completed, what about shelves or other fittings to the newly insulated plasterboard? Cheers.
You're welcome. On the insulation if you're thinking of doing this consider using expanding foam glue rather than plasterboard adhesive - so much better for insulation around plug sockets and in between sheets thereby minimizing cold bridging. On shelves, if not too heavy you could just anchor into the foam thereby not compromising the vapour barrier behind. Use a wall anchor or T bolt as discussed here ua-cam.com/video/L2Hy1IhQ17s/v-deo.html as they force open in the foam. If you're putting up something really heavy make sure you put plenty of foam or adhesive behind the area you're fixing into and you'll have to use a frame fixing and screw right into the brickwork behind. 👊
Is a vapour barrier needed on single skin brick walls, like it would be if I did stud, insulation inbetween, vapour sheild then plasterboard
Really interesting and useful video - thanks!
One question; when you used the insulated plasterboard for your bathroom, was there a moisture resistant version available, or did you apply a waterproofing agent (or additional cement backer boards)?
Could you use a masonry blade on a skill saw to cut the board as opposed to using a hand saw?
Don't see why not, Jim. Just make sure you've got a good dust mask on!
I used a ground down sawblade in alligator saw, grind offset teeth away to replicate breadknife. This reduced dust from kingspan to almost zero. Amazing trick. Not sure if it would work through the plasterboard backing, would give it a try.
Great video. We have a 200 year old house with no cavity. Our surveyor prior to purchasing was a heritage specialist surveyor who gave a lot of advice about how to look after older houses. Things like not using plastic masonry paint, gypsum plaster, sand and cement render etc as they are not breathable. They reckon external walls on the inside should be lime plastered. Since you own an older house I am interested on your thoughts on this? I guess its ok to put this thermal plasterboard on older houses? Is it breathable?
Your surveyor was basically right and no, this isn't breathable. Old houses are meant to breath but the problem is that also leaves them difficult to heat and susceptible to mould in unventilated areas. So you have to balance up the pros and cons. If you are going to insulate from the inside, it's critical you do everything you can to minimise cold bridging around windows, corners and plug socket boxes these being the major sources of cold spots and moisture ingress. Also do everything you can to keep the internal humidity down as discussed here ua-cam.com/video/TIDb-pdOnXM/v-deo.html
Would love to do this on a few of my internal walls that have no cavity....but how do you work around radiators and bt sockets etc...any videos of this..cheers
How thick is the insulated plasterboard that you used and did you manage to find metal pattresses which are deep enough?
Get a spade bit for the SDS hammer !! - less damage, faster and more consistent.
Do bear in mind that whilst your walls are dry at the moment, significant moisture removal could have been taking place from the internal surface that will now be trapped behind the foil on the Kingspan.
If "wicking" of moisture is taking place from another area, it cannot now escape as it is sealed both from outside and inside.
Great video. I have limited space so the depth of the insulation board is an issue. Could you say what is the best/most thermally efficient panel with a max depth of 25 mm/1 inch?
The best is Spacetherm but it's very expensive.
I’m just about to start insulating a cold bedroom. I was hoping to do a single external wall which seems to be the coldest wall in the room. Can I get away with doing a single wall without causing issues, where this wall meets others?