Lol, plasma envy.JohnB wrote:I've walked past houses where the curtains are open, and my eyes have been drawn towards the huge object occupying half the living room. I suppose to the average consumer, it encourages them to rush off to Curry's if they have a smaller one, but I just think the owners are mad!Andy Hunt wrote:I've never heard it called that before.JohnB wrote: Isn't the idea to show off your telly?
Insulation: what are the barriers?
Moderator: Peak Moderation
Andy Hunt
http://greencottage.burysolarclub.net
http://greencottage.burysolarclub.net
Eternal Sunshine wrote: I wouldn't want to worry you with the truth.
insulation
@kenneal, thanks for the figures.
I'm sure you're right, but I forgot to mention that I paid very little for it (subsidised by Eon, £5 per roll), and rolled it out over the loft flooring myself in one afternoon, so no labour costs. I've always believed that more of a good thing can only be better, but I agree there is an optimum point. Still, 0.08 down to 0.03 is quite an improvement, and it will have a positive effect for decades.
My next plan is to make up 20mm padded quilted insulation for every window and door. It'll be held in place evenings and at night with Velcro. That will mean 5 thermal barriers per window/door. Even my paraffin lamp keeps the living room reasonably warm now!
Jon
I'm sure you're right, but I forgot to mention that I paid very little for it (subsidised by Eon, £5 per roll), and rolled it out over the loft flooring myself in one afternoon, so no labour costs. I've always believed that more of a good thing can only be better, but I agree there is an optimum point. Still, 0.08 down to 0.03 is quite an improvement, and it will have a positive effect for decades.
My next plan is to make up 20mm padded quilted insulation for every window and door. It'll be held in place evenings and at night with Velcro. That will mean 5 thermal barriers per window/door. Even my paraffin lamp keeps the living room reasonably warm now!
Jon
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RenewableCandy
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I'd agree with Ken that there is no point, except if the house was an exceptionally non-compact shape, and where the loft made up an unusually large percentage of the total external area, in reducing the U value further from 0.08. In a multi-home building, such as a terrace or a block of flats, 0.15 would be sufficient. An efficient shape, one that contains the maximum useful space for a given external area, is surprisingly important in determining how much insulation is needed and at what point adding more starts to be subject to the law of diminishing returns, big time.
Going back to Andy's original question, I think it boils down to perceived complexity, risk and a fundamental lack of 'belief' that insulation works. Most people always think a more efficient boiler will trump insulation, even if doing the latter is significantly cheaper.
Going back to Andy's original question, I think it boils down to perceived complexity, risk and a fundamental lack of 'belief' that insulation works. Most people always think a more efficient boiler will trump insulation, even if doing the latter is significantly cheaper.
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RenewableCandy
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kenneal - lagger
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Re: insulation
Pinch some of the insulation in your loft for that and save some money.ujoni08 wrote:My next plan is to make up 20mm padded quilted insulation for every window and door. It'll be held in place evenings and at night with Velcro. That will mean 5 thermal barriers per window/door. Even my paraffin lamp keeps the living room reasonably warm now!
Jon
Jon, think about it. £700 to save 100W! And that's only saved at -20 deg C. With normal weather conditions you will be saving in the region of 30 to 50W. In the UK or even Germany, where the winters are colder, it's not worth going below a U value of 0.08 in the loft or 0.12 in the walls. Those values equate to about 450 of fibre in the loft and 300 in the walls.
Action is the antidote to despair - Joan Baez
insulation
Haha, I'm really flattered that people think I have too much loft insulation! 
I've always been one for overkill. BTW, our house is small, so the loft is tiny, and I only paid about (from memory) £160 for all the insulation! The first 170mm was already under the loft flooring when we bought, and the rest I bought at a big discount from Homebase, subsidised by Eon. I think they made a mistake with adding it up, too! Undercharged me.
Our gas bills came down massively, and the money has already been recovered in just 1 1/2 Winters.
Windows and doors next.
Jon
I've always been one for overkill. BTW, our house is small, so the loft is tiny, and I only paid about (from memory) £160 for all the insulation! The first 170mm was already under the loft flooring when we bought, and the rest I bought at a big discount from Homebase, subsidised by Eon. I think they made a mistake with adding it up, too! Undercharged me.
Our gas bills came down massively, and the money has already been recovered in just 1 1/2 Winters.
Windows and doors next.
Jon