External insulation to walls

[Bayliss]

Hope that this time I will not get myself into hot water. Considering the possibility of insulating the exterior walls of my humble timber framed cottage in Suffolk. When I say timber framed, well its rather a hotchpot of materials, one gable wall has the lower half now brick built (years back). Also a small brick built porch hall, and a variety of plaster finishes covering over the remains of the old frame.
I take it that the old finishes are removed from the frame and recovered with insulation board of some description before being plastered over. Presume the brickwork would simply have the boarding attached and then plastered. Any comment/advise appreciated.

 

[Zebra]

I'm doing this on mine. External wall insulation that is. It is a small brick ground floor, timber first floor cottage.
When you say you have a variety of plaster finishes covering the remains of the old frame, are you talking about internally? What is currently the external wall finish?
I have an architect working on specifying a system for mine right now. It will probably be woodfibre insulation board applied to the timber, with a sheathing board for support. The brickwork has to have a layer of a proprietary finish (which the suppliers of the woodfibre supply) first to even up the brickwork before the boards go on, to avoid there being any air gaps.
My cottage has a number of challenges, with adjacent roofs, a flat roof, the junction with the chimney etc as well as the different substrates. I'll let you know when my architect has come up with a plan. He's working alongside a consultant who has just finished a study into applying external wall insulation to old buildings. SPAB are also helping to advise me on it.
I started a thread on here some months ago, I'll post a link to it in a sec, where others on here made alternative suggestions, because there are of course more than one way to skin a cat!

 

[Zebra]

Here t'is....
http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12173

 

[Bayliss]

Thank you for your reply and the link Zebra. The variety of plaster finishes I refer are the external walls, some dreaded cement render smooth finish, some weak cement which has a high content of large (15 - 20mm) stones which give a rough finish and some is brick replacing what would have been timber frame.
The internal walls are in the main still wattle and daub, nice and wibbly wobbly uneven finish and still very sound. One wall in living room is modern plaster where the wall was replaced with brick work and one wall in dining room the same, both gable ends.
I look forward to hearing how your insulation plans develop and once again thank you for your help and advise.

 

[Keithj]

Any comment/advise appreciated.

Buy yourself a damp meter. Not expensive, and will allow you to check where you think there may be a problem. I use mine often.

 

[Bayliss]

Good idea, although I may frighten my self rigid in doing so.