Solid wall insulation and building regs If you want to know how your DIY projects could be affected by building and planning regulations, click here to post questions and view answers

[Mxjamie]

Hi everyone I've just brought my first property a solid wall mid terraced house built around 1900's cut a long story short I had some work carried out knocking some supporting walls down, I submitted a building notice had the calcs done and got them out to inspect all was fine with the steel work but I recieved a letter through the door asking me to
insulate my solid Walls installing batterns with 40mm celotex between and plasterboard on top, I've looked on other forums and seeing as I've pulled the old plaster down it seems I may have to do this although i havnt budgetted for it as I thought i could just replace like for like?, what's the consequences if I don't do this, seeing as I havnt submitted a building notice how can they inforce me to do the work? Any replys would be very welcome thanks

[welsh brickie]

there is a difference between requesting you and ordering you to comply.It is in your best interest to insulate your walls to reduce the carbon footprint.
I highly doubt they are ordering you to do it,But you will need clarification, be honest and open with the building control officer,they are usually very helpfull.

[xavi99]

There is a requirement to insulate any thermal element that you are renovating. By removing the plaster then you are required by the building regs to improve the insulation.

If you google Approved Document L1B then you will find the requirements (page 17).

If you do not do this work then it is a contravention of bg regs for which you can be prosecuted. Prosecutions are rare but they can put the matter on the local land search register which will show up when anyone tries to buy your property and may prejudice a sale.

hth

x99

[diydoctor6]

Here are some great instructions for how you can do this work yourself:

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/in ... gwalls.htm

You should do this work as xavi99 suggests. it would be fool hardy not to, and you will benefit from it significantly.

[darrenbeech]

I'd do it if you can as we didn't insulate the solid walls on our house and suffered terribly with condensation, ruining the decorating we'd done. We then insulated room-by-room (only the external walls) and the condensation has gone as the new plasterboard isn't a cold surface for the water to collect on.
Thanks,
Darren