Internal wall insulation

[plasticpigeon]

Hello Victorianjob, this forum only allows 3 photos per post if attached. if you link to another site such as photobucket you can embed as many as you like. Your photos are quite small though!

I love brick built houses. I live in Birmingham where red brick was the building material of choice and I'm always pleased to see someone restoring a red brick house properly, they can look just as nice as stone houses in my opinion. Round here cement render and PVC windows are the norm which really messes up otherwise charming properties. i'm desperately trying to talk my neighbour out of rendering. He thinks his house will fall down as he can see lime mortar crumbling out of the joints between bricks when he attacks the wall with a mechanical chisel to take the old plaster off or uses an sds drill, and also thinks that cement render will make it strong. This is an insight into why people make these weird expensive decisions.

 

[Feltwell]

Well, I *was* going to say that as a fellow Victorian house owner the idea of internal wall insulation would ruin one of the very things I bought the house for - the character of the place, such as the original skirtings, architraves, cornice etc etc. But then when you post up pictures of roller shutter doors having been put in for cars to be repaired in the dining room, I'm guessing most of those original features are long gone!

If I was doing a full refurb of a house where nearly all the original features had already gone then I would look at wall insulation. However, otherwise I'd personally learn to live with it as it is - we've insulated this place to a degree (I've done the roof, under the suspended floors, and am in the process of draught-proofing the sash windows and fitting secondary glazing) which has made it better, it's still a bit cold in winter but you get used to it. My ceilings aren't quite as lofty as yours - mine are a mere 9' (2.8m in new money).

Whereabouts are you? Like plasticpigeon, I am a fan of Victorian red brick buildings, although a nice stone gothic revivial house always appeals........

 

[MatthewC]

Thanks for the photos!

We did consider stone clading :shock: :lol: seriously joking!! I'm actually quite taken with the brick now.

You had me worried there for second!

We just keep repeating the mantra 'it'll be worth it in the end' or another favourite when the enormity of the task ahead overwhelms is: 'step by step!'

People often said to me "It'll be great when it's finished", to which I replied "I think it's great now!".

My favourite mantra was "It adds character"; I found this very useful for anything I did which was out of true or less than perfect (which was often).

 

[plasticpigeon]

My favourite mantra was "It adds character"; I found this very useful for anything I did which was out of true or less than perfect (which was often).

The builders I employed added a lot of "character" to my place, which they kindly didn't charge extra for! :lol:

 

[MatthewC]

My favourite mantra was "It adds character"; I found this very useful for anything I did which was out of true or less than perfect (which was often).

The builders I employed added a lot of "character" to my place, which they kindly didn't charge extra for! :lol:

Normally I expect to get what I pay for, but if I do it myself, it really IS character!

 

[victorianjob]

I'm guessing most of those original features are long gone!

Yes and no. On the ground floor ceiling beams etc are largely intact but away from external walls. at floor-level all skirting boards have gone with the exception of the hall. Almost all doorframes/doors are intact. There isn't any panelling or picture rails. The biggest challenge for the IWI would be the sash window architrave.

Plasticpigeon, thanks for the photo bucket tip. I now have an account and will attempt to use it. If it works there'll more more photos below!

My favourite mantra was "It adds character"; I found this very useful for anything I did which was out of true or less than perfect (which was often).

The builders I employed added a lot of "character" to my place, which they kindly didn't charge extra for! :lol:

At the finish I'm sure we're going to have 'bags of character' :lol:

I'm guessing most of those original features are long gone!

Long view of the dining room. Decorative ceiling.

Front view of the house.

When it's all getting a bit much, I come and stand here. It's such an uplifting space.

 

[victorianjob]

Somehow I managed to post the same phot twice. Here's a rather drab picture of the front.

 

[victorianjob]

Hall floor

 

[Zebra]

My favourite mantra was "It adds character"; I found this very useful for anything I did which was out of true or less than perfect (which was often).

The builders I employed added a lot of "character" to my place, which they kindly didn't charge extra for!

Normally I expect to get what I pay for, but if I do it myself, it really IS character!

My house had a character added about 18 months ago, and I'm still here.

Edit: Wow victorianjob, your house is amazing.

 

[plasticpigeon]

What a fabulous place, I'm very jealous. It baffles me that someone would be happy to smash through a wall and fix cars in such a grand room, but luckily you still have that amazing ceiling. It is a fantastic project. I hope you can restore that floor too.

I always get confused when it comes to these Victorian buildings that have elements of various styles but it looks like there are some Jacobean and maybe Gothic influences going on, but please correct me if you think I'm wrong. If you don't mind me suggesting there is an amazing house near me called Highbury Hall, which was Joseph Chamberlain's residence. It is even grander in scale, but looks to have some similarity of detail. If you ever need inspiration it is largely preserved and it is a wonderful place to visit on an open day.