Hello Anthony.... I noticed a few things from your video... The loft insulation looked a bit tired and wholly inadequate in terms of depth.. Also it was covered in rodent droppings.. I would recommend removing the old glassfibre insulation.. Fit wood fiibre insulation (it doesn't compact down over time).. Traverse doubling of insulation is also a great idea.. .. Install an ultrasonic rodent detterent in the loft.. For 2 reasons.. 1. The rodents make nests and destroy your insulation 2. As you live in the UK the cables are not in conduit ducting (real bad British practise to not do this) and can be prone to rodents chewing on cables with the obvious risk of a fire... Especially where you live in rural Aberdeenshire - there will be more stoats, weasels, Martins etc.. Next get your good lady to adjust the curtains until they drape on the floor - this will help a lot.. Consider fitting glands behind your electrical back boxes.. You could make them yourself if needed.. The builders did not butt joint the insulation where the walls meet the roof.. They have gone point to point at the corners... Very bad practise.. Those air vents from kitchen/bathrooms are real energy wasters... Consider a heat recovery system.. Damp and stale air from bathrooms and kitchen will be ducted to the loft space and heat recycled whilst the damp air is rejected to the outside via the roof We built our house in France 3 years ago and studied many things at the time.. .. Good luck...
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
That wasn't rodent droppings. Those were cuttings from the roof (roof felt and fibreboard). I had roof vents inserted which resulted in this. We've got a heavy patrol of cats roaming our property ground and I only saw a rodent once, and that was clocked by one of the cats who then investigated its den. But your other suggestions are very good. The loft space electrical cables were a bit shoddy when I first moved into the property - none clipped and choc blocks wrapped in insulation tape were standard practice instead of proper junction boxes.
@paulodonnell753
8 ай бұрын
This is a great video. You made many of same fixes that I’ve considered but lazily have not done. One other note: I think you noted this yourself, but, in your loft, be sure not to restrict air flow under your roof at any point or you will get ice damns and moisture problems.
@richardkingadi5511
Жыл бұрын
Re filling behind the room corners. If you drill a row of holes, then squirt foam into one at a time, any excess expansion would continue down the void, or out the next hole in line. So, surely no danger of causing any excess pressure in the cavity?? LATER: I've discovered you can also buy low-expansion foam!
@simon7790
Жыл бұрын
That was a really comprehensive overview of insulating the easy-to-miss areas, with lots of ideas to follow up on. Excellent!
@lafamillecarrington
Жыл бұрын
The letterbox is reflective, so you are probably just measuring the temperature of the internal wall. Stick some insulating tape on it and try again.
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
Very good point! I could see my thermal self reflecting in the windows when trying to film them.
@richardkingadi5511
Жыл бұрын
There is often a gap where the top of a partition wall ends in the attic, allowing air to rise by convection. Where this is the case, I'm guessing it should be a top priority. One issue I've found with my thermal camera, is that an apparent cold spot may be a negligible difference in temperature from its surroundings. So , knowing how to interpret what you see, and knowing what to prioritise, is a big issue.
@rklauco
Жыл бұрын
I bought cheap infrared camera for 80 EUR in Lidl some time ago. It does not make photographs, but it's exactly the thing you need for inspections - you can take cellphone and make a picture of the screen if you need to. Amazing for quick look on things.
@rklauco
Жыл бұрын
Cheap trick for the loft - I've used a blanket from bed cover and filled it in with insulation. Put it on top of the entrance from the loft - when you go down, just pull it behind you and it will fall back onto the opening. You go up, simply push it. Thanks to it being in the sheets, it does not release any dust. I ended up using a thin rope and pulling it when I wanted to enter - it would lift the sheet up. Quite nicely isolating, even if it is just laying on top.
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
That’s a nice trick, I just glued a PIR board to the back one one loft hatch and the other already had a polystyrene block attached to it, but your method “should” seal up the gaps as well.
@hjd9157
Жыл бұрын
Great content!😉👍 I’m thinking about thermal imaging our house as well. Thanks for sharing your experience and explaining everything so well🏆
@Plan3tBob
Жыл бұрын
Love this video. I'm on a similar journey probably 6 months behind :) Going aroud the house - after an extension - and looking at the world through a thermal camera. Facenating!
@unclebob8419
Жыл бұрын
Wow, what a detailed great video. Thank you. I am going to buy a thermal imaging camera
@paulodonnell753
8 ай бұрын
I’ve been thinking about the seam where the exterior wall meets the ceiling. I have the same in every exterior wall of my house and have been wondering. Hear me out. Would it make any sense to add cornice crown moulding lines with, and I know this sounds insane, aluminum foil and then fill the gap with foam? Would it work? Or just nuts.
@anthonydyer3939
8 ай бұрын
There’s a lot of merit with insulated crown mouldings. It’s a very obvious cold bridge. Important tip is to ensure the moulding is an effective vapour barrier. You wouldn’t want the interface with the plasterboard to form condensation and harbour mould.
@cals.9269
Жыл бұрын
Great content as ever Anthony ! Keep up the great work and the draught hunting !
@BrianCripps
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Anthony, really useful. I have just bought a FLIR for my iPhone off eBay (£218). Surprisingly cold spots in all ceiling to wall and floor to wall junctions. Got some work to do. Surprised you didn’t show anything viewing your house from outside to see where heat may be escaping. 😎
@rymoe6299
Жыл бұрын
I had a new roof in the summer. Replace all the insulation 🥴🤦🏼♂️ awful job. I put 300mm as required. Had an EPC done afterwards and was told I needed 450mm to new regs! This is after using loft legs and boarding the attic. I’ve used 100mm kingspan boards to slide above the loft hatch. Not considering using super foil either stapled to the underside of the roof or laying on top of the 300mm Rockwell insulation. Hey I noticed your insulated flue pipe is not mechanically protected ie a cage usually made of chicken wire to prevent objects being placed or coming into contact with the flue when in use. Lots of house fires have happened because of these situations. Maybe you sell the property the new owners have no idea and fill the attic with flammable materials and come in to contact with that flue. Thank you for the videos 🍻👍🏻
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
450mm is a lot, but at the same time it’s nothing unusual compared to Nordic countries. But the flue pipe, what you say is correct, but the pipe in this video is just a cooker hood exhaust duct. Nonetheless you’ve made a good point, although the installers who are HETAS registered say it’s all done to regs. I think it just goes to show that building regs compliance is an ever moving set of goal posts. In fact I might dare suggest that there’s no such thing as a fully compliant house.
@rymoe6299
Жыл бұрын
@@anthonydyer3939 argh! Thought it was a factory made insulated flue pipe (twin wall) I couldn’t agree more, I’ve had a shocking experience with my PV installers. Turning up with no scaffold attempting to install the roof panels then wanting to drill thru the slates using underslates brackets!!! MCS couldn’t give a damn and just kept referring me back to my installers. Fensa 😵💫🤦🏼♂️ there even worse! I am attempting to get my home Air source heat pump ready! So external wall insulation, triple glazzed, PV and storage and now have Octopus 🐙 coming to do a survey on Monday!!! From what I have gathered they seem to be the only ones refusing installations that will not be 100% correct so I’m really looking forward to them coming.
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
@@rymoe6299 I like your approach. The external wall insulation is something I’m thinking would be a good idea, but I’m also cautious since there’s a ventilated cavity between the timber frame and concrete cladding. It would probably be no good in that situation. Then there’s all the detailing - eaves, downpipes, window sills and decorative brickwork. So I need a builder who understands all this, and I’d be interested to hear your experience. Triple glazing seems like the least complicated big investment to do next, but again I want someone who can talk to me in terms of frame taping, cold bridge mitigation and draught sealing. Shame about your PV installers. The idea of hauling solar panels up while holding a ladder and no scaffolding ….. unprofessional, unsafe, uneconomic…. three accurate words that don’t really convey the exasperated emotion felt when you realise you’re not being taken care of properly. And I thought MCS were supposed to set and assess standards, both before and after MCS certification is issued.
@rymoe6299
Жыл бұрын
@@anthonydyer3939 just a point on Triple glazzing If I could go back and look at it again I would of 100% paid of the composite frames with Aluminum claddings. Due to the weight of the triple glazzing I have had to keep on adjusting the windows as they move and creat nuisance drafts. The PVC frames are not not up to holding the weight. I have done away with multi panel windows and gone for large single up openers that are around 900mm x 900mm For my 1949 solid wall home the external wall insulation has transformed the house. As well as looking great outside I’m comfortably running my radiators on a 55c flow temp and able to get the house to 23c if required.
@s9550110
Жыл бұрын
great video thanks. Re your PIR sensors, I highly recommend using Aqara P1 motion sensors in conjunction with Home Assistant. They can last over one year before battery needs replacing
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
I was looking into this, and basically power supplies have what is known as “zero load” power consumption. If you look at a graph of efficiency vs load for any power supply it can be close to 90% at rated load, but that efficiency falls off a cliff as load tends towards zero. It made me think that maybe we need to keep that power supply at rated load when on, and isolated when off using a MOSFET. The power supply charges a capacitor when on, and then the capacitor powers your 5V circuit when off, because the sensor itself uses only 50 microamps at 5 volts. I don’t think you need a particularly big capacitor, maybe one sized to get a 1 second duty cycle for your power supply. You could reduce power consumption by an order of magnitude and yet most mains powered PIR sensors have 1W idle consumption from the few datasheets that I’ve seen. All that said, I’m no electronics engineer but I think what I’ve described isn’t too far off what a switched mode power supply is anyway.
@Crazydiamond_1974
Жыл бұрын
Lots of good info there Anthony, I might try and borrow a thermal camera and see what I can find I’m insulating my loft at the moment, it was done previously through a government scheme by the previous homeowner but I’ve found that the boarded out area has no insulation, only a lump stuffed in at the ends to make it look like it has, and any areas you can’t see easily are also either not done, or are done poorly. A real con job! B&Q have Knauf rolls at really good prices at the moment and I must say if not enjoying the work I am finding it rewarding I suppose. I dread to think how much heat has been lost over the years and how much extra oil has been burnt as a result 😢
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
I’m going to get a couple more packs of Rockwool myself. Hopefully tomorrow before the snow arrives. Contractors operating under government schemes are the worst box tickers sadly. I’d hope that evidence collected by thermal cameras could be used to hold these conmen to account under the sale of goods act. Previously it’s been too easy to take shortcuts with insulation and hide it. Thermal cameras should redress the balance.
@racingrob108
Жыл бұрын
Interesting video and some insight into some potential marginal gains that can be made. Looking in the loft space though would it not be a bigger saving by adding another layer of insulation wool? In my house we have a loft conversation and we added approx 300mm of wool between the ceiling and floor of the loft and then down to building regs, 150mm of insulation board to the ceiling and walls of the loft conversion. It has made a massive difference to the warmth of my house (1900’s terrace)
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
The original insulation was 100mm between the joists, then 13 years ago I added 200mm insulation (encapsulated rolls) across the joists. But as you saw, if there are any void spaces in the original insulation then the new insulation on top doesn’t help. So it’s really worth paying attention to those cold spots in your ceiling.
@joschmoyo4532
Жыл бұрын
Excellent video Anthony. Scary how leaky houses are. Down under we don't get the extreme cold so much but unfortunately the general standard of building is not great energy efficiency wise. Thermal bridging is a sneaky one. Our biggest problem in the old house is termites and rat's. Vermin do huge amounts of damage to insulation when they get it in wall cavities and roof spaces. The other huge problem is aluminium framed windows. Talk about thermal bridge to hell freezing over. The new house we are building is a concerted effort to address these problems. Anyway, love the thermal camera and the insights. Thanks.
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
One of my colleagues has doubled glazed aluminium framed windows. They are supposed to have a thermal break between the inner and outer aluminium faces, but he says they attract condensation better than a dehumidifier. My wooden framed windows are 30 years old,and so far no sign of rot despite our maritime climate. Termites thankfully are not a building hazard in Scotland (yet), and so far I’ve not seen any evidence of rodents in the house. Though my mums house had rodents, the entry vector seems to be under the lowest course of roof tiles and then they chew through the roofing felt. The biggest risk is rot caused by wind driven rain. It always seems to get under the roof verges. I’ve got another idea of using my thermal camera to spot for leaks. I’m guessing if there’s a leak, then assuming low humidity there’ll be evaporation and therefore cold spots. I don’t think this trick will work in winter since outdoor humidity right now is above 90%.
@joschmoyo4532
Жыл бұрын
@@anthonydyer3939 Sales of rodent bait in Australia are huge. Thermal cameras are used to detect termite infestation. As your friend rightly noted, aluminium frames cause massive condensation problems and here the older windows are extruded with no insulation. Our new house will have wooden framed window's to avoid that problem. Try taking the weight load off your front door before adjusting the hinges. A simple wooden wedge will do the trick. Door's are always leaky. I will probably build a porch on to my front door if it doesn't seal well. I'm going to use solar to heat the floor in the new house.
@johnb7644
Жыл бұрын
Good video, would coving on the wall to ceiling stop those cold bridging
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
It’s a great question worth investigating. I’ve got coving in my living room and dining room. It doesn’t help. Now if there are insulated variants then that could well be a very effective solution. So actually, there are no such examples with a simple google search “insulated coving”. But here’s an idea. Coving is hollow! That means you could attach a hose to your foam gun after you’ve installed each section and fill it with expanding foam. Now because the foam is also a vapour barrier, then you shouldn’t get any issues with interstitial condensation. All the previously mentioned cautions about making sure it just just simply cause your coving to pop off apply. Overall, I really like your thinking, it’s definitely an idea that could grow some legs.
@johnb7644
Жыл бұрын
@@anthonydyer3939 yes that sounds good, but a low expansion foam would be less likely to tear the coving off the walls, Screwfix have a expansion foam 👍
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
@@johnb7644 yes, but I think low expansion foam is for low volume areas such as door and window frames. I’m guessing you get less foam per bottle, and higher density and therefore higher thermal conductivity. I suppose one other option is to apply expanding foam to the coving when it’s sitting on the bench, and then trim back the surplus foam once set. But overall, I think the thermal coving concept is brilliant for these weak spots.
@MoaningGit
Жыл бұрын
Great video, really informative. I really want that thermal camera. Do you have a referral so you'll earn a bit?
@anthonydyer3939
Жыл бұрын
Afraid I don’t, but maybe I should look into it. In the meantime, I found Amazon was the best price. There was another supplier offering a cheaper price of £280, but they did a ‘bait and switch’ at checkout quoting £70 delivery and then customs fees on top.
@MoaningGit
Жыл бұрын
@@anthonydyer3939 yeah you really should get some referrals going. Your videos are valuable and you deserve the £ 👍🏻
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