inside wall insulation for solid walls

Inside wall insulation can be an option for historical homes, or whenever insulation of the external side of the exterior walls is unpractical or too costly.

When to consider inside Wall insulation

Inside wall insulation is mainly a solution for solid walls. Other types of walls (cavity walls, wood-frame walls...) require other insulation solutions.

Do not add inside insulation to your home, if having moisture problems in your walls. Fix these problems first, before installing any insulation.

Inside Insulation disadvantages

Inside insulation (in existing homes) can be relatively cheap, but major disruptions may also be inevitable: removing and reattachment of skirting boards, door frames and window frames...

To minimize such disruptions, consider modern ultra-thin insulation products.

Inside Insulation Materials

There are, in fact, some new materials for inside solid wall insulation. The most if which is ultra-thin rolls (some with just 10mm thick…), made from very high-density foams, installed like common wallpaper. These products are relatively expensive, but may avoid many troublesome disruptions.

More common – and affordable - choices involve rigid insulation panels. This panels (or batts) can be made from common fiberglass, mineral wool or cellulose, but the best insulation value is obtained by high-density foam materials like polyisocyanurate and expanded polystyrene.

A common disadvantage of these last options it their higher thickness (compared to the newer ultra-thin rolls), and the disruptions that their installation may cause.

Installation

Newer inside wall insulation coverings are stuck onto walls with a special adhesive, before being rendered, and painted or wallpapered.

Some foam boards are installed using wood furring strips attached to the walls, to provide the nailing base…

But installation details vary with the insulation product. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions.