# Forum Home Renovation Heating & Cooling  Retro-fit Insulation on weatherboard house

## Cyrille

Hi guys, I'm new here so pardon me for asking questions already asked a 1000 times.
I want to insulate my weatherboard house and I want to do it right. Now, from inside or outside?? So far I have never worked on weatherboards, am I going to get myself in trouble? I just think that doing it from inside may not be as efficient in R values. What do you think?
Thank you all.
Cyrille

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## GraemeCook

Hi Cyrille   
First check with your local council as to what is allowed/not allowed and what is recommended for your area.   Rules can be strange!    Then have a look at http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhom...16a.htm#adding  - I would go at least one R-value above the recommended insulation standards as their calculations are ten years old and energy costs have increased substantially since then and are likely to increase further. 
You basically have a choice of insulation batts or pump in loose rockwool or polystyrene beads.  All can be complicated by your houses construction method, especially if you have noggins that stop beads/batts filling floor to ceiling.  Generally, its easier and cheaper to lift a couple of weatherboards and replace later, than to put holes in plasterboard inside.  You'll probably still have to paint the house later. 
We have fully insulated, stopped all air leaks and double glazed.   Heating bills are down significantly, but the big effect was on comfort - double glazing eliminated interior drafts instantly. 
Cheers 
Graeme

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## bob w

Hi Cyrille,
Wether you do it from inside or outside will not alter the "r" rating of your insulation. Just remember that the thickness of the insulation should not be greater than the stud size as the insulation value is due to trapped air within the product so if you have to crush it to fit between inside and outside linings you automatically reduce the value. Either way it is going to be a big job but one that should be worthwhile.
Cheers
Bob :Biggrin:  
PS What type of insulation are you thinling of using.(maybe I should have asked this before running off with the keyboard!)

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## Cyrille

Thanks Graeme, I think I'll do as you said, lifting a few boards up but what about sarking?isn't it a crutial part of insulating?
Thans again
Cyrille

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## Cyrille

Thanks Bob, 
I think I'll use batts, I don't have great expectation as my walls are only a rough 70mm thick, this is why I wonder if I could do something extra on the inside. 
Cyrille

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## Bloss

There are many options to choose from at various costs and trouble to use. A very effective solution for weatherboard cladded houses is expanded polyurethane foam. 
There are a number of installers offering this although mostly in major cities. Very common in North America and Europe for retrofitting older houses. Basic process is drilling of small holes so that access with the nozzle can be gained all spaces to be insulated then the operator simply pumps the stuff in. 
They use special guns and nozzles and separate ingredients that are mixed as they pass through the nozzle. It goes in as a flowing liquid then rapidly expands to fill the space. 
See for example:  http://www.insulfoamsolutions.com.au/ 
and for information on the technology see this US site:  http://www.sprayfoam.org/

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## aussiecolector

It sounds like if they are not careful they would push the lining off the walls.

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## Bloss

> It sounds like if they are not careful they would push the lining off the walls.

  No - a non-issue. It is very low pressure and has has been used for more than 10 years overseas with no problems (the early technology had some fumes and gases that were unpleasant for a short while after installation , but the newer stuff doesn't). 
Similar to builders foam used for gaps around doors and windows etc - just flows around stuff and the operators know how much to put in to fill a space. In any case if it hits a blockage the air bubbles within the foam just compress a little - and there are always the holes through which is placed too.

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