External wall insulation..

Martyn1981

whasup wrote: »

Increased condensation is common with EWI. Your external walls used to evaporate moisture to the outside but the EWI prevents that so now it can only evaporate to the internal. The walls will eventually balance out but it will take several months and really a summer season. Next winter should be fine. The increased internal moisture is also responsible for you feeling cooler. Blow on the back of your hand - then lick the back of your hand and blow again. Feel the difference. When the internal environment balances fully you will definitely get the benefit. Just be patient.

Whasup, bit slow remembering this, then came to me today from some scary dark place in the back of my memory:

Read in New Scientist quite a while back that London Underground are now having big problems with heat build up. In fact they've even offered prizes to anyone with a solution.

Heat has always been an issue, but has got much worse recently. The main reason being ..... that the clay has finally (mostly) dried out. Before, the cooling effect of the drying clay had a considerable effect on the temp. Without it, it's getting much harder to cool.

http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2008/03/12/cooling-the-london-underground/

"A bit of background was offered in the form of an old poster advertising the Bakerloo Line in 1906. The slogan promoting the line, which may raise a few sweaty eyebrows today was the claim “The coolest place in hot weather” – promising a maximum temperature of just 15.5 degrees Celsius (60F)."

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I thought this was interesting and very slightly relevant?

Don't worry Shazza, you won't have to wait 100 years, just cross your fingers and hope for a long hot summer to cook your house dry.

Hope the weather stays mild for you, and we get to the spring asap.

Mart.

whasup

Interesting. Evaporative cooling was invented by the ancient Egyptions about four and half thousand years ago. The same techniques are still used today in earth clay houses built in hot regions. Small holes are made through the wall with a ledge to take a jug of water. The evaporating water cools the air as it passes through into the house. Nice in hot regions - not so nice in cold damp UK

One thing I would say though. Having a window open at night is good advice. I personally always have a window open at night even through the winter - well, maybe slightly ajar in the winter but it's always open. It gets cold but it doesn't bother me under the covers and it's worth it for the clean fresh air.

Martyn1981

whasup wrote: »

Interesting. Evaporative cooling was invented by the ancient Egyptions about four and half thousand years ago. The same techniques are still used today in earth clay houses built in hot regions. Small holes are made through the wall with a ledge to take a jug of water. The evaporating water cools the air as it passes through into the house. Nice in hot regions - not so nice in cold damp UK

Starting to get a real appreciation for the cooling effect of evaporation. Looks like Shazza might be living inside a fridge, for want of a better description, for the next few months.

Check this out, Daily Mail gets extra points for reporting on female, student, science and Africa. That's a lot of boxes ticked.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1323646/UK-female-student-awarded-prize-Nobel-winners-solar-powered-fridge-invention.html

What a star that young lady is.

Is it too much to hope for a cracking summer, so Shazza gets to sit happily in the only 'cool' house in the UK.

Mart.

shazza71_2

haha i live in northeast england so we never have a long hot summer, we r lucky to have a summer at all !!
after my facebook post my neighbours and friends have set up a "mould " group which we have posted each others pics of the mould. I`ve had people here today taking pics and notes and i showed them the group pics, they were shocked as mine is nothing to what some have got. A lot of them have got the mould in the bedrooms which is worrying (lucky for me mine isn`t YET), so it seems that there is a problem somewhere.
These houses were temporary houses built either in the war or just after and are what people call "non standard" construction i think, basically they are concrete. We had cavity wall insulation fitted years ago, we have double glazing and about 4/5 layers of insulation in the loft.

anyway it looks like gentoo (LHA) are listenng and hopefully will find an answer,
thanx for all your advice. hints etc and will keep you posted to what happens.

shazza

jamesingram

even takingi nto account trapped vapour due to EWI etc. the fact you have cold spots on your uninsulated skielings will mean you'll get condensation at this point and this will lead to mold growth if not dealt with.
Hopefully the LHA will relise this and rectify with insualted plasterboard or similar.

shazza71_2

Thanx James,
Your info was very useful, when i mentioned it theres now someone coming out to check the skeilings on Monday it has also come to light that the extractor fans have no tubing (or whatever its called) going outside so basically just a hole in the wall, which they took pics of. And my house is like a fridge its freezing cold in here, so hopefully i will be sorted or i win the lottery and go and live somewhere warmer lol

shazza

shazza71_2

ohh just thought, that link martyn put on was very interesting, theres lots of talk about mm`s, ours is about 4 inches thick !!