Things To Consider Before Renovating

Planning is the Key

Firstly, before you start knocking walls down, you would already be doing significant planning. Whether it’s a major renovation or a few small improvements, there’s always an opportunity to consider insulation.

For example, if you’re doing anything with your internal or external walls, consider the opportunity to update your insulation. The same goes for underfloor insulation, because this often gets forgotten. Laying new carpet? What a great time to get the insulation right!

Improving your insulation when you’re not already renovating can be quite a task, so make sure you factor it in when the time comes to renovate. It may bump up the cost of your home improvements, but you’ll save money on energy bills in the future.

Wall Insulation

You’ve got a couple of options when it comes to wall insulation, but it will depend on what you’re renovating. For example, if you’re re-plastering or building new internal walls, this makes it incredibly easy to access the wall cavity. You can use batts, foam or blow-in insulation, but high-quality batts make the most sense. This is because already got the wall cavity exposed.

But what if you’re just doing some painting? This wouldn’t ordinarily involve any damage to the walls, so how do you manage this? The best answer is blow-in insulation. You’ll need to hire some professionals with the right equipment, however it’s a lot less invasive than tearing down your plasterboards. Insulation is blown into the wall through small holes, using a special machine. This way, you only need a plaster patch up job, and you’re going to paint over it anyway!

Underfloor Insulation

When renovating, it’s quite common to change something about the floor. It can be difficult to install installation under floor boards if you’re not lifting them, so this will need to come into your planning. However, if you’re laying any kind of raised timber flooring or adding carpet, it’s the perfect time to add some underfloor insulation. 

Just make sure you buy insulation that’s the right thickness, or you’ll run into problems. You want the ‘R’ rating to be 1.7. This refers to heat loss resistance, but is closely aligned to the thickness. Underfloor insulation as part of renovations can help minimise walking noise and also absorb household noise. It also has the obvious benefit of trapping air as it tries to escape through your floor.

Whatever your renovations plans, there’s always an opportunity to improve the insulation in your home. So, with careful planning you can get great results. It’s also a lot easier to do while renovating!