All Posts in "Exterior Wall"

How to Get the Most Out of Your Cavity Wall

How to Get the Most Out of Your Cavity Wall
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Until the development of the cavity wall in the UK in the 19th century, houses were prone to dampness and humidity resulting from water being absorbed through the masonry of the external walls.

Cavity walls are external building walls which incorporate an air gap. This can be within the wall structure itself as in hollow block walls, between two solid walls or between two partitions separated by a narrow air gap.

When water is absorbed, it never reaches the inner wall. The space or cavity works to drain it back out through weep holes at the bottom of the wall.

In rainy climates such as that in the UK, protection against moisture is vital to prevent the buildup of damp, mould and eventual disintegration of the masonry under the onslaught of moisture.

Moisture protection is something cavity walls do effectively but they offer a number of other advantages. The most important are heat and sound insulation. This means that cavity walls are more energy efficient as well as being quieter than conventional walls.

However, if you really want to get the most out of them, you can expand the effectiveness of your walls for greater insulation and protection from fire.

First, let’s look at how to boost the insulating properties of your cavity walls. Energy conservation is a major issue nowadays with everyone looking to minimize their energy bills. One way is to enhance the thermal insulation properties of your external walls.

You can do this by adding various types of insulation and barriers added to your cavities. The structure makes it easy to fit insulation between the cavity and the inner skin of the wall.

This kind of insulation can lower the heat lost from convection by up to 35% which can result in significant savings on … Read the rest

Aiden Hayes by — May 14, 2019 in Exterior Wall
Basement Leaks Might be Fixed With Exterior Wall Waterproofing

Whenever somebody has a leaky wall in their basement, the first impulse is generally to get some waterproofing paint and repair the issue. This is a great concept as far since it goes; however, it frequently does not go really far enough. The root of most basement wall issues lies inside the soil outside of your foundation walls. Concrete, block, and stone, the items most usually utilized to create a foundation, are all porous substances, and water can be forced via them if sufficient stress is exerted. That stress comes from water-laden soil pushing against the walls, which implies that any basement can leak and need to have exterior wall waterproofing.

A leaky basement seriously decreases the resale worth of the residence. Several years ago my daughter was going to buy a little home close to us. It had all been remodeled and looked lovely. Even so, prior to the final negotiations were produced, we had a rainy day and asked to view the house once more, only to locate water operating all more than the basement. Needless to say, it was transaction cancelled. This could happen to you, too, when you have leaks inside your basement walls and eventually choose to sell your home. Even though having exterior foundation walls treated is pricey, anything you commit must be effectively worth the value as far as resale worth is concerned.

You’ll find a few swift fixes that you could try to enable waterproof your foundation. Banking dirt and rocks against the foundation will assist water run away in the home as an alternative of toward it. Adding an adequate gutter technique may also move water out into your yard and away from your dwelling. If 1 of these solutions functions for you, it is going to save you lots of … Read the rest

Aiden Hayes by — April 22, 2018 in Exterior Wall

Exterior WallSeveral individuals set up vinyl siding or concrete board sding to improve the appear and value of their household. To acquire an R 20 rating (RSI 3.five) in a single stud cavity, two x six inch (38 x 140 mm) building should be applied. Again, EIFS blows traditional construction approaches out of the water by covering one hundred% of the wall surface with insulation, by adhering it to the exterior of the developing. A selection of wall systems are now extensively obtainable which make use of expanded-polystyrene panels combined with wood, steel or concrete structural members.

Not all exterior walls are load bearing, but in most instances they will serve some structural function like supporting the roof. Box beam lintels can be produced of plywood and are a single way to increase the insulation by way of lintels over windows and doors. These looking for a poured-concrete wall will most likely gravitate to insulated concrete forms (ICFs). The inside a single, generally 2 x 4 inch (38 x 89 mm), is the structural wall and is total with double plates, window lintels and outdoors sheathing. The high R-value of a straw-bale wall derives from the wall’s thickness and the insulating properties of the straw. Iron sconces for the exterior are functional each in upkeep in appearance.

If a four inch (100mm) cavity is left among two two x 4 inch (38 x 89mm) stud walls, then 3 layers of R-12 (RSI 2.1) insulation can be used to give a total worth of R-36 (RSI 6.3). Leaving six inches (150mm) among the walls would outcome in R-44 worth (RSI-7.7) being the wall total – with R-32 (RSI 5.6) on the outside of the polyethylene layer.

Thermal bridging happens when there is a break in the continuity of the insulation layer, which … Read the rest

Aiden Hayes by — November 15, 2017 in Exterior Wall

Exterior WallThe finest practice for increasing the R-value in exterior walls is to shield them with insulated foam sheathing. St Tropez Outdoor Wall Sconce by Corbett Lighting The Corbett Lighting St. Tropez Outdoor Wall Sconce provides a specious aspect to your outdoors although adding a contemporary flair and multi utility element to your space. EIFS solves this problem by employing a trowel-applied, continuous climate barrier more than the sheathing. Some builders use two layers of sheathing — plywood or OSB for structural help and a seam-staggered layer of rigid foam for insulation.

To sustain air/vapour barrier continuity from decrease to upper floors, the polyethylene air/vapour barrier can be carried about the floor joists through the early stages of building. A number of suppliers offer concrete (block kind) wall systems for each foundation and above grade walls with rigid insulation inserts. The dilemma with standard amongst-the-stud insulation is that insulation is only productive where it is present. Some builders use 1/two-inch wood sheathing (R-.6) or asphalt impregnated sheathing, normally called blackboard (R-1.three) to sheath the walls.

In an effort to give far more insulation (as nicely as blocking the thermal bridges by way of the wall studs, plates and lintels), an insulated sheathing of rigid fibreglass or rigid foam can be applied to the outside of the wall. The majority of exterior solar fixtures will also have a range of sensors readily available as well, which indicates that they could be outfitted with onboard timers, dusk to dawn sensors or even motion sensors that can be applied for security and security in the house and company environments.

These systems use factory built wall sections prepared to be erected on website, and are obtainable in R-20 to R-40 (RSI three.five to 7.) values. This wall building technique was created both to provide a … Read the rest

Aiden Hayes by — October 14, 2017 in Exterior Wall

Exterior WallThe parts of the C-I-C wall are developed to include a Concrete Tie Beam formed within the panel, has vertical concrete columns reinforced with steel, concrete on the exterior wall and the interior wall with foam in the middle. Panels normally have a pre-completed interior and exterior membrane enclosing a urethane, polystyrene or other foam core. There are rather a couple of approaches to construct a structural wall — every with pros and cons. Most structural insulated panels (SIPs) consist of an inner core of insulating foam sandwiched between outer layers of oriented strand board. Metal Stud – This exterior wall sort uses an extruded steel channel shaped stud in the location of wooden studs. The efficiency of virtually any wall, in any climate, can be improved by adding a layer of exterior foam.

A second stud wall is placed some distance out from the structural wall – its function to offer support for the exterior finishing material. The rough opening space left around installed doors and windows creates a particular sealing and insulating dilemma on exterior walls. A great instance would be utilizing two x four inch studs (38 x 89 mm) on two x eight inch plates ( 38 x 184 mm) to make an R 28 (RSI-5) wall. Unless insulation is very carefully installed, nonetheless, steel framing can weaken a home’s thermal envelope.

By employing a 1/2-inch foam insulated sheathing (R-2 to R-three.five) in combination with wall cavity insulation, the total R-worth of the exterior wall will be increased, contributing to higher power efficiency. The air/vapour barrier is placed below the outside sheathing on the outdoors of this structural wall. The wall air/vapour barrier ought to be sealed to the ceiling (or second floor), floor and foundation polyethylene layers as shown.

Now take into consideration that a … Read the rest

Aiden Hayes by — September 16, 2017 in Exterior Wall