ᐅ Adding insulation to precast concrete lintels after installation
Created on: 10 Apr 2012 09:53
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eisdielerE
eisdieler10 Apr 2012 09:53Hello,
I am currently renovating a detached house and am facing the common weak point / thermal bridge at the concrete lintels above the windows. Due to an old night storage heater and previous owners not ventilating properly, mold formed there. The heating system has already been replaced. We were advised to insulate the exterior facade. However, after researching the topic, I would prefer to refrain from doing so for now. In my opinion, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. After all, I want the masonry to continue breathing. The windows and roller shutter boxes will be replaced, and in that context, I would like to insulate the concrete lintels. How can this be done? I would like to remove the exterior plaster and then apply an insulation board that would be covered by new plaster.
What type of insulation material can be used for this? Heraklit? Any other advice?
Thank you in advance and best regards!
I am currently renovating a detached house and am facing the common weak point / thermal bridge at the concrete lintels above the windows. Due to an old night storage heater and previous owners not ventilating properly, mold formed there. The heating system has already been replaced. We were advised to insulate the exterior facade. However, after researching the topic, I would prefer to refrain from doing so for now. In my opinion, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. After all, I want the masonry to continue breathing. The windows and roller shutter boxes will be replaced, and in that context, I would like to insulate the concrete lintels. How can this be done? I would like to remove the exterior plaster and then apply an insulation board that would be covered by new plaster.
What type of insulation material can be used for this? Heraklit? Any other advice?
Thank you in advance and best regards!
Hello,
While doing work yourself is commendable, forum posts cannot replace proper planning nor professional advice!
Kind regards
eisdieler schrieb:Masonry does not “breathe”! It is surprising how this myth persists! A professional should definitely be consulted here before well-intentioned but incomplete knowledge leads to lasting problems!
... But after researching the topic a bit, I want to refrain from it for now. In my opinion, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. After all, I want the masonry to continue “breathing.”
While doing work yourself is commendable, forum posts cannot replace proper planning nor professional advice!
Kind regards
E
eisdieler10 Apr 2012 10:24I know I could hire an expensive professional for this—I already had an architect involved in the house. As I mentioned, exterior insulation on the facade is generally recommended. I call statements like that "half-knowledge"! What consequences are being withheld from the homeowner here to promote the economy or the trades? Energy regulations aside, I certainly won’t save €30,000 (about $33,000) on facade insulation through heating cost reductions in my lifetime…! Do any of these self-proclaimed experts actually understand what effects those polystyrene boards might have on a building after 10 years? And then these "experts" conveniently point out that you absolutely have to ventilate when using insulation because moisture can no longer escape… I might as well wrap my house in plastic film. This has nothing to do with ecological building anymore.
However, I don’t want to start a general discussion about facade insulation here. I’m only seeking advice on how to proceed when thermal bridges are clearly identified—in my case, the concrete lintels above the windows—without completely wrapping the building in polystyrene. I have seen insulation applied to concrete lintels and concrete ceilings in new buildings. What exactly is involved in those cases?
However, I don’t want to start a general discussion about facade insulation here. I’m only seeking advice on how to proceed when thermal bridges are clearly identified—in my case, the concrete lintels above the windows—without completely wrapping the building in polystyrene. I have seen insulation applied to concrete lintels and concrete ceilings in new buildings. What exactly is involved in those cases?
B
Bauexperte10 Apr 2012 10:59Hello,
You should avoid being rude— even subtly— or you might quickly stop receiving replies.
The purpose of building thermal insulation is to minimize heat exchange between indoor spaces and the outside air or between rooms with different temperatures (for example, from the basement to the ground floor). Besides saving energy, good thermal insulation also reduces the risk of structural damage caused by external temperature fluctuations. Heat loss in buildings occurs through openings (doors, windows) as ventilation losses or through transmission losses via closed surfaces (roof, walls, and sealed windows).
DIY work only makes sense when accompanied by a professional’s advice and support, and/or when the work is based on more than just rudimentary knowledge!
EIFS (external insulation finishing systems) have been installed for many years with approval; no damage to masonry has occurred over this period. In case of fire, they can pose a non-toxic hazard; the same currently applies to the disposal of traditional EIFS. However, ecological alternatives exist—just search online and you will find them.
What you are referring to is classic ring anchor insulation. In most new builds, the market leader Loehr is installed.
But caution: you don’t yet have even basic knowledge, so €uro’s objection was and remains completely valid. No one here knows your house, its age, or the type of brick or block used at the time of construction, and so on. It may be that you only need to insulate the lintel, but it could also be necessary to apply a certain overlap. Since you already had an architect on site, ask their professional opinion on how and in what form you should insulate the lintels.
The internet as well as this forum can only provide first guidance. In reality, a professional should always assess the situation on site and provide solutions tailored to the specific building.
Kind regards
You should avoid being rude— even subtly— or you might quickly stop receiving replies.
eisdieler schrieb:
I know I can hire an expensive professional for this; I already had an architect in the house. As I said, exterior insulation of the facade is recommended. I call such statements "half-knowledge"! What consequences are being withheld from the builder here to promote the economy or the trades? Energy regulations or not, I will certainly never save €30,000 on facade insulation through heating cost savings in my lifetime...!
The purpose of building thermal insulation is to minimize heat exchange between indoor spaces and the outside air or between rooms with different temperatures (for example, from the basement to the ground floor). Besides saving energy, good thermal insulation also reduces the risk of structural damage caused by external temperature fluctuations. Heat loss in buildings occurs through openings (doors, windows) as ventilation losses or through transmission losses via closed surfaces (roof, walls, and sealed windows).
DIY work only makes sense when accompanied by a professional’s advice and support, and/or when the work is based on more than just rudimentary knowledge!
eisdieler schrieb:
Do any of the self-proclaimed experts even know what consequences these polystyrene panels might cause to a building after maybe 10 years? Then the “experts” point out that with insulation you have to ventilate even more because moisture can no longer escape... I could just as well wrap my house in plastic foil... This has nothing to do with ecological building anymore.
EIFS (external insulation finishing systems) have been installed for many years with approval; no damage to masonry has occurred over this period. In case of fire, they can pose a non-toxic hazard; the same currently applies to the disposal of traditional EIFS. However, ecological alternatives exist—just search online and you will find them.
eisdieler schrieb:
I don’t want to start a general discussion about facade insulation here. I’m only looking for advice on how to proceed when thermal bridges have been clearly identified— in this case, the concrete lintels above the windows— without wrapping the entire building in polystyrene. I have seen insulation applied to concrete lintels and concrete ceilings in new builds. What is that about?
What you are referring to is classic ring anchor insulation. In most new builds, the market leader Loehr is installed.
But caution: you don’t yet have even basic knowledge, so €uro’s objection was and remains completely valid. No one here knows your house, its age, or the type of brick or block used at the time of construction, and so on. It may be that you only need to insulate the lintel, but it could also be necessary to apply a certain overlap. Since you already had an architect on site, ask their professional opinion on how and in what form you should insulate the lintels.
The internet as well as this forum can only provide first guidance. In reality, a professional should always assess the situation on site and provide solutions tailored to the specific building.
Kind regards
E
eisdieler10 Apr 2012 11:19Thank you, building expert, such an answer really helps me. By the way, I did not start with the subtle rudeness. Unfortunately, every newcomer to a forum has to experience this, no matter the topic. People tend to attack you everywhere for your seemingly stupid questions... Sharing knowledge apparently can be annoying sometimes. But in that case, it might be better to hold back on comments.
Hello,
ah, so you’re one of the smart ones. You don’t want to pay for an expensive professional, but instead want free planning advice from the forum.
Not "half-knowledge" at all! To effectively reduce such a thermal bridge, there is no other option. If you only insulate the lintel, new thermal bridges will appear elsewhere.
Well, I haven’t proclaimed myself an expert (that was my professor), but I assume if planned and executed well, after 10 or more years: no negative effects!
Who says you can only retrofit insulation with ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems)? That’s what I call half-knowledge! There are plenty of alternatives.
True! Plastic film also has a really poor insulation value.
As already mentioned twice above: This cannot be done without professional help → architect/structural engineer.
Such designs are planned and cannot be transferred one-to-one to every building. Where exactly is the lintel located? How wide is the lintel? Single-layer masonry? Cavity? So many questions, just questions.
Best regards
eisdieler schrieb:
I know I can hire an expensive professional for this,
ah, so you’re one of the smart ones. You don’t want to pay for an expensive professional, but instead want free planning advice from the forum.
eisdieler schrieb:
As I already said, it is recommended to insulate the facade from the outside. I call statements like that "half-knowledge"!
Not "half-knowledge" at all! To effectively reduce such a thermal bridge, there is no other option. If you only insulate the lintel, new thermal bridges will appear elsewhere.
eisdieler schrieb:
Do any of the so-called experts actually know what effects these polystyrene panels might have on a building after maybe 10 years?
Well, I haven’t proclaimed myself an expert (that was my professor), but I assume if planned and executed well, after 10 or more years: no negative effects!
eisdieler schrieb:
And then the "experts" nicely point out that with insulation, you need to ventilate even more because moisture can no longer escape...
Who says you can only retrofit insulation with ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems)? That’s what I call half-knowledge! There are plenty of alternatives.
eisdieler schrieb:
I could just wrap my house in plastic film... That has nothing to do with ecological building anymore.
True! Plastic film also has a really poor insulation value.
eisdieler schrieb:
I just want advice on how to proceed when you’ve clearly identified the thermal bridges,
As already mentioned twice above: This cannot be done without professional help → architect/structural engineer.
eisdieler schrieb:
I have seen insulation applied to concrete lintels and concrete ceilings in new constructions. What is that about?
Such designs are planned and cannot be transferred one-to-one to every building. Where exactly is the lintel located? How wide is the lintel? Single-layer masonry? Cavity? So many questions, just questions.
Best regards
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