Brick veneer = poor insulation?

Discussion in 'What to buy' started by ms420, 29th Sep, 2019.

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  1. TSK

    TSK Well-Known Member

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    go for AC seperate heads with independent outdoor units, if central unit fails, they all fail whereas independent units you have others that can work should one fail. as for cost, depends on how many units, if any electrical work needs to be done etc. guess it comes down aesthetics, do you like the AC head units in each room or a vent (if for heating and it comes from roof, you're going to be a blanket of hot air around chest height unless you have good/great circulation i.e. fan)
     
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  2. The Y-man

    The Y-man Moderator Staff Member

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  3. Perp

    Perp Well-Known Member

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    I once - once! - rented a brick veneer home and it was appalling. It may have lacked insulation, I don't know, but I know that it was too cold in winter and far, far too hot in summer.
     
  4. dabbler

    dabbler Well-Known Member

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    Yep, no insulation, they are shocking if not insulated in walls and roof.....if they are done as should be, they are excellent.....
     
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  5. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    That's the problem, providing comfortable living conditions does not equate to achieving a better rent so the market is skewed towards the low capital cost of a splitty/higher running cost and depreciation as opposed to better design, insulation & efficiency as there's no direct benefit to the investor.

    Tenants see the air conditioning unit (not the running cost for the sweat box).
     
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  6. dabbler

    dabbler Well-Known Member

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    Oh, veneer, insulated & on a slab.....the old veneer, raised floor, no insulation equals a cooker or a fridge :)
     
  7. significance

    significance Well-Known Member

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    You can always retrofit insulation into a brick veneer wall by pumping in glasswool from the top. We did that in our 1980s brick veneer house to upgrade the reflective alumnium layer insulation. It made a difference.
     
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  8. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Unless you do something about the windows, it's not going to be very effective.
     
  9. significance

    significance Well-Known Member

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    Double glazed.
     
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  10. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Yep. My home is about 130 years old. Double brick with no cavity. Cold in the winter. In the summer it's good for intermittent hot days, but if we get a run of hot days and warm nights the house heats up and keeps that heat. At least where we are we get an afternoon breeze. There were 11 nights last summer when I thought aircon might not be a bad idea.
     
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  11. CTSB

    CTSB Well-Known Member

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    A standard house brick is 110mm wide not 90mm, making the veneer wall 110mm thick and a typical brick veneer wall build up is 240mm with a 40mm cavity.

    Bricks are a fairly poor insulator compared to some other available materials like Hebel etc.

    The cavity acts as much as a thermal break to keep hot/cool air in as it does to keep the cold air out.
     
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  12. datto

    datto Well-Known Member

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    I must have been thinking of a Maxi brick which has a width of 90mm.

    Don't forget the cavity has the important role of allowing water to travel freely down the inside of the brick wall where it is collected by the flashing and exits via the weep holes. Brick ties must also be fitted correctly to prevent water crossing over to the dry wall.
     
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  13. CTSB

    CTSB Well-Known Member

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    The vapor barrier and weep holes aren't really for tradition water, it’s for condensation that forms on the inside face of the brickwork when the colder inside face of the brick condensates when the warm air from the inside of the house meets it.

    It’s generally why brickwork has a non permeable sisil paper but cladding systems without a cavity like weatherboards will have a breathable paper as there’s no cavity. It’s why with modern installs builders tend to install most cladding types on a batten rather than direct to the studs as was traditional, to create a thermal break.
     
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  14. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    These days a breathable building wrap is recommended for the studs behind brick veneer walls - not an impermeable one.

    This is due to ‘sick buildings’ arising from a high level of air tightness in well sealed buildings. When condensation builds up on the warm side of the wrap surface it can’t pass through and it can cause mould and rot in the walls. A highly breathable membrane allows the moisture to pass through to the cavity and evaporate.
     

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