Solid building insulation for energy efficiency
DAReco offers expert solid building insulation services in Brechin and beyond, helping homes reduce heat loss, improve comfort, and meet energy efficiency standards. To find out more, get in touch today.
Call us today to discuss your solid building insulation needs.
Tailored solutions for older properties
Expertise in hard-to-insulate homes
Insulating older properties
Solid building insulation is essential for improving energy efficiency in homes with solid walls, which are often found in older, more traditional properties. Without proper insulation, these walls can lose significant amounts of heat, leading to higher energy bills and reduced comfort. DAReco, based in Brechin, specialises in providing tailored insulation solutions that address the unique challenges of solid wall properties, specialising in internal wall insulation. With PAS2030 certification, our services ensure compliance with energy efficiency standards while enhancing the value and sustainability of your home. Whether you’re a homeowner or landlord, our expertise in hard-to-insulate homes makes us the ideal choice for your insulation needs.
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There are two main construction methods for solid wall homes, and we are able to provide expert advice on the best way to insulate each of them.
Stone walls
Traditional stone walls are breathable, solid external walls, built to manage moisture naturally through evaporation. They often include a cavity behind the lath, typically ranging from 10mm to around 70mm, depending on the building's age and location. However, despite the presence of a cavity, these are not classified as cavity walls in modern construction terms.
These walls were intentionally designed to be breathable. Any moisture penetrating from the outside was meant to evaporate through warmth generated inside the home. Similarly, internal condensation would pass through the lime plaster and lath and dissipate in the same way. It’s important to note that these homes originally relied on open fires, which provided consistent heat during colder months. This warmth helped dry out both internal condensation and external moisture, maintaining the health of the building fabric.
Lath and plaster walls
Although traditional walls were built without insulation, their construction and materials were carefully chosen and remain relevant today. Replacing original lath and plaster with insulation and plasterboard may compromise the wall’s breathability—often without the homeowner realising—especially after damp or timber treatments. As a result, what appears to be a "traditional" home may no longer function as one.
The ideal approach is to strip the wall back to the outer stone layer, remove any debris, and rebuild using breathable insulation, insulated battens, lath, and lime plaster. This preserves the original moisture management system of the building.
However, this method is time-consuming, disruptive, and more costly, especially due to the difficulty sourcing materials like lath and the need for lime-based plasters rather than modern gypsum or cement. In short, removing original finishes will either alter your home’s breathability or require a significant investment to restore it properly.
Insulating traditional homes
There are four main ways in which we can insulate your traditional home:
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1. Fully traditional insulation
The most authentic way to insulate a traditional home is by stripping back to the original stone or brick walls and rebuilding inward using breathable natural materials like mineral, rock, or sheep wool. The insulation is then finished with traditional lath and lime plaster. A more cost-effective alternative is to use wood wool boards instead of lath, while still maintaining breathability and traditional appearance.
2. Traditional appearance
A traditional look can be maintained using various methods depending on room layout, period features (e.g. cornices), and insulation needs. Materials can be selected to balance performance with preserving original aesthetics.
3. Boarding over existing walls
This is a common retrofit method that involves applying breathable insulation directly to existing internal walls and then covering with breathable boards like wood fibre or breathable plasterboard, finished with lime plaster. It slightly reduces room size but maintains the home’s breathability and traditional integrity.
4. Using modern materials
Modern insulation methods—such as standard plasterboard or high-performance products like PIR and phenolic boards—are cheaper and easier to install but are non-breathable. This can compromise the original building fabric and requires added ventilation (e.g., trickle vents, extractor fans) to prevent moisture buildup and mould. While these materials can reduce insulation thickness due to higher thermal efficiency, they mark a shift away from traditional breathable construction.
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While liquid injection insulation is sometimes suggested, we do not recommend this method, as lenders may declare a home will have no value if spray foam products are used.
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Upgrade your home’s insulation today
Call DAReco in Brechin to learn how our solid building insulation services can transform your home’s energy efficiency and comfort. We work on properties throughout the east coast of Scotland.