INSULATION FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS
Flexible ways to stretch your self-build budget Whether you’re renovating a property to sell or let, or you are just looking at ways to improve the look and feel of your home, there’s lots that can be done without exceeding the limits of your budget or technical expertise. Dan Greatrex, Manager of online builders’ merchant Insulation Superstore, part of CMOStores.com, looks at some of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to update and enhance your self-build project.
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etting and sticking to a budget is one of the most essential elements of any renovation or selfbuild scheme. Still, it can also be one of the most challenging, and prioritising where money would be best spent – and where it can be saved – is the elusive secret of success. Many of our customers come to us for expert guidance on which building products fit their budget and offer the best value for money, but we also discuss that other precious resource – time. As lengthy build programmes can result in spiralling costs and unwanted disruption and mess, it’s always worth considering how you I-B U I L D/ F E B/21
can save time and money. Here are just some of our most popular hacks that can add value without the need to cut corners in terms of performance or aesthetic appeal.
Getting on board
Before any interior design scheme is considered, checking the integrity of interior walls and ceilings is critical. If they look a little worse for wear, re-plastering the whole area is not the only option. The use of plasterboard can help reduce the time and mess associated with traditional wet trades, and as it’s much easier to install, it can also reduce labour costs.
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There are several different types of plasterboard available, and the choice of material will depend on where you intend to use it as much as your budget. For example, you may want to consider moistureresistant plasterboard for kitchens and bathrooms or other humid areas. Some products offer soundproofing and fire-resistance as well as insulated boards for improved thermal performance. Whereas plastered walls and ceilings can take a long time to fully dry, plasterboards are ready for finishing as soon as they are installed so you can start the interior decoration much sooner. If you are tackling an installation for the first time yourself, it is always best to get some advice before you start and where possible, buy only what you need to avoid waste. It’s important to remember that plasterboard, including all the small offcuts, isn’t suitable for landfill so have a plan in place. You can get plasterboardonly skips and waste bags where all offcuts can go for large projects, but for small projects, you could contact a local waste collection or recycling company.
Carbon-saving investments
One area where it is always worth assigning a large chunk of your budget to is energy efficiency and looking at ways to reduce a scheme’s carbon footprint is one of the best ways to add value and make long-term cost savings. If you are considering using plasterboard, then that is the perfect time to think about adding insulation to your walls and ceilings.
