Low level cupboards as wall insulation

[Wild Brambles]

I'm planning the insulation for my conversion next year, and I'm thinking about the loss of storage space through installation. I realise that the roof and most of the walls will need to be insulated, but what about the lower voids in the walls? Would I lose much by using them as cupboards for fabrics such as spare sheets and clothing? I would glue reflectix to the metal as a vapour barrier of course. I'll be using a wood burner, and this should kick out a fair amount of heat.

 

[Mikeco]

I would do a proper job and fully insulate, false economy to do a botch job.

 

[DBK]

I'm planning the insulation for my conversion next year, and I'm thinking about the loss of storage space through installation. I realise that the roof and most of the walls will need to be insulated, but what about the lower voids in the walls? Would I lose much by using them as cupboards for fabrics such as spare sheets and clothing? I would glue reflectix to the metal as a vapour barrier of course. I'll be using a wood burner, and this should kick out a fair amount of heat.

I think you will get condensation and damp stored bedding and clothes. Even airtight doors on the cupboards won't stop it building up over time.

How much space are you going to lose? A couple of inches at most I would have thought.

Don't forget the floor. Our PVC just has half an inch of plywood on top of the metal floor and it gets cold. I need to wear slippers! You can get very thin rigid insulation like Kingspan down to 12mm I think. This would make a big difference without losing significant headroom.

 

[Mikeco]

I think you will get condensation and damp stored bedding and clothes. Even airtight doors on the cupboards won't stop it building up over time.

How much space are you going to lose? A couple of inches at most I would have thought.

Don't forget the floor. Our PVC just has half an inch of plywood on top of the metal floor and it gets cold. I need to wear slippers! You can get very thin rigid insulation like Kingspan down to 12mm I think. This would make a big difference without losing significant headroom.

I just cannot understand why a professional converter would not insulate the floor, I have 12mm ply on 25mm thick cellotex.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Insulate everything. Your cupboards won't act as insulation, instead they will be prone to condensation as a nice cold box for your warmer humid air to migrate towards everytime you open the cupboard to get anything in or out. A nice place for your fabrics to get mouldy.

Don't forget that along with insulation you need an effective vapour barrier. Some insulants won't absorb moisture, but most will let warm humid air migrate through (warm air has a higher pressure than cold) so you'll risk condensation either in or behind the insulation layer. Seal around everything on the warm side of that insulation, and reseal if you cut through anything for cables, fixings or whatever.

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[Wild Brambles]

Thanks for the replies. You guys have talked me out of it.

I'm the sort of guy who picks up pennies on the pavement, and the cupboards seemed like pennies to me.