Eco Surface Solutions

Wall insulation · UK installer

Wall insulation that cuts heat loss and stops damp — without ripping your house apart.

We install breathable sprayed cork wall insulation for solid-wall and cavity-wall homes, listed buildings, and commercial properties across London and the South East. Up to 30% better wall U-value, no scaffolding scars, no repaint cycle, 25-year warranty.

Why insulate your walls

Around 35% of a UK home's heat escapes through the walls.

Wall insulation is the single most cost-effective fabric upgrade you can make to a poorly-insulated property. With energy bills volatile and the UK pushing toward net-zero, untreated solid walls are leaking heat — and money — every winter. The right wall insulation cuts that loss, eliminates cold-bridge condensation, and lifts the EPC rating of the building.

The challenge: traditional external wall insulation (EWI) is expensive and invasive. Internal wall insulation eats room space and creates dust. Cavity wall insulation only works if you have a cavity. Sprayed cork wall insulation sits between all of those — breathable, 3–6 mm thick, externally applied, and a fraction of the cost of EWI.

Why sprayed cork for wall insulation

Breathable, fire-rated, and a third of the cost of EWI.

  • Cuts heat loss up to 30%

    Independent U-value testing on solid walls. Most clients see a clear difference in the first winter.

  • Breathable, stops condensation

    Vapour-permeable Class 1. Raises wall surface temperature above the dew point without trapping moisture in the brick.

  • Carbon-negative material

    Cork bark is hand-stripped without felling. Harvested oaks store up to 5× more CO₂.

  • 25-year warranty

    Manufacturer-backed. 40+ year service life. No repainting.

How wall insulation options compare

Cavity, EWI, IWI or sprayed cork?

SystemSuitsBreathableIndicative cost
Cavity wall insulationPost-1920s cavity wallsDepends on fill£400–£1,500
External wall insulation (EWI)Solid walls, max thermal upgradeLimited£8k–£22k
Internal wall insulation (IWI)Listed exteriors, no EWI optionLimited£5k–£15k
Sprayed cork (ours)Solid & cavity, heritage, commercial Class 1 vapour-permeable~⅓ cost of EWI

Indicative ranges only. Final pricing confirmed after a free site survey.

Wall insulation FAQs

What people ask before insulating their walls.

What is the best type of wall insulation for a UK home?
The right wall insulation depends on your wall construction. Cavity walls (post-1920s, two skins with a gap) are usually filled with blown bead or mineral wool. Solid walls (pre-1920s single-skin brick or stone) need either external wall insulation (EWI), internal wall insulation (IWI), or a breathable thermal coating such as sprayed cork. For older solid-wall homes and heritage properties, breathable cork wall insulation is often the most appropriate option because it doesn't trap moisture in the wall fabric.
How much does wall insulation cost in the UK?
Cavity wall insulation typically costs £400–£1,500 for a standard 3-bed semi. External wall insulation (EWI) is £8,000–£22,000 fully installed. Internal wall insulation (IWI) is £5,000–£15,000 with all the disruption that brings. Sprayed cork wall insulation lands at roughly a third of the cost of EWI and is applied externally without scaffolding scars or disruption inside the property.
Does wall insulation actually reduce heating bills?
Yes. Around 35% of heat loss in an uninsulated UK home goes through the walls. Effective wall insulation can cut that loss substantially — independent testing of sprayed cork shows up to a 30% improvement in wall U-value, with most clients reporting a clear difference in the first winter and payback inside 5–8 years.
What's the difference between internal and external wall insulation?
External wall insulation (EWI) goes on the outside of the building — typically expanded polystyrene or mineral wool behind a render finish. Internal wall insulation (IWI) goes on the inside as insulated plasterboard, reducing room size. Sprayed cork is an external coating but it's only 3–6 mm thick, so it preserves architectural detail and doesn't need scaffolding to remain in place once installed.
Can wall insulation cause damp?
Poorly chosen wall insulation can — particularly non-breathable systems on solid walls, which trap moisture against the brick and cause interstitial condensation. Breathable wall insulation (such as sprayed cork) is vapour-permeable, so moisture passes through the coating rather than getting trapped. This is why cork is widely specified for listed buildings and pre-1920s solid-wall properties.
Do I need planning permission for wall insulation?
For most properties on standard streets, no — wall insulation is treated as a re-render or redecoration under permitted development. Listed buildings, conservation areas and flats above the ground floor will need consent. We handle the conservation officer conversation for you on those projects.