Cavity Wall Insualtion - Good idea or not?

Turnipfarmer wrote: »

My house is 4 bedroom detached built in the 1970s with approx 50mm cavity. Surveyor said it was clear on inspection and my house has no extensions and the damp course is 2 bricks above the ground.

If anyone could give me feedback or advise on this that would be great.

We had cavity wall insulation done and it has certainly made the house warmer so I would recommend it. Be aware that there will be small marks made to the outside of your house and depending upon whether your house is painted/clad you may see this.

I would assume the British Gas are reputable and know what they are doing - but one can never be sure ;-)

My house is just like yours .... 1970s, 4 bed detached and we had cavity wall insulation put in about 10 years ago. The difference in the warmth of the house has been amazing.

We also rent out a small house and we had that done about 5 years ago and the tenants sit in there at nights with just T shirts on now, they say it's lovely and cozy.

My elderly Mum had hers done maybe 8 years ago and her house used to be freezing as she's right on the coast with nothing between her and the North Pole! She's in a semi and it was probably built in the late 40s.

You can see no obvious marks on the outside of our house and we don't have any condensation problems at all.

I'd recommend it.:j

Yes it will cut energy bills but may cause multitude of problems I’d check what other’s around you have had done, Unfortunately though “surveyor” is a title they give themselves and means nothing ….

I was debating the same question about a year ago. In the end we took a gamble and had the polystyrene balls installed. We did do some checks first though to make sure there wasn't too much driving rain into the external walls which can cause problems - as it happens we're ok as it's not too windy round here and there are other buildings nearby to shield our house from the weather.

For us its so far so good. The house is warmer and the direct debit for our gas bill has just been reduced. We haven't noticed any adverse effects so far.

My parents also have cavity wall insulation but they live very close to the sea with a lot of wind driven rain hitting the house - that side suffers from damp.

I'd say it's worth it of you can avoid problems but do your own research into the zones of the country where it's not recommended and the different types of insulation available.

thescouselander wrote: »

We did do some checks first though to make sure there wasn't too much driving rain into the external walls which can cause problems - as it happens we're ok as it's not too windy round here and there are other buildings nearby to shield our house from the weather.

My parents also have cavity wall insulation but they live very close to the sea with a lot of wind driven rain hitting the house - that side suffers from damp.

I'd say it's worth it of you can avoid problems but do your own research into the zones of the country where it's not recommended and the different types of insulation available.

Davesnave wrote: »

We have it....allegedly, but recent work on the house shows that it's curate's egg: good in parts, with other parts empty of the blown insulation. The former owner had it installed, and I suspect it was a freebie, done badly.

It's a lottery, but as above, you can shorten the odds by due diligence.

Back to Turnipfarmer. These two excellent posts reflect my experience.

My cavity wall insulation was undertaken third time round. It was then drilled and injected twice and repaired four times. Over the space of one year there were at least twelve appointments, numerous meetings, endless contractors, and it is still unresolved.

Due diligence is absolutely vital, as is avoiding the miriad cowboys and scams that operate in this field.

But with the best due diligence in the world, the industry is so flawed that the customer still has a good likelihood of being taken advantage of.

Again one for Turnipfarmer - one of the cowboys trying to con me was British Gas.

Ultimately the responsibility lay with Domestic and General Insulation. They were so bad the Police became involved in an attempt to control the criminal damage being undertaken by them. Fortunately after the Police got on the case Domestic and General Insulation cleared off - probably to wreak havoc on some other innocent householder. The Police knew all about this shocking company, but I did not pursue a statement and press charges. I accept that it was my duty to do so, and the Police encouraged me to do so, but I was just glad to see the back of them.