Cavity Wall insuation??

coolagarry

When I moved into my house the first jobs on my list were doubling the amount of insulation in the loft, having the walls insulated (It also cuts down noise from outside) and having a porch built onto the front of the house.
It's amazing how cozy these 3 measures made the house!

melbury

We haven't got cavity wall insulation because I can remember back in the 70's there were a lot of problems caused by it - inside walls running in water etc. Surely the cavity is put in there for a reason isn't it and so should not be filled up with anything?

Has the way it is done been changed over the years and is it safe now? Must admit in theory it sounds a good thing, but is it?

Any advice would be appreciated because our local council are offering some grants at the moment.

andrew-b

There have been problems in the past with a certain material that was used for the insulation (forget what it's called now!) but i don't believe it's used any more. I did a fair bit of research myself before getting ours done and problems are extremely rare now. On speaking to the guy who came round to do the pre-installation survey he said they had never had any problems. CIGA is an independent guarantee so if the installer goes out of business the guarantee will remain in force for the full 25 years.

We've had our cavity walls insulated for over a year now after also replacing the boiler. We had Rockwool insulation material.

There was a noticeable difference in the gas usage after (not bills though as the prices keep going up!!). The house feels cosier in the winter and cooler in the summer and there was also an added bonus of outside noise being reduced. We still need to top up our loft insulation in parts but leaving that until we've had plumbing and electrical works done to save fishing around for pipes and cables!

Our neighbour (who used to be in the building trade) was sceptical about me having the cavity insulation done at first...but his since had it done to his own house too!

Andy

Canucklehead

andrew-b wrote: »

There have been problems in the past with a certain material that was used for the insulation (forget what it's called now!) but i don't believe it's used any more. I did a fair bit of research myself before getting ours done and problems are extremely rare now. On speaking to the guy who came round to do the pre-installation survey he said they had never had any problems.

Hi.. urea formaldehyde foam insulation aka UFFI...banned in Canada in 1980 and its presence must be disclosed when you put your property on the market there( at least in Ontario where I am from). My BIL's company installed it in the 1970s then spent the rest of the last century removing and replacing it.:eek:

HTH

Canucklehead

deanos

Ive convinced my dad to get cavity wall and loft insulation in the bungalow, only thing is i dont know where to go, i rang up his energy supplier scottish power and they said it would be £498 for both, this is a detatched 2 bed bungalow, seems alot to me, anybody point me in the right direction for a cheaper price ?

Just noticed that if you are over 70 you get it for free ? he is 67, is it worth waiting 2.5 years and get it for free ?

deanos

Thanks will have a look, hes still working driving a HGV !

melbury

I know I am being very cynical but think that a lot of these firms are just cashing in on the grant bonanza for cavity wall and loft insulation.

When I phoned today they couldn't even give me a date for someone to come and have a look because obviously they are inundated with people wanting to get it done.

I am still a bit concerned about the cavity wall insulation, so will probably bottle out and tell them to forget it - I have just never liked the idea of it. Surely that cavity is put there for a reason! And they said I would have to have a vent fitted because we have an open fire - why I wonder?

davidlizard

I, like many others now, are looking at getting the heating costs down and have been considering cavity wall insulation, but would be grateful if someone could take the trouble to answer the following questions, which may sound a bit silly.

1. How do I know if my house has cavity walls, and how can I be sure that I do not already have cavity wall insulation? Do I need to drill some pilot holes - if so where is the best place? I can estimate the wall thickness, but I do not know how thick the bricks are.

2. What is the best way of finding someone to do the job? Is this another area that is riddled with cowboys? I do not want to get some cowboys in who will charge me the earth to fill a wall that is already filled, or pretend to fill a solid wall!

My house is a three bed detached, built in 1929. I have been there for 6 years now and nothing was mentioned in the survey. The house next next door had cavity wall insulation recently - this house is the same age (built by the same builder we think) but is much larger. Our bricks (those that are visible - most of the house is covered in render) are laid lengthways - we cannot see any ends of bricks in the wall.

11thcommandment

Check out the energysavingtrust (google it), they are independant and give advice on what offers are available.
We got Cavity wall insulation for £199 and the local council rebated £50, EST tell you how to claim it (depends on area).
It's a government subsidised programme and not means tested, but it you are on benefits it can be cheaper or even free!

melbury

I suppose I am just worried that it might screw my house up because presumably once the stuff is pumped in there is no way of getting it out.

Also, is it completely safe - no fumes or nasty things?