I want cavity wall insulation but walls need repointing

jenny-wren

I want to get cavity wall insulation but I've been holding off because the walls desperately need repointing (there are a few places where the pointing is missing altogether).

If I get the cavity wall insulation done first and then get the walls repointed is some of the insulation likely to fall out leaving gaps in the cavity?

I'm aware that a lot of companies use polystyrene beads to fill the cavity and I have visions of it going everywhere when the repointing is done as soon as there's a gust of wind!

Do I have any other options for what to fill the cavity with that won't cause a problem or should I just get the repointing done first? If there are some gaps in the pointing is it likely that some of the 'ties' might need replacing? (the neighbours had this problem but their house was built by a different builder)

lagi

Repointing, is raking it out and then filling back in with mortar. They only go in a little bit so don't worry they wont take it all out, otherwise your house would fall down. Depth of a brick compared to how much they will rake out will be less than a quarter. Go ahead and get your insulation. It won't affect it.

andrew-b

Get the cavity insulation done first. The installers of the cavity wall insulation will drill a series of holes through the pointing (holes will extend into the edges of brick - usually at a corner) and then make good. So it would look better repointing after the insulation rather than before as else you may find the cavity insulation holes won't colour match the new pointing.. Raking out for repointing will go maybe upto an inch deep so there's no chance of the insulation falling out. Even if you remove a brick or two it will still stay in place if it is the rockwool type of insulation (i can vouch for this one!)

Andy

roddydogs

Find out if they use polystyrene beads first-if they do dont use them as they are trouble They fall out if you drill the wall.

27col

Get the cavity insulation done first, then the pointing. That way, the pointing will be the same all over the wall. If you do the insulation after the pointing, there is no guarantee that the material used to fill the insulation holes will be the same colour as the previous pointing. The re-pointing will only rake back a few millimetres and will not affect the cavity fill.

bo_drinker

A brick is 102.5mm wide if metric if imperial it is more. Re pointing should rake out 20 to 25mm deep so no problem. Get insulation first.