Do I have cavity walls and are they insulated?

ginvzt

We are buying the house that we rent, and we are thinking how to make it warmer. It is quite a cold house, and we already know some things we can improve (new external doors and patio doors, boiler). I think we also need to add some more loft insulation, and I think we can do that ourselves.

Now, yesterday I had a thought that we don't really know what walls we have.

The house was built in 1988 by Fairclough homes. Looking online, I found somewhere that houses built after 1932 are likely to be cavity wall, and given brick pattern is consistent with the cavity wall.

So, how do I know find out if they have been insulated? It seems we are losing heat very quickly, to the point that last winter we had heating 24/7 and the temperature rarely was above 20 C. It seems very logical to improve this, as it doesn't seem very costly (couple of hundred pounds, maybe), but the saving would be great.

I have the EPC for the house, but I learnt not to trust those, as it just states assumed to everything.

WestonDave

If they've been retro fitted with cavity wall insulation you'll see a pattern of filled in drill holes on the outer wall - they will probably have weathered now so the easiest place to look is under a window sill on the ground floor where they will definitely have had to put holes to fill the area under the window.

I don't know whether building standards in 1988 would have been insulated during construction - its possible. If you can't find out the surveyors for the cavity wall companies will drill into the outer wall and have a look inside for you (they do this anyway to check the state of the cavity and its width.

ginvzt

WestonDave wrote: »

If they've been retro fitted with cavity wall insulation you'll see a pattern of filled in drill holes on the outer wall - they will probably have weathered now so the easiest place to look is under a window sill on the ground floor where they will definitely have had to put holes to fill the area under the window.

I don't know whether building standards in 1988 would have been insulated during construction - its possible. If you can't find out the surveyors for the cavity wall companies will drill into the outer wall and have a look inside for you (they do this anyway to check the state of the cavity and its width.

Thanks! I have just stepped outside and tried to have a look. Now, it is raining, but I couldn't see any variations in mortar or holes in the bricks. I will try to ask our landlord still, but I guess we will have to get someone to have a look and quote us for the work.

I want a warm house!

Edit: My mistake - the house was built in 1987, the previous owners bought it 1988. Not that this makes difference, I guess.

julianashcroft

My bungalow was built in 1988 and the inner leaf is insulation brick. I worked for an architects a few years before that and I'm pretty sure a house of your age would require the walls to be insulation. It might well be worth looking in the roof space as back then all that was required was 100mm of fibreglass type insulation.

savemoney

If it was built in 1987 it will have cavity I think it was sometime in 1930 that cavity came in although my house was built around that time and has solid walls

PS Loft insulation is on offer at B&Q for £1 a roll at mo so get in quick

ginvzt

Thanks all!

I have just been in the garage (attached to one side of the house, and the wall in the garage that is common with the living room is blocks, not bricks (you can see brick wall going into the garage an once in the garage they used blocks). The outside wall of the garage (just to outside), is brick.

I'll get up to the left one of these days - really don't fancy doing it now... Will talk to OH about getting the insulation for the loft, I am sure it is not much in there.

ormus

it will certainly have a cavity. whether it was batt insulated during construction, im not sure.
cant remember when the new regs came into force.

Gizmosmum_2

I've seen houses built right up to the 2000's without cavity wall insulation when they were built. Some developers used smaller windows and polyblock (sorry don't know the proper name)to achieve the required U values. The only way to find out is to have one of the insulation firms drill a hole in the mortar bed and check it out with a boroscope.

You do have to be slightly careful the blocks with polystyrene on the back can't have more insulation material put in because the texture of the back of the block stops the flow of the cavity insulation when it's blown in and can cause problems because it doesn't fill the void equally.

ginvzt

Thanks again. I have talked with a friend, who 10 years ago was working for the builders (although not a builder) in the area we are in, and he said at that time the houses built did not have cavity wall insulation. We have quite big windows (3 of the rooms have windows approx. 2.3m x 1.2m.

As soon s we exchange contracts, I'll get someone to come around and check what we have and what can be done. Hopefully, it won't be too long away! I want to do all we can to get house warm for winter.

macman

ginvzt wrote: »

Thanks all!

I have just been in the garage (attached to one side of the house, and the wall in the garage that is common with the living room is blocks, not bricks (you can see brick wall going into the garage an once in the garage they used blocks). The outside wall of the garage (just to outside), is brick.

I'll get up to the left one of these days - really don't fancy doing it now... Will talk to OH about getting the insulation for the loft, I am sure it is not much in there.

If you have less than the recommended 270mm of loft insulation, then you are thowing money away-that will be where most of your heat is going-straight through the roof!
It's a days' DIY work, or you can get it done at a subsidised rate (or possibly free if you qualify). I suggest you prioritise it now before the winter is upon us.

ginvzt

macman wrote: »

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If you have less than the recommended 270mm of loft insulation, then you are thowing money away-that will be where most of your heat is going-straight through the roof!
It's a days' DIY work, or you can get it done at a subsidised rate (or possibly free if you qualify). I suggest you prioritise it now before the winter is upon us.

Thanks, I will get to it. The EPC said the insulation in 100mm, which is not a lot, but then you can't trust EPC. I just heard back from the landlord, and apparently the walls are insulated. I will need to get up to the loft to see if I can do it (I am a female, and although I do enjoy work, I can't do it all myself!). (My OH is not keen on DIY). We do not qualify for free insulation.

I think a trip to B&Q is due this weekend.