Does my house have cavity wall insulation?

pinball13

Our house is cold and I want to do what I can to insulate it. My neighbour assures me that our house has cavity wall insulation. Apparently they had it done at the same time as the previous owners. I want to check for myself though.
I can't see any holes where the insulation was put in because the house is rendered. Also I can't look down from the loft because the pitch carries on to the bottom of the first floor windows (like a mansard roof).
Is there any other way to tell?

PS
The house definitely has cavity walls

Chopper_Read

Drill a hole in the wall.

Hasbeen

pinball13 wrote: »

Our house is cold and I want to do what I can to insulate it. My neighbour assures me that our house has cavity wall insulation. Apparently they had it done at the same time as the previous owners. I want to check for myself though.
I can't see any holes where the insulation was put in because the house is rendered. Also I can't look down from the loft because the pitch carries on to the bottom of the first floor windows (like a mansard roof).
Is there any other way to tell?

Usually any paperwork guarantees etc are given to you by previous owners.
I think only way to check is to look at outside walls for small round repairs to the rendering ( small circular holes about 30mm every few meters along and up) Is your insulation in attic up to current standards?:)

pinball13

Chopper_Read wrote: »

Drill a hole in the wall.

That would work but I am hoping it doesn't come to that!

SailorSam

You may be able to see from the inside, when electric sockets depending how neat they were done if to much of the wall behind the socket was knocked away you may see a bit of insulation.
The other place to check on the outside is around pipes, say for example the pipe coming from the kitchen sink; washing machine; drier, or from the bathroom. Instead of drilling and trying to see through a small hole, chisel some of the pointing from around the pipes.

pinball13

Hasbeen wrote: »

Usually any paperwork guarantees etc are given to you by previous owners.
I think only way to check is to look at outside walls for small round repairs to the rendering ( small circular holes about 30mm every few meters along and up) Is your insulation in attic up to current standards?:)

We did the loft last year. I thought you wouldn't be able to see the repairs in rendered walls. I can spot the holes in a brick wall so I've got a good idea what to look for. I'll have another look anyway and double check the paperwork - though these things do go missing!

macman

pinball13 wrote: »

That would work but I am hoping it doesn't come to that!

Why? It's a two minute job to drill a small pilot hole through a mortar line, two minutes to fill it up again.
The first question I'd ask is-do you actually have cavity walls? How old is the house?
And why would your neighbour be mistaken?

pinball13

macman wrote: »

Why? It's a two minute job to drill a small pilot hole through a mortar line, two minutes to fill it up again.
The first question I'd ask is-do you actually have cavity walls? How old is the house?
And why would your neighbour be mistaken?

I can't see the mortar line through the render
I didn't ask if the house has cavity walls because... I know that it does. As for my neighbour, well people get things wrong all the time and I'd rather find out for myself.

pinball13

4771_Miles_To_Caracas wrote: »

This link below might help you establish if the building was built with a cavity.

http://www.insulation-installers.co.uk/solidwalls.htm

Thanks, but as I've said, I know the house has cavity walls. I've edited my first post to make this clearer.

Chopper_Read

pinball13 wrote: »

I can't see the mortar line through the render
I didn't ask if the house has cavity walls because... I know that it does. As for my neighbour, well people get things wrong all the time and I'd rather find out for myself.

Well drill from the inside and fill the hole.

pinball13

Chopper_Read wrote: »

Well drill from the inside and fill the hole.

Is there really no way to find out without drilling holes?