Help with gable end wall problem if possible

jorainbow1

After a lot of complaints to my landlord they eventually admitted there was an issue with the gable end on my house - rusty ties and both skins of bricks wet through. This lead to the internal plaster being wet also. They instructed builders to replace the external skin which they did having removed the original insulation (grey granules but they weren't solidifed just granules). They replaced it with kingspan fibre stuff. A month or so later hubby installed a tumble dryer vent and found the insulation was soaked as were the bricks. HA surveyor came and even though plaster work still damp internally the answer is to knock off and re plaster internally and the add some airbricks high up to the loft space area. Does anyone have experience who can advise? Even the workman said he couldn't understand why he has been told to plaster when it's still damp? Any advice gratefully received! TIA

Furts

There are not enough details to give a firmish answer, but my thoughts are...you appear to have Thermobead insulation - I assume they are grey little beads, could be darker and grey black colour. This is a good product. The decision to remove them and install Kingspan fibre sounds like the height of bodging. Cavity wall insulation is not meant to be disturbed. If it is then the guarantee becomes void. To deliberately void the guarantee and then install a completely different piece of insulation beggars belief.

I cannot comment on your situation because I have not seen it. All I can add is general principles. The beads are free draining so unlikely to be your problem. Fibre insulation can often act like a sponge and cause, or exacerbate, problems.

Add to all this your home should have received a thorough survey before the insulation was installed. If the home is in an unsuitable location, or exposed to the elements, or with poor quality brickwork, or brickwork with poor jointing and pointing, then the insulation should never have been installed in the first place.

Rusty wall ties is a grey area, but the survey would have revealed these giving the opportunity to rectify them before the insulation was installed.

There has been an appalling drop in standards of knowledge within HA in recent years. This has been matched by an equally dismal drop in technical knowledge, and building competence. Lack of staff, lack of skills, and and a never ending zest to save money all come into situations like yours.

Hope this helps,

Mr.Generous

wonder if the roof is leaking into the cavity? Plastering against a damp brick is a great idea - If you want to draw the damp into the property. The only way this could be done is to plaster with cement, plastering sand and damp proof additive. It would still leave the damp behind it and affect joists or anything else that it comes into contact with. I'd be trying to find the cause of the water ingress.

Furts

Mr.Generous wrote: »

wonder if the roof is leaking into the cavity? Plastering against a damp brick is a great idea - If you want to draw the damp into the property. The only way this could be done is to plaster with cement, plastering sand and damp proof additive. It would still leave the damp behind it and affect joists or anything else that it comes into contact with. I'd be trying to find the cause of the water ingress.

The plaster is an ingenious answer. But it will lead to problems with heat loss, mould and condensation. The wall must be dry, and going to stay dry, before a satisfactory outcome can be foreseen.

Chanes

Could it be your house isn't suitable for cavity insulation? The standards are written about how big the cavity should be and not facing an aspect open to driven rain. We bought a house with cavity wall insulation which had no obvious signs of a problem but we still factored in the price of removing it if we found it was causing problems or was poorly installed. It's all fine and two years on.
If anyone is curious the price to have the insulation removed fell between three thousand to four thousand in four quotes we obtained.

Hoploz

Condensation in loft?
Hole in roof?

The damp is coming from somewhere. They need to find out where!

jorainbow1

Thanks to all for your replies. Hubby said the same re possible leak in roof so is off in the loft to have a look! I assume (perhaps wrongly) that as they took down the whole outside skin and rebuilt they needed to replace the cavity wall insulation which indeed were thermobeads. The gable wall does face elements and others on the Crescent have similar issues but they are private homes - seems the builders went bust in the late 70's when built and left a few things less than to standards. I could take the stance it doesn't matter it's not my house but I don't understand the bodge mentality when the source needs sorting or it'll cost more in the long run! Common sense

phil24_7

If rebuilding the outer skin I am surprised they didn't use foil backed PIR board to maintain a cavity (50-60mm would have been enough).

KazB14

Few things to check. Did they allow drying out time ? Is there rubble In cavity ? Is there soil which is less than 150mm below the dpc ? Is guttering leaking xx

KazB14

If you are local to the Midlands I can visit and give you honest advice without charge or any sales etc. I do a lot of Housing associations work. There is a body now who deal with these claims even if company has gone bump. There will be or should be a record of installation with ciga. This will name the installers etc xx