Cavity Wall Insulation - Damp/Damage Claims

welshblob

Hi,

My parents had cavity wall insulation installed in 2005, the expanding foam type. They now have serious damp/water ingress problems on the gable end which I believe is due to driving rain. I therefore don't think it was appropriate to have it installed originally and would like to understand what recourse we have over this.

On this site I have seen lots of advice on having cavity wall insulation installed but not very much on dealing with issues/claims. Having seen adverts in the local paper and having googled I can see there are now solicitors specialising in no win, no fee claims for this and there are "advice" websites which feel as front ends to these solicitors. So does anyone have any advice on how to proceed with this, is it best to do it yourself or use one of these solicitors?

To me, as with PPI, this feels like a topic that MSE should write an article on as I expect its heavily process based and the money involved to repair the property could run into thousands.

bxboards

Hello

I've have viewed a few properties which have had this issue - holes were drilled outside, then foam beads or other foam was injected. This was a council estate and pretty much all the local authority houses had been treated, having chatted to the neighbours as I always do when I view, it seems that private owners who steered clear of this treatment don't have the same proplems.

This insulation causes damp to bridge the gap between exterior and internal walls. These cavities were always intended to be a void, so I am not surprised that this would allow penetrating damp to bridge into the internal wall. Looking back, I'm surprised people thought this was a good idea!

Fixing it would mean removal of the insulation, and re-plastering inside. As you say this is very expensive work. Can't comment on claims etc.

Kiran

Contact the installers in the first instance, if you get no joy from them the CIGA are the next step. Was it definitely the expanding foam type and not the polystyrene beads?

Kiran

I should add this would be for the removal. Internal work would probably be down to the homeowner to cover. The reason I asked about the beads as opposed to the expanding foam is that Ihave no idea how they would get the expanding foam type out as it bonds to the 2 skins

welshblob

Its definitely the expanding foam and I dread to think how that is removed. There was an article in the telegraph last year that this might end up being the equivalent of PPI scandal. I can imagine it costing more and being a right pita to fix though.

Kiran

Yeah, I can't see how it can be removed so I'm now intrigued. If it does turn out to be the CWI and it does need to be removed let us know how it's done. Other than hit and miss brick removal I can think of a way.

Chanes

The foam is removed by breaking it up inside the cavity and it is extracted by removing sections of brickwork and taking it out. The wool type or bead type of insulation is blown down to a 'hoover' using compressed air lines higher in the brickwork. We had quotes to have the wool type removed prior to moving into a house and the average was around 3k the expanding foam I suspect would be costlier.

As it turned out it causes no problems to us at all and the house is very warm. But it spooked me enough to see how much to remove if it was an issue with the house we loved. I do think it is more common to have no problems - it was an issue raised in the house of commons by an MP but I cannot remember her name.

If it is fitted in exposed walls hit by driving rain or within walls with a narrow cavity it is asking for trouble I think

Furts

What is the point of considering claims chasing sharks masquerading as legal buffoons?

You need to ask fundamental questions such as: Who installed the CWI? Are they still trading? Is there a CIGA Guarantee? Who would any claim be made to? The original contract would have been between the installers and your parents - what is the current situation? Has the home been adequately maintained? Have any alterations of any description from replacement windows and doors, to new extract fans, or flues fitted, to any building works or extensions undertaken.

When you have answers to these, that are 100% water tight, then you will know if you can consider a claim.

If you then go ahead the brutal truth is your parents made a conscious, informed decision to go ahead with the CWI. For you to question this over 10 years after the event does not suggest a strong case to me.

You comment on the Daily Telegraph but also need to consider a fundamental. Bad news and sensationalism sells newspapers. Journalists thrive on scare stories, as do no win no fee claims sharks.

bmthmark

I was seriously considering getting this done is my old 1930's bungalow. I had it all booked in and everything.
Then I heard these horror stories. There are so many people that have had damp issues after having this done.
A friend of mine has just had his removed. He had the beads and they were removed using a powerful hoover.

I thought to myself is it really worth the stress for the amount you save in a year. I calculated that I would save probably £300 in energy costs in a year. But the risk is you may end up with damp problems.
So in the end I cancelled the installation and improved other insulation (better loft insulation, thicker curtains, new windows)

I really hope your parents can get this sorted, as I can imagine it being really stressful.
Please keep us updated.

System

If it was covered by a CIGA guarantee then you can get it removed under that - there is nothing to appoint solicitors here for, your parents signed up to have it installed and it failed, it needs removed - that's all there is to it.
I recently bought a house with cavity wall insulation and the previous owners had it done by a company doing next door for cash - no guarantee, no paperwork. It was expensive to have it removed but it needed done.
CWI is inappropriate for a lot of the housing stock in the uk but it was a government sponsored scheme, you are not going to get anywhere chasing a company through a solicitor for compensation imo, just get it removed and get on with your life

Dipak

bmthmark wrote: »

I was seriously considering getting this done is my old 1930's bungalow. I had it all booked in and everything.
Then I heard these horror stories. There are so many people that have had damp issues after having this done.
A friend of mine has just had his removed. He had the beads and they were removed using a powerful hoover.

I thought to myself is it really worth the stress for the amount you save in a year. I calculated that I would save probably £300 in energy costs in a year. But the risk is you may end up with damp problems.
So in the end I cancelled the installation and improved other insulation (better loft insulation, thicker curtains, new windows)

I really hope your parents can get this sorted, as I can imagine it being really stressful.
Please keep us updated.

Hello,

Before you get it done, this featured on Rip-off Britain, last week, i think on Tuesday. They mentioned that apparently if your wall is South facing you should not get it done however these companies never advise you of that....worth a watch i think especially if your thinking of getting it done.

Cheers
D