Cavity Wall Insulation - dubious survey

bohica

This is long but I thought it might be interesting to forumites.

I had a cold caller yesterday a few days after I was leafletted and although I usually send them away I didn't in this case as it was something I had persued in the past. It was for Cavity Wall Insulation and in the past I've been told my house cannot be done (council run scheme). My house is 4 bedroomed yorkshire stone over breeze blocks. I have 2 upstairs walls which are rendered. The company representative told me the installation was free and could be done next week but a survey would be required. I was told no holes would be required in my rendered walls as the beads could be blown in from the ends.

Anyway, within an hour a guy turned up to do a survey which was a bit surprising until I realised he was basically following the sales person around. Because this all happened so quickly I perhaps foolishly let it be done and agreed for it to be done next Wednesday. However, after he left I started doing some research and thinking about it.

Now that I think about it the survey was more like a box ticking exercise. First he drilled a hole in the mortar close to the corner of my house. I thought at the time he was too close to the corner and as it turned out he was and so he drilled another hole a bit further in. Then he inserted a small camera that was wirelessly connected to an ipad and took a short video. He then left the camera in the wall and took a few photos of the camera inserted. He then inserted the camera into the first hole (which had not penetrated the cavity) and took a photo of that as well! He then inserted a tape measure into the hole and took another photo. He filled the holes afterwards but from a tub of stuff that looked like polly filla mixing it with the dust from the mortar and he certainly wasn't worried about it because he used his fingers and simply wiped them on his trousers afterwards.

After this he took photos of my gas meter, electricity meter, one photo in each bedroon, a photo of my boiler , room thermostat and my gas fire which he said was because it had to be below 7KW or a core vent would be required. He did not go into the loft. Photos of the showers were not required because they work off a combi boiler.

He presented me with at least 2 (maybe 3) documents on his ipad to read and sign which I scanned quickly and were mostly about agreeing to my information being shared with the energy savings trust etc.

A final paper document was partly filled in but missing the floor plan and external elevations etc.

During all this I was told:

1. It is free because the government is being fined £15 million a week (or perhaps month) because of failing to meet carbon reduction limits.

2. The work was government sponsored.

3. The scheme was extended to larger houses because there was more carbon to be saved.

4. They had done CVI to a lot of my neighbours houses.

Strangley, later, when I was out washing my car, another guy pulled up and asked if I'd been speaking to a bald headed guy in a hi vis jacket about cavity wall insulation. Initially I thought he was someone living on my estate but it turned out he too, was a CVI fitting company and guess what, the first company had done his house and he got damp, his beads were super beads passing rigourous testing and inspection by the BBA wholly suitable for installation within stone properties and has a 25 year guarantee.

It was obvious from the first sales person they had pretty much gone to every house on my estate as he showed me pages and pages of addresses where I live with some sort of code he was using - squares and circles around addresses.

I'm going to cancel. I've not mentioned the company names as I haven't read the forum rules in years.

stator

If you get damp problems it's because there's a flaw in your exterior wall. Insulation doesn't cause damp problems.

bohica

I didn't mention damp, the 2nd CVI installer did. My post wasn't about damp, it was more about the survey and the inaccurate statements.

FreeBear

One hole is hardly sufficient to do a proper survey of a cavity. So on that point, I would consider the survey to be useless.

Damp can be a problem after CWI is installed - This is usually on properties in an exposed location subject to driving rain. Welsh valleys and coastal locations being particularly prone.

stator

They are salesmen, what do you expect?
Salesmen always lie.
Their survey was just to see if you qualify for the scheme.
Anything else they say is just to get you to sign up.
Best reason not to talk to anyone uninvited on your doorstep

bohica

As I said, I don't usually speak to cold callers other than to point them at my sicker saying no cold callers but I have been looking at CVI and so I let my guard down.

I do want more from sales people but don't expect it. However, in this case the survey is a requirement and the installers have to prove it was done correctly and in this case it seemed like lip service. If you blatantly take a photo of a camera in a hole that does not extend into the cavity it is an attempt to deceive. I'm guessing so few of the installations are actually checked they know they can get away with it.

My posting was only done out of interest to other forum users - I realise it doesn't show me in a good light either as I should have sent them away.

road2manchester

you may have unwittingly signed for installation. If they have left any info or contact details call them tomorrow and cancel.

There are a lot of double glazing style companies selling this and then pass on the job for commission. YES it can cause damp and there is a growing number of these door to door companies now offering compensation removal of beads and fibres.

The survey should be done in 3-4 places and the minimum gap between block and stone has to be large enough and have no bridges of jutting out stone or cement.

If previous surveys said you can't fit it, I would take that as read as nobody is going to turn down business. Don't forget the fitting company gets the money, the salesman, surveyor and fitters get commission .....

Davesnave

You'll have a 7 days cooling-off period, unless they turn up this week and persuade you to waive your right to that.