Cavity wall insulation - new builds

moneysavingchump

I hate cavity wall insulation. It destroys my quality of life. I would rather not live in a property that has it. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find properties that have either not had it installed at point of building or filled in afterwards.

I know that for the retrospectively added cavity wall insulation you can have this removed. But can you also do this for the stuff for newer built properties where it was added at the time of building, or for new builds does it get installed in such a way that makes it difficult to remove?

I am not intending this to become a debate on whether homes should have cavity wall insulation (although it probably will), just want to know whether it's possible to remove it. For the environmentalists out there, don't worry, me without cavity wall insulation will still use less heating than most people do with cavity wall insulation.

RelievedSheff

I'm intrigued how cavity wall insulation "destroys your quality of life"

Greymug

moneysavingchump said:

just want to know whether it's possible to remove it.

if there's a will there's a way

robatwork

Not a debate on whether CWI is good or bad, but fascinated in how it's ruining your quality of life. Something to do with ventilation/air flow?

davidmcn

If it's been installed as slabs during construction it would seem immensely disruptive to try removing it. And I doubt mortgage lenders or future purchasers would be delighted - sounds like the sort of thing which would require building regulation approval (which would be unlikely to be forthcoming unless you are replacing it with something just as good).

Wouldn't it be easier just to buy something which doesn't have insulation (or even cavity walls)?

moneysavingchump

Reasons for destroying my quality of life:

• Since having CVI have had constant dry throat and dry lips
• Went from sleeping like a log every night to never ever getting a good nights sleep
• Went from sleeping with open windows 10 days a year to having to have them open 360 days a year (only when the wind is so bad that i have to shut them)
• Urine went from normal clear colour to always dark suggesting constant dehydration (drinking more doesn't help)
• Went from being a very active person to constantly feeling lethargic and unable to exercise at the same level as previously capable

Yes i agree that it would be easier to buy somewhere without insulation and that would be my ideal solution (no need to avoid cavity walls, they serve a purpose, and without being filled with crap they cause no issues). But more and more houses now either have it installed from build or have had it installed later, so it's a case of buying from a smaller pool. Just asked to question so i could whether there is any point in considering a recently built house that meets my needs in every other sense or should i just rule them out completely because it's not an easy process to extract the CVI.

RelievedSheff

moneysavingchump said:

Reasons for destroying my quality of life:

• Since having CVI have had constant dry throat and dry lips
• Went from sleeping like a log every night to never ever getting a good nights sleep
• Went from sleeping with open windows 10 days a year to having to have them open 360 days a year (only when the wind is so bad that i have to shut them)
• Urine went from normal clear colour to always dark suggesting constant dehydration (drinking more doesn't help)
• Went from being a very active person to constantly feeling lethargic and unable to exercise at the same level as previously capable

Yes i agree that it would be easier to buy somewhere without insulation and that would be my ideal solution (no need to avoid cavity walls, they serve a purpose, and without being filled with crap they cause no issues). But more and more houses now either have it installed from build or have had it installed later, so it's a case of buying from a smaller pool. Just asked to question so i could whether there is any point in considering a recently built house that meets my needs in every other sense or should i just rule them out completely because it's not an easy process to extract the CVI.

And how have you attributed any of that to cavity wall insulation?

moneysavingchump

RelievedSheff said:

moneysavingchump said:

Reasons for destroying my quality of life:

• Since having CVI have had constant dry throat and dry lips
• Went from sleeping like a log every night to never ever getting a good nights sleep
• Went from sleeping with open windows 10 days a year to having to have them open 360 days a year (only when the wind is so bad that i have to shut them)
• Urine went from normal clear colour to always dark suggesting constant dehydration (drinking more doesn't help)
• Went from being a very active person to constantly feeling lethargic and unable to exercise at the same level as previously capable

Yes i agree that it would be easier to buy somewhere without insulation and that would be my ideal solution (no need to avoid cavity walls, they serve a purpose, and without being filled with crap they cause no issues). But more and more houses now either have it installed from build or have had it installed later, so it's a case of buying from a smaller pool. Just asked to question so i could whether there is any point in considering a recently built house that meets my needs in every other sense or should i just rule them out completely because it's not an easy process to extract the CVI.

And how have you attributed any of that to cavity wall insulation?

Because it coincides with the CVI being installed. No problems before CVI, problems start straight after CVI installed seems pretty high chance of CVI being the cause to me.

davidmcn

moneysavingchump said:

RelievedSheff said:

moneysavingchump said:

Reasons for destroying my quality of life:

• Since having CVI have had constant dry throat and dry lips
• Went from sleeping like a log every night to never ever getting a good nights sleep
• Went from sleeping with open windows 10 days a year to having to have them open 360 days a year (only when the wind is so bad that i have to shut them)
• Urine went from normal clear colour to always dark suggesting constant dehydration (drinking more doesn't help)
• Went from being a very active person to constantly feeling lethargic and unable to exercise at the same level as previously capable

Yes i agree that it would be easier to buy somewhere without insulation and that would be my ideal solution (no need to avoid cavity walls, they serve a purpose, and without being filled with crap they cause no issues). But more and more houses now either have it installed from build or have had it installed later, so it's a case of buying from a smaller pool. Just asked to question so i could whether there is any point in considering a recently built house that meets my needs in every other sense or should i just rule them out completely because it's not an easy process to extract the CVI.

And how have you attributed any of that to cavity wall insulation?

Because it coincides with the CVI being installed. No problems before CVI, problems start straight after CVI installed seems pretty high chance of CVI being the cause to me.

I think there's a logical fallacy going on there. How do you think CVI would cause any of those symptoms? Have you consulted a doctor?

Seashell517

Have you seen a doctor about it? 

Greymug

No but their tarot reader strongly hinted at CWI being the cause