Cavity Wall Insulation

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dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
Could you expand on this please for those not riding to the pub coast tomorrow?
A cavity wall depends on a linkage between the two leaves for stability - hence the tie. Some wall ties (the wire butterfly type and, maybe, some galvanised types) will corrode over time. If this happens you have a problem.

Some wall ties will corrode when they are in contact with some foams - this is not much talked about in this country (but anybody considering buying a house or a flat made of timber frame in which metal fixings come in to contact with foamed insulants would be best advised to have a word with me first).

If the wall tie gives way that's a big problem. If foamed insulant is blown in to the cavity and expands, and pushes the two leaves of the wall away from each other then that is another problem - a bigger problem.

What happens in this country is that technologies get imported from the States, where building warranties and designers liability is far more limited than it is here. The problem with buildings is that when they go wrong they take a while to go wrong. And when they go wrong the owners sell them...which is another story.

I'm not giving anybody specific advice about a specific problem, but I do suggest that all insulants applied to walls require a bit of thought

One thing is important. The guarantee is completely worthless unless it is backed by something big like an insurance company. And the guarantee should cover consequential loss - I hate to admit this, but a solicitor is your best guide to this. Remember that Joe Blow Insulation may not be around next year.....
 

al78

Guru
Location
Horsham
Be aware that you cannot have cavity wall insulation if your house is timber framed.
 

albal

Guru
Location
Dorset
A friend of mine does this,last year it was £99. Now it is £129.
I recommend ukenergygreenhomes no one is cheaper.:smile:
 
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ianrauk

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
A friend of mine does this,last year it was £99. Now it is £129.
I recommend ukenergygreenhomes no one is cheaper.:smile:

Am not necessarily looking for cheap. Am looking for good workmanship and quality.
Have a surveyor coming round from British Gas to have a look and chat to see what they say.
 

Gerry Attrick

Lincolnshire Mountain Rescue Consultant
Our house is exposed to easterly and westerly winds and was almost impossible to heat adequately in severe weather. We had the walls insulated (mineral wool type) which cost us £250. The results are absolutely amazing. Even through last winter's worst, we had to keep turning our stove down.

Well worth having the job done IMHO.
 

Night Train

Maker of Things
The wall tie issue is an important one.

Also don't assume that because you have had wall tie work done that there is actually any ties fitted.
When I bought my house 15 years ago the mortgage lender insisted on the front and back walls being rebuilt, due to the ties having failed, and new ties fitted.
The company who did the work never actually fitted any ties even though the lender was happy with the paperwork.
I found out there were no ties when one of the internal walls dropped 2" during underpinning works. I had to demolish the internal wall, basement to roof, and rebuild it putting in the missing ties as I went. I still have the front wall to tie in which I will do during next year's renovations, hopefully.

As a result I have not had cavity wall insulation injected as yet. The other reason is that there are still some gaps in the internal wall under the floors so the insulation would end up filling the floor voids.
I have fitted internal insulation as I have worked around the house. Makes the rooms a bit smaller but lots warmer.
 

longers

Legendary Member
I don't know if my walls even have cavities to be insulated :blush:

Would an inspector do many calls where they turn up and find out the householder is stupid for not realising that their house isn't suitable?

The wall ties thing is interesting as I've got some internal cracks that need investigating.
 

craigwend

Grimpeur des terrains plats
Managed to get it free through energy supplier as we were so 'poor' at the time we were claiming one of the 'acceptable' benefits (the working tax credit thing which you get for child care) we got the fibre glass wads that were blown in - took about half a day, has made a real difference
 

XmisterIS

Purveyor of fine nonsense
I think I'm going to go for CWI pretty soon - my mum has had it done and it is noticeable just how good it is! my house is 'kin freezing by comparison - I reckon 50% of my energy bill is going on heating the outside air!
 

philipbh

Spectral Cyclist
Location
Out the back
I don't know if my walls even have cavities to be insulated :blush:

Would an inspector do many calls where they turn up and find out the householder is stupid for not realising that their house isn't suitable?

The wall ties thing is interesting as I've got some internal cracks that need investigating.


It happened to us - surveyor came around and drilled his pilot holes to find out we have no cavity - despite the bond of the brick suggesting otherwise.

He drilled in several different places to be sure and then some more to be sure to be sure as he could believe it at first (house built in 1928)
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Our internal walls are breeze block lined with a polystyrene layer so I don't think cavity wall insulation would make much difference. We achieved a massive reduction in our gas bills just by doubling up the rather meagre roof insulation.
 

dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
Our internal walls are breeze block lined with a polystyrene layer so I don't think cavity wall insulation would make much difference. We achieved a massive reduction in our gas bills just by doubling up the rather meagre roof insulation.
the roof is always the first place to go, and then on to draughtproofing.

Just to put you in the picture - I drew cavity walls this year with 150mm fully filled cavities giving a u-value of 0.18. If memory serves unventilated cavity walls have a U-value of something like 1.3. The world is moving on, and today's flats and houses should cost next to nothing to heat.
 
U

User482

Guest
For comparison, 9" brick solid-wall houses like mine have a u-value of 2.1.
 

darth vadar

Über Member
You should try the Governments 'Warmfront' scheme.

Whether it has/will survive the cuts is debatable, but if you fit the criteria you can have lots of things done for free.
 
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ianrauk

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
You should try the Governments 'Warmfront' scheme.

Whether it has/will survive the cuts is debatable, but if you fit the criteria you can have lots of things done for free.

I certainly don't fill any criteria for anything free from the government what so ever.. apart from child benefit.. and that's going..but that's another thread.
 
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