Due to Britain’s cold, damp climate, homes can experience damp issues. This can cause all sorts of problems for property owners ranging from damage to their belongings and reduced airflow which in turn compromises our health.
Insulating material installed into cavity walls should last the lifetime of a building if installed by an experienced installer and applied correctly. Should it ever require renewal, no replacement should ever be required.
It’s a good idea
Cavity wall insulation is an efficient and cost-effective way to retain heat in your property, saving on energy bills while saving money in the process. Over time however, it may require renewal due to various reasons;
Moisture in the Walls British weather can present challenges when it comes to cavity wall insulation, particularly if your property is located near a coastal region. Heavy rainfall can penetrate exterior walls and seep into cavity spaces through cracks in walls and subflooring, leading to damp patches inside your home and leaving unsightly damp patches that attract mold spores – creating unattractive conditions as well as unhealthy ones for you and your family.
Poorly installed blown insulation can lead to cold spots in your cavity walls – known as thermal bridging – that attract air moisture, leading to damp spots within your property, necessitating new insulation installation in order to remedy. If this occurs, insulation replacement will become necessary.
Blown insulation can block ventilation that’s essential to efficient insulation. Removing it requires professional services; removal can include breaking down bricks and vacuuming out insulation; this may cost around PS2,000. However, warranties from your installer can cover any repairs or replacements costs should they arise.
It’s not a good idea
Cavity wall insulation is an easy way to increase the energy efficiency of your home. By decreasing heat loss through walls, cavity insulation saves money while keeping you warm. Furthermore, moisture cannot pass through outer walls as easily, thus helping prevent damp and mold growth.
Most cavity wall insulation consists of either mineral wool, cellulose fibre or expanded polystyrene foam (EPS). Mineral wool is popular because of its affordability and ease of installation between studs; additionally it comes in different thicknesses that can accommodate various joist widths.
EPS foam wall insulation is one of the more costly cavity wall solutions, yet offers superior thermal performance and comes with a lifetime warranty. Professional installation is recommended due to drilling through and injecting insulation through outer wall layers into interior wall cavities.
Before having your house insulated, it’s crucial that a boroscope survey be conducted. This will ensure your house features cavity walls suitable for insulation; otherwise, this process could cause major issues in older properties unsuited for insulation – possibly leading to wall damage, damp and mold growth, health complications and costing thousands to fix!
It’s a bad idea
Cavity wall insulation isn’t cheap or an easy DIY home improvement task; experts require specialist equipment and training in order to complete this job successfully. To comply with notifiable building procedures, your installer should inform the local authority prior to performing this procedure.
Before installing cavity wall insulation, a surveyor should visit and drill a small test hole using a boroscope (an instrument with a camera to examine cavities). If there are damp patches present then installing insulation won’t benefit your property and repairs should be carried out first before continuing any installation work.
Many people believe that filling a cavity wall with insulation will cause damp. However, this is not true as condensation or dirt builds up within walls that causes damp to form; this issue can be addressed using bonded bead insulation products as this will help alleviate it.
However, if your property suffers from damp issues it’s not recommended that this form of insulation be installed as it could lead to mould and damage which can require costly repairs, health concerns and may prevent you from selling in the future. Should this occur removal may involve breaking up bricks and vacuuming existing insulation; which may cost around PS2,000.