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How to Tell If You Have Cavity Wall Insulation
Wondering whether your property has cavity wall insulation?
In this guide, we'll help you learn how to check if you have cavity wall insulation and why it's important to have a professional survey to check it's condition.
What is Cavity Wall Insulation?
Cavity wall insulation is when an insulating material is blow in the gap between the inner and outer walls. It helps to reduce heat loss, lower energy bills, and creates a more energy efficient home. Examples of commonly used materials are polystyrene beads, polyurethane foam, mineral wool or rock wool.
How to Identify Cavity Wall Insulation:
Check the Age of Your Property
If your property was built after the 1990s, it is likely to have insulation. This is because it was required in building regulations to put insulation into the cavity. However, there have been cases where builders have taken the cheaper option and skipped insulating the building.
However, if your home was built before the 1920s, it could have solid walls. This is because cavity wall construction began in the 1920s. Prior to this, solid walls were used to build homes and they require a different type of insulation.
Look for Signs of Installation
Cavity wall insulation is installed by drilling small holes into the external walls of a property. If you notice small, evenly placed holes on the outside brick wall, it could indicate that insulation has been installed. The best places to look are under and by the side of windows as these are commonly drilled sections when insulating a cavity wall.
However, these may be difficult to spot if the insulation work was done many years ago.
Check Your Property Paperwork
If you have any documentation relating to your property, it may mention whether insulation has been installed by a registered installer.
This could include installation certificates or guarantees. You can also check your energy performance certificate online. However, it's important to know that sometimes the software can assume the property is insulated or empty based of its' age.
Borescope Inspection
A borescope is a small camera on the end of a flexible tube that can be inserted into small spaces.
A qualified professional can use a borescope to inspect the cavity walls of your property. This will help determine whether insulation has been installed and whether the insulation remains in a good condition.
Why Is It Important to Identify Cavity Wall Insulation?
Identifying cavity wall insulation is an important step for homeowners who are considering improving their property's insulation.
If you're still not sure, you can always book in an energy audit. Our surveyors will check your property for existing insulation.
And they can also provide you with advice to help increase the efficiency of your home.
What to do if you've found evidence of cavity wall insulation?
Book a profession to survey the condition of cavity wall insulation is important even if there is evidence that it has been installed because the effectiveness of insulation can deteriorate over time due to various factors.
Here are a few reasons why it is important to survey the condition of cavity wall insulation:
- Settling: Over time, cavity wall insulation can settle, particularly if it was not installed correctly in the first place. This can create gaps in the insulation, reducing its effectiveness.
- Moisture: If moisture enters the cavity wall, it can saturate the insulation, reducing its ability to trap air and provide insulation.
- Degradation: Some types of cavity wall insulation can degrade over time. This can cause the insulation to become brittle and break down, reducing its effectiveness.
- Damage: Cavity wall insulation can be damaged by a variety of factors, such as rodents. This damage can create gaps in the insulation, reducing its effectiveness.
- Poor installation: If the cavity wall insulation was not installed correctly, it may not be providing the expected level of insulation. This could be due to inadequate coverage or uneven distribution of the insulation.
In short, there are a variety of factors that can cause cavity wall insulation to become less effective over time.
By surveying the condition of the insulation, homeowners can identify any issues and take corrective action to improve the insulation's performance, leading to increased energy efficiency and potentially lower energy bills.
Contact us
If you would like to book a property survey, apply for a grant or have a question specific to your situation - you can contact us using any of the methods below.
Application
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