Cavity Wall Insulation Facts & Figures

Benefits of Cavity Wall Insulation

There are many benefits of cavity wall insulation. The most significant benefit people see is the reduction in their heating bills. Learn more about Cavity Wall Insulation Facts and Figures here.

Cavity Wall Insulation can save up to 35% on your heating bills as un-insulated cavity walls allow 35% of the heat in your property to escape straight through your walls. With a fully insulated home with cavity wall insulation, you will need to put your heating on less often and for less time. That will reduce your heating bills. Cavity walls are a common building design feature, creating an air gap between a home’s outer and inner walls.

Improve Your EPC Rating with Cavity Wall Insulation

Cavity wall Insulation is now also part of building regulations, and when selling or letting your home you will need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). If your home has a low EPC rating it may be more difficult to sell. Depending on your house’s EPC rating you may not be legally allowed to rent out your property. An EPC is also used to measure how improvements to your home can be funded. An EPC C is the current minimum standard required for the addition of renewable technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps to be installed. Cavity Wall Insulation is a key element on the EPC rating, and if it is not insulated it will reduce your rating. So, Cavity wall Insulation will add value to your property and make it more attractive to buyers or tenants.

Another little known fact about Cavity Wall Insulation is that as well as keeping you warm in the winter it will also keep your property cooler in the summer months as the insulation will also stop the warmth from the summer sun heating your property.

Cavity Wall Insulation is very cost effective. Any initial outlay will have a payback period of less than 4 years as you will be saving every year on you heating bills.

As well as saving you money Cavity Wall Insulation also saves the environment. Having your cavity walls insulated your could reduce your properties Co2 emissions by as much as 1040 kg per year.

How to Check If You Have Cavity Walls?

Most properties built after 1935 and before 1985 would normally have been built with an un-insulated cavity wall. Nearly all properties built before 1935 would have been built with solid walls meaning there is no air gap (cavity) to insulate. Most properties built after 1985 will have had the cavity walls insulated during the build process as part of the building regulations.

If you are unsure if you have cavity walls but your property was built between 1935 and 1985, one of the easiest ways to check is to take a look at the brick pattern on the outside of the property.

A stretcher bond pattern means all of the bricks are the same length going across the wall. This is a good indication that you have cavity walls.

If the brick pattern has header bricks meaning that there is a long brick then a short brick or a row of short bricks then this is a good indication that you have solid walls. This is because the short bricks are a full brick going into the cavity.

Another easy way to tell is take a look at the properties energy performance certificate. All properties bought or let recently will have an EPC. If you have an EPC it will tell you on there if you have cavity walls and if they have been insulated.

I have Cavity Walls but how do I tell if they have been insulated?

A lot of people know they have cavity walls but are not sure if they have been insulated as they have not lived in the property since the time of build.

One of the easiest ways to check is to look at the exterior brickwork. If you can see evidence of drill holes at regular intervals, this is a good indication that they’ve been filled. Drill holes are normally around 1 meter apart on all of the outside walls.

Another easy way to tell is take a look at the properties energy performance certificate. All properties bought or let recently will have an EPC. If you have an EPC it will tell you if you have cavity walls, and if they have been insulated.

How are Cavity Walls Installed?

Cavity Wall Insulation is normally installed from the outside. However, if you are renovating your home the insulation can be done from the inside before re plastering.

Holes are first drilled on the outside walls following a strict pattern set out by the manufacturer and the BBA. This is to ensure that all areas of the cavity wall are fully insulated.

After drilling the holes, the installer pumps fiber insulation into each hole until the area around the hole is full. This process is then done for every hole drilled to ensure that all of the cavity wall is insulated.

Following a full and even fill of the cavity wall the installer will then point up and make good all of the holes using mortar dyes to match the existing mortar. This means the property looks the same as it always did. Afterwards, they will clean up any brick dust or mess that has been caused before they leave.

Finally, the installer will do a final check of the property ensuring the correct drill pattern has been followed and all of the holes have been pointed up. He will make a few internal checks to ensure there are no issues and that all vents and flues are clear of any insulation that may have ingressed.

Does Cavity Walls Cause Damp?

In the early days, there was very little regulation and governing bodies checking the insulation was done correctly. In some cases this has led to the Cavity Wall Insulation causing damp.

The damp was caused due to an un-even fill in the cavity leading to cold spots.

However nowadays there are strict procedures and checks in place to ensure that Cavity wall Insulation is done properly.

Each installer must be approved for a specific insulation material by the material designer and by the British Board Of Agrement (BBA) before they can begin installing cavity wall insulation. Make sure you check your installer is BBA approved for Cavity Wall Insulation.

Each material must pass tests by the BBA. Also, each installer must follow the correct drill pattern to ensure an even fill of the cavity wall. This ensures there are no voids in the insulation which could lead to damp.

Cavity Wall Insulation is Insurance Backed 25 Year Guarantee by CIGA

To give you extra piece of mind Absolute Solar offer a free of charge insurance. This is backed by a 25 Year Guarantee with CIGA (Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency) with each install. So, if for whatever reason you have any issue you know you are covered by this guarantee.