If you have insufficient cavity wall insulation it may be time to look at getting it extracted. It’s hard to tell when the previously installed insulation is no longer serving the property. However, if you feel like the house isn’t sufficiently retaining heat, it might be time to look at Cavity wall extraction.
When is Cavity Wall Extraction Required?
Cavity wall extraction is needed when it is no longer efficient, this can include:
- Insulation getting wet due to bad fitting, faults in brickwork or pipes, and potential flooding.
- Older and less effective insulation materials may not have the same guarantees or are not covered by the same certification licenses.
- Less weather-resistant materials in areas at risk.
The materials used today all come with a 25-year guarantee, allowing you to be at ease when saving money on your energy bills and removing any dampness.
Why Might I Need Cavity Wall Extraction?
Cavity Wall insulation did not have the same strict certifications that are required nowadays. Some companies used materials that would not meet regulations today, the lifespan was a lot shorter due to the insufficiency of the install.
The main causes of inefficient insulation are:
- Incorrect installation means the effect on your home is less than what it should be or non-existent. This can happen if the drill holes to insert the insulation were incorrectly spaced and would lead to cold spots.
- Incorrect materials were used such as urea-formaldehyde. This breaks down to dust-like particles and sits at the bottom of the cavity giving no insulation benefit at all.
- Flooding is a major cause needing insulation removed as the water gets into the material and creates damp allowing water to pass from the external wall into the home.
- Replaced windows can cause the insulation to fall out causing void areas. This will allow damp transfer from the outer skin.
How Can I Tell if I Need My Cavity Wall Extracting?
It is difficult to tell if your insulation needs extracting, it can take years for real problems to show themselves.
However, keep an eye out for the things below which may raise a concern.
- Have cold walls or cold areas on walls
- Your area has had flooding
- Damp areas
- Your energy bills seem to be more expensive than they should be
- External walls have been damaged
- Be unhappy with the original work
- Feel like your house isn’t retaining heat
Any concerns due to these things you can call RMS Energy and a site visit can take place. A heat loss survey using thermal cameras will help determine whether there is ineffective insulation within your walls. A small hole in the external wall will be drilled, giving us access to look inside the cavity using a borescope, so we know exactly what we have on our hands.
How Is The Insulation Removed?
The process is relatively straightforward but labour intensive. We use specific machinery that is designed for this purpose and is only used by OSCAR accredited technicians who adhere to the established method statement.
Before the work is carried out, a property technical survey is carried out to identify the issues. This forms the basis of the work that is due to be carried out.
A purpose-built insulation removal system is used to collect all the insulation that occupies the cavity. It works like a vacuum cleaner but on a much larger scale, using air pressure to suck up the insulation into a bag making it a clean and efficient solution.
The damaged cavity wall insulation material is removed as unobtrusively and cleanly as possible.
Compressed air is blown into the cavity while an industrial vacuum collects the damaged insulation from the bottom of the wall through strategically removed bricks.
A borescope is used to inspect the cavity throughout the process to ensure all damaged insulation has been completely removed.
The old insulation is then bagged up and removed, while all the brickwork is made good.
How Long Will It Take?
The installation can take 1-2 days to complete, involving a surveyor and two technicians to ensure it is done safely.
Whereas you don’t need to be out of the house during the extraction, the machinery is loud and may disturb you whilst the engineers are carrying out the work. It may be worth notifying neighbors beforehand!
Are there Risks of Getting Cavity Insulation Removed?
There are no dangers to your property in removing insulation from your home as the cavity insulation is removed using machinery specifically designed for the job.
Before the installation takes place, an inspection takes place both on the internal and external walls. There is an intricate plan, allowing the cavity wall extraction risk-free.
Benefits of Getting Cavity Insulation Removed?
When cavity wall insulation gets wet, damaged or ages it reduces the insulation to your house increasing energy consumption and making for a colder less comfortable house. Having this inspected and removed will reduce the chance of any health problems coming from damp that it can cause.
We would always recommend replacing it with the modern materials used as when done correctly it can reduce chance of damp or make removal of damp easier, reduce your heating bills, your house will be warmer and the value of your house will be increased too.
• House value increases
