PROFESSIONAL CAVITY WALL INSULATION IN BRISTOL AND SURROUNDING AREAS
The Rendering Company specialises in cavity wall insulation services in Bristol, South, South West and Central England and South Wales.
Cavity wall insulation helps save energy and reduce your heating and air conditioning bills. Many people don’t realise about a third of all the heat lost in uninsulated properties escapes through the walls. Since the 1990s buildings often have wall insulation included. If your property is older you could be spending too much on heating and cooling.
Cavity wall insulation adds extra material between the layers of brick that make up a cavity wall. It reduces heat loss when it’s cold and gain when it’s hot so your property feels more comfortable. The insulation is quickly installed from the outside causing very little disruption. You’ll notice the difference immediately and it will often pay for itself in energy savings in five years or less.
What type of wall do you have?
In the UK, properties built after the 1920s are most likely to have cavity walls. There’s an outer brick wall and an inner layer of bricks or concrete blocks with a gap in between. Earlier properties probably have solid brick or stone walls without a cavity.
If your home has cavity walls the outside bricks will usually have an even pattern with the bricks laid lengthways. In properties with solid walls the bricks often have an alternating pattern of the long and short brick edges. If you can’t see the brickwork because it’s rendered the thickness of the wall is a good indication. Look at the windows or doors in the external walls. If a brick wall is more than 260mm (10 ¼ inches) thick it probably has a cavity. However, some solid stone walls might be much thicker.
If you have a prefabricated concrete, steel or timber frame property we’ll be happy to give you some advice.
The cavity wall insulation process
Injecting insulation material into the cavity from the outside through small holes is the most common approach. Specialist equipment blows wool or polystyrene beads or polyurethane foam insulation into the cavity. Afterwards the holes are sealed with cement. Normally, insulation fitted by a registered installer comes with a 25 year guarantee.
Your property is generally suitable for cavity wall insulation if the gap is at least 35mm wide and hasn’t previously had insulation added. However, cracks in the walls, rising or penetrating damp or debris in the cavity could cause problems. Outside walls frequently exposed to extreme weather and driving rain probably won’t be suitable. If your property isn’t suitable you can consider external wall insulation as an alternative.
Will cavity wall insulation cause damp?
There are very few examples of damp bridging due to cavity wall insulation. If this happens it’s usually due to defects in the property’s construction or faulty installation. Competent installers like The Rendering Company can explain in advance if there are any possible problems.