British Gas free loft insulation nightmare

[ormesherg]

Hello

I had the free loft insulation fitted by British Gas 5/6 weeks ago. Monday morning 3 am got woken up by my wife to inform me the ceiling was coming in and it was dripping. Went up there and discovered the whole loft was soaking wet. Rang the complaints line and good enough they arranged a call with a manager. He rang me up and was pretty sure it must be a leaking pipe or rain water getting in. I told him there are no pipes up there and I'm pretty sure the roof is sound. The manager was supposed to come round the next day but he sent a fitter instead. He confirmed it was all due to condensation and he had only seen this once before. He put some vents in between the felt but said it probably needs a proper look at and the old insulation ripping out, off he went. The manager rang up and said do I know anyone who could repair the ceiling. After I picked myself up I said I think this is down to you right?. I told him it all needs ripping out and the ceiling inspected in case the whole lot needs redoing? He said he would ring the claims department. Shortly after a plasterer rang asking for pictures and sizes. He arrives tomorrow and I'm hoping this is just a temp fix until the manager comes back with a plan of works. We will see

Regards

Geoff

 

[KenGMac]

ormesherg, hi

Have a look in the Forum for "Floors Stairs and lofts" in there is a section at the top of the post about Loft Condensation, or see the attached posts all historic below this in similar threads, I see there are a few??

Short answer is it is most probably Condensation, but! it has happened very, very fast because on the date of the dripping the external air temperature was probable below 0 C?

have a look in the loft area, I bet that the installers have packed the new insulation into the eaves area, that area near all of the outer walls, if so that may be the source of the problem? the eaves are supposed to have vents installed to allow an unrestricted air flow into the loft are above the new insulation, this air flow removes the moist air from the loft space.

What happens is that water Vapour, not water droplets migrate into the loft space even through the Plasterboard where the vapour is shocked by the lack of heat above the Insulation and hey presto Condensation. The condensation will form on all surfaces then drip back down on to the nice new insulation and finally onto the Plasterboard then the plasterboard fails and drops in to say Hello.

If the new Insulation is wet then it needs to be changed, wet insulation isn't insulating anything at all, at all, in fact wet insulation will further damage the plasterboard and reverse the proposed action of what insulation is supposed to do, I suggest you check and get on to B/G to get them back to replace the now wet insulation, ask them about eaves filling? and take a load of digital pictures you may need them to prove your case?

Ken.

 

[ormesherg]

Thanks ken ,great advice

 

[AronSearle]

+1 to what KenGMac says, particularly that the insulation needs to be ripped out pronto, it can't be left to dry, it just has to be replaced.

Sounds like a right cock up on their part, and you want to ensure they don't try and wriggle out of anything. Make sure you check any terms and conditions that you would have signed.

I would also say be careful to just go by information gleaned from forums. BG use subcontractors, who knows what bull they will try to pull to invalidate any claim or avoid any costs.

 

[WabbitPoo]

I honestly cannot believe condensation could have got so bad in 6 weeks to bring the ceiling down.....

Are you completely certain there are no pipes up there, or that the roof is sound?