Free Cavity Wall Insulation.

[HERTS P&D]

I got a leaflet through the door about free cavity wall insulation and have phoned up and booked someone to come round in 2 weeks. They told me it's free as the government are paying.

Has anyone out there had it done, the company is Energycareukltd.co.uk

Andy

 

[ajstoneservices]

I refer lots of customers to energy care uk for insulation after they've signed up for solar thermal or pv, don't want them having that.

 

[peterperfection]

All I would say- is be very very wary of the people doing the drilling into your walls .
They are NOT tradesmen- (in the true sense).(maybe some of them are )
They pick a spot to drill (several spots- according to their instructions of course).
They just set the drill on HAMMER' !! AND BLAST AWAY-.
Backs of bricks come flying off- right into your cavities. Fills cavities up with cr ap.
Before anyone says 'they only drill through mortar-- I agree - that is the plan)
But- correct way to do it is 'TURN HAMMER ACTION OFF WHEN YOU GET 3'' IN).
In a year or twos time- I bet there will be a lot of homes with penetrating damp problems -for sure.

Beware of strangers bearing gifts- is all I will say.

ps- I await the usual insults and personal attacks . No probs .

I have just offered the benefit of my experience.

 

[hansthebear]

BG are doing it free also

 

[AronSearle]

Not all properties are suitable for cavity wall insulation, if they attempt to blow it in without assessing the building, good luck.

It shouldn't be done with timber frame.

And masonry buildings in wetter more exposed areas can develop damp issues.

 

[peterperfection]

EVERYONE is doing it free. That's why there are so many cowboys installing it.
It's about time people realised- you get what you pay for .
BG get paid for installing it..
Dont be kidded by BG its just a title.
Bit like British rail-- dont let the 'B'ritish bit fool you .
No such thing as British anymore .
These days it's man eat dog ( or is that man eat man ?).

All I know is- regarding insulation -- there really are a lot of 'young guns' (cowboys) out there gunning for dudes willing to let them fire their weapons in their homes.

Sad to say though- usually a home is a persons biggest asset. Be aware of that .
Get someone in to do the work who knows what he is on about .

Here's a quick example - a few months ago some 'young guns' came around to a house near to me . Armed with crappy cordless hammer drills.
Trying to sell/give away cav wall insulation. They insisted in drilling int a nearby house wall- even though i told them it was a TIMBER FRAME HOUSE'. They looked at me as if I had 2 heads- and had not a clue as to what I was talking about .
But- they went ahead and drilled .
Says it all huh ?. DONKEYS .

 

[peterperfection]

Not all properties are suitable for cavity wall insulation, if they attempt to blow it in without assessing the building, good luck.

It shouldn't be done with timber frame.

And masonry buildings in wetter more exposed areas can develop damp issues.

GLAD TO SEE IT ISN'T JUST MYSELF WHO UNDERSTANDS THE IMPLICATIONS OF LETTING THE 'YOUNG GUNS' LOOSE ON YOUR BIGGEST ASSET.

 

[Burnerman]

I was wary of CW insulation, and I'm fully aware of the implications if the job (or building) isn't suitable....anyway with the rising cost of oil I thought it was time to give it a go.
My house is cavity wall, some stone, some walls pebbledash. Single storey, good loft access.....the house is in very good order.
At that time (about a year ago) it wasn't free for all - some sort of means testing I think. Anyway - full loft insulation £149, Cavity Wall insulation £149.
Along came the Mark Group - 1 guy and a van.
He was here 7 hours - drilled all the wall holes in the cement where he could, filled the cavities with the wool compound, filled the holes with cement and rubbed some pebbles where the pebbledash would have been.
Then to the loft.....300mm insulation added, including jackets to two tanks and all visible pipework. Also insulation and hooks were fitted to the loft hatch.
This guy couldn't have been better at all....tea consumption was huge but nothing was too much trouble. He got a good 'drink' when the job was done.
Whether the job will pay for itself is anyones guess - its psychological
to feel that the place is warmer, but who really knows?
John

 

[peterperfection]

Looks like you got a decent guy doing the job John.
It's the little touches ie: reinstating the pebbledash- that make the difference .
Pity not all installers 'go the extra mile'.

 

[ImayKnow]

Not all properties are suitable for cavity wall insulation, if they attempt to blow it in without assessing the building, good luck.

It shouldn't be done with timber frame.

And masonry buildings in wetter more exposed areas can develop damp issues.

I was under the impression that they first do an inspection drilling into the cavity, and use a boreoscope to check suitability?

Also the drilling should take place in a horizontal mortar joint at the point where it meets the mortar joint of two bricks on the course of bricks either above or below, so in essence the drilling takes place at the point where the vertical mortar meets the horizontal mortar, thereby the brickwork is not actually drilled (only the mortar is)?

 

[ImayKnow]

Whether the job will pay for itself is anyones guess - its psychological
to feel that the place is warmer, but who really knows?
John

John, the building will not be any warmer for having the insulation, but it will RETAIN heat for longer, meaning the boiler doesn't fire up for as long.

 

[chapeau]

It's not possible to say that with the information provided.

 

[AronSearle]

even though i told them it was a TIMBER FRAME HOUSE'.

Off the top of my head I have talked to about 5-6 people this year who now can't sell their unmortgageable properties because of this, in each case the people installing it assumed brick cladding - brick frame.

In one instance expanding foam was used (didn't even know that was done) the only way to remove it is to take down the brick cladding, hack it off, and put the cladding back. The others I spoke to luckily had the polystyrene beads, which only have a light bonding agent so can be sucked out (the beads may not cause a problem with timber frame, but no one really knows for certain, hence why no one would mortgage them).

****ing ass-holes cost the householders 10s of thousands in damage, and walked away from the issue.

I was under the impression that they first do an inspection drilling into the cavity, and use a boreoscope to check suitability?

Some do, some don't, some do it and say it's OK no matter what (knowing full well they won't be trading in a few years time).

 

[dhutch]

I had mine done with gray pebbles but DG or 'DomesticGeneral' who appears fairly competant and did the loft insulation at the time (10inches of new, from scratch, after I removed the 2" of old and extended the joists in order to refloor.

I was glad I was there to over see it, and add comments like 'are you not going to put a hole there' and the like, did dint turn the hammer off of the last half inch, and they didnt alway get it dead straight between the bricks (ie, they went in at the corner, but proberbly didnt come out on it) but from the odd places it came out I would say they must have got a pretty good fill, and a year later, ive had not issues yet.

Sadly as the loft was done on the same day I cant fully comment, but certainly the house is much warmer with the walls and 10inch than it was with just 2inchs in the attic.


Daniel

 

[Mw Roofline]

Google the British Board of Agrement (BBA) Watford lane I think. Phone them and tell them the company name who are doing it. They will say yes good or no, bad.

If yes good, ask them if it's possible to have a CWI inspector come on the day of the job or a few days after. They'll say yes! It won't cost you a penny.

Tell the lads doing the drilling that a BBA inspector is coming.

Good luck.