Is This Insulation Installed Correctly?

[Gareth790]

I’m looking for some help and advice. I live in a new build and we have a problem with condensation, mould and damp plasterboard around the bedroom windows in the winter. It doesn’t matter what we do inside the house or even if the windows are left slightly open. Once the temperature drops the issue is there.

There wasn’t any filler in the gaps between the window frames so I’ve filled and resealed those but the problem persists. I was told it could be inadequate insulation so I’ve put an inspection camera through the plaster board. I’ll upload the pictures. They essentially show the plasterboard then a cavity, a foil membrane then what is going on behind that between the studs. To my admittedly untrained eye there doesn’t seem to be enough insulation to be effective and I assumed that there wouldn’t be a cavity between the plasterboard and the membrane.

Could this be causing the issue? Any help and advice from people in the know would be greatly appreciated.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Those photos are useless, are the neighbours houses the same?

 

[Gareth790]

Those photos are useless, are the neighbours houses the same?

It varies. Some neighbours have the same problem with excessive condensation and mould around the windows, some also have mould up in the corners of the external walls in the bedrooms and some don’t have either of these issues.

 

[catlad]

Some pictures of the windows would be useful.

 

[Gareth790]

Some pictures of the windows would be useful.

When the temperature drops enough the condensation covers that full bottom window pane and has been as high as half way up the vertical pane.

 

[blup]

Pics arent bad for an inspection camera, always difficult to get the perspective right. Maybe you could fill the full cavity with insulation but protect the inner wall/window edge from moisture ingress by foam and dpc bent back between window and reveal.

 

[RandomGrinch]

I’m looking for some help and advice. I live in a new build

How new is this "new build"?

Some neighbours have the same problem with excessive condensation and mould around the windows,

if multiple neighbours have similar issues, this may be something you can go back to the developers, or NHBC with, as a group, for increased leverage?

 

[Gareth790]

Pics arent bad for an inspection camera, always difficult to get the perspective right. Maybe you could fill the full cavity with insulation but protect the inner wall/window edge from moisture ingress by foam and dpc bent back between window and reveal.

So taking the plaster board off and going from there? Do you know why there’s a cavity between the plaster board and the membrane/insulation?

 

[Gareth790]

How new is this "new build"?

if multiple neighbours have similar issues, this may be something you can go back to the developers, or NHBC with, as a group, for increased leverage?

Around 8-9 years. We had loads of problems with the company that built them. They eventually signed the house off themselves without addressing a good number of the issues we’d raised and said we’d told them to. The work that they did do around snagging issues wasn’t up to the standards of a first time DIYer. Because these issues were raised within the two year period the NHBC we likely bump us back to the builders as it’s on them to rectify and they’re an absolute nightmare to deal with. A good portion of my neighbours felt intimidated by them so they wouldn’t want to get back into it.

 

[blup]

So taking the plaster board off and going from there? Do you know why there’s a cavity between the plaster board and the membrane/insulation?

No, my guess is it is specced where a cavity closer is used, the absence of which is maybe a cause of moisture getting through.