Cavity Wall Insulation

What Is Cavity Wall Insulation?

Cavity wall insulation is done by inserting an insulation material between the two bricklayers that create a cavity wall, either during the construction phase or as a retrofit measure. 

To bring this into perspective, you need to understand the anatomy of the cavity wall per se. The cavity is made up of two parts, with a hollow space between them. These walls are normally constructed using masonry materials, such as brick or cinder block. The masonry material absorbs water and, therefore, can draw rainwater or humidity into the wall. 

As opposed to solid walls, cavity walls provide better thermal insulation. The space separating the two walls minimizes the transfer of heat into the building from the outside. Cavity walls also prevent moisture from outer space from entering the building.

How to Insulate a Cavity Wall

The process of insulating your home’s cavity wall is not a complicated undertaking. The insulation is done by injecting the insulating material into the cavity wall from the outside.

You can enlist an expert’s services to do the work, or you can go the DIY route. The contractor will start by drilling holes in the outside wall and then inject the material through those holes. He will then seal the holes using mortar. Most contractors use polystyrene beads or mineral wool, but some prefer polyurethane foam.

If you have decided to DIY, you would want to start by drilling 22mm holes, 1 meter apart in the outside wall. Then, proceed to blow the mineral wool into the holes. After the material injection, fill the cavity in the brickwork to make it barely noticeable.

However, professionals advise hiring an expert for this kind of work- some think it is too delicate to be completed as a DIY project. Besides, a professional would complete it within 2-3 hours without messing up with your walls.

Advantages of Cavity Wall Insulation

Apart from making your home feel much warmer and more comfortable, wall insulation has other advantages. Here is why cavity insulation is worth it.

It Is One of the Cheapest Energy Saving Measure for Homeowners

Apart from being easy to install compared to other types of insulation, cavity wall insulation brings significant energy savings. You can choose to DIY and if you don’t want to, hiring a professional contractor is an option as cavity wall insulation cost is low.

Energy Bills Reduction

It is estimated that homeowners can save up to £200 per year on heating bills if they have cavity wall insulation in their homes. This implies that the return on investments is realized within two years.

Keeps Your Home Warmer

This is, undoubtedly, the primary reason why homeowners opt for insulating their walls. Insulated walls prevent the loss of heat to the outside during the winter. Keeping your home warmer in the winter has both comfort and health advantage, and that cannot be underestimated.

Reduction in Carbon Footprint

If you rely on electricity or gas for heating and cooling your home to generate that energy, fossil fuels are burnt, negatively impacting the environment. If most of this energy is lost through the uninsulated walls, it implies you have to burn more fuels to meet your energy needs. This increases your carbon footprint. However, with insulated walls, you can reduce it by making sure no heat goes to waste. 

Mould Prevention

Condensation is the prime cause of mold growth and can be prevented by cavity wall insulation installation. The insulation material blocks moisture from penetrating your home through the walls. Since the outer walls are porous, they can absorb water. However, with cavity insulation, the material traps water in between, and it will run down the ground or above the windows rather than reaching the inner walls. As such, there will be no mold build-up since there is less or no moisture at all.

Easy and Quick to Install

Though some experts argue cavity insulation is delicate and should be done by an expert, if you understand the basics, you can accomplish it quickly and hassle-free.

It is less invasive to the inhabitants since you work on the external walls.

Is Cavity Wall Insulation Right For Your House?

You should only opt for cavity batts or cavity slabs if:

• There are unfilled brick cavity walls;
• The wall cavities have a width of at least 2 inches;
• The masonry or brickwork is in sound condition;
• You can access your external walls;
• Your house is less than twelve metres(roughly four storeys) high;
• Your internal walls are dry;
• There are no timber or steel-framed construction.

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then cavity wall insulation is right for your house.

Conclusion

Cavity insulation offers many benefits that would be hard for anyone to ignore. Take control of your home’s energy efficiency today by buying cavity wall insulation products at wholesale prices from Insulation Wholesale.

For any questions or queries regarding cavity wall insulation, or product recommendations, feel free to call our team of experts on 02033 187 316  and they will be more than happy to help.