CavClear – FAQ’S

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are CavClear, we understand that finding clear and informative information about wall ties, replacement and cavity wall insulation removal can be confusing. So we have included some of the more common questions we receive.

How do you know if your home has Cavity Wall Insulation?

Y

How to know if there is a problem?

Are you concerned your Cavity Wall Insulation is Causing Damp? Are you worried your Wall Ties are failing? Is there Damp in your home?

In order to answer these questions, or even ask them, you need to know what to look for and understand what your home is trying to tell you. You can find the specific signs and examples of damp caused by Cavity Wall Insulation, failing Wall Ties and much more throughout our website, but find some of they tell signs below:

Signs of damp, here.

Signs of failing wall ties, here.

Our fully qualified and expert technicians can carry out the relevant survey in order to identify the cause, problem and resolution for your home. Get in touch, here.

 

Can Cavity Wall Insulation Be Removed?

Yes, and here at CavClear we specialise in it!

We can extract several types of retrofitted cavity wall insulation, including Mineral Fibre(wool), Urea Formaldehyde and Polystyrene Beads.Cavity wall insulation is removed by using a large specialist vacuum machine. Firstly we remove bricks low down on the property and attach the vacuum. The next part of the work involves drilling small holes in the wall of the property similar to the points where the insulation was initially installed, we then use compressed air to blow/force the defected insulation to the industrial vacuum/extractor.
Our job-specific specialist vacuum machine will remove the insulation from the cavity, directly to the collection bag and which is then again removed from the property on completion of works. The cavity is left completely clear of any cavity wall insulation.

Find out the process of Cavity Wall Insulation removal, here.

There are a few reasons why you may need to remove Cavity Wall Insulation. From Damp, to faulty installation, or even mould…

Can Cavity Wall Insulation Cause Damp?

Cavity wall insulation can cause dampness and mould in your home for several reasons.
Poorly filled cavities can result in hot and cold spots and condensation (damp) inside your property. An incentivised government drive to insulate homes and reduce energy consumption in the 1990s and still to date resulted in a big increase of homes being retrofitted with cavity wall insulation. Incorrectly fitted cavity wall insulation can cause Black Mould, Damp and Condensation, not only on internal walls but for furniture and carpets as well. This can be detrimental to your health.
In seaward facing or walls exposed to driving rain, Cavity wall insulation isn’t always a recommended solution. A suitability survey should be conducted prior to installation and should also have been correctly carried out. Unfortunately in our experience these surveys were not always undertaken and unsuitable cavity wall installation installed and sadly sometimes surveys were undertaken with poor advice given to customers.
Blocked bathroom and bedroom ventilation bricks can cause condensation beyond what is considered “normal” after a shower or bath.
Poor maintenance resulting in leaks or moisture access points in brickwork allowing ingress from the outside wall will allow the insulation to hold moisture/water causing a “bridge” across the insulation ultimately showing as dap on the internal walls.
An important thing to consider is that damp/wet walls can cause considerable problems with the electrical installation in your home, damage to carpets and furniture.

Can faulty Cavity Wall Insulation cause health issues?

The consequences of faulty Cavity Wall Insulation can not only be harmful and detrimental to your home, but to you too!

The consequences of damp and black mould can cause severe health issues to residents of the property. You can read more about this on our blog, where we fully discuss the potential health risks that can come about through defected Cavity Wall Insulation.

Read Now!

What kind of walls are not to be insulated?
  • The wall has a cavity of less than 40mm
  • Stone properties
  • Timber frame walls with brick outer can appear like cavity walls.
  • Metal framed buildings and walls.
  • Walls in poor structural condition.
  • Walls over 12 meters high.
Can damp affect the value of my house?

Yes, an issue with damp will certainly affect the value of your home!
If you are looking to sell your home most lenders will not release full funds until remedial work is completed. Untreated damp will eventually cause damage to other areas apart from the walls.
Unsightly mould and damp will put off buyers when they view your home. There have been several cases highlighted on TV recently where tenants have been removed from properties because of issues with dampness and mould.
Damp issues will only ever get worse and more expensive to remedy over time, read more about this here.

How Much Does It Cost To Remove Cavity Wall Insulation?

The short answer to the question is it all depends on the amount of work required to bring your home back to standard.

Find some common examples that may affect the total cost below:

  • Mid Terrace may only have 2 walls front and rear and a 5 bedroom detached much larger walls and conservatory.
  • Remedial work may need scaffolding so our engineers can work safely.
  • Your home may have a kitchen extension or a conservatory.
  • In cases where there is water ingress from the outside wall causing “bridging,” it may be necessary to rectify those issues in addition to removing the cavity wall insulation.
  • It may be necessary for internal walls to be re-plastered.
  • The wall ties between your walls may need renewal because of corrosion.

A full site survey should always be undertaken to ascertain what the problems are and what is the cause of them. We can conduct a thermographic survey of your home and also place a camera into the cavity. Every home is individual and our prices will always reflect that, no unnecessary works will ever appear in our quotations.

What If My Wall Ties Need Replacement?

We can replace the existing wall ties in your home using a suitable non-corroding alternative.
Wall tie failure can happen where there has been corrosion of the existing wall ties or when insufficient or incorrect wall ties have been installed. We can inspect the wall ties in your home by placing a camera into your cavity. On completion we advise you about their condition and recommended the best way forward should remedial work be required.

When mild steel or galvanised steel wall tie corrodes, there is a build-up of rust (also known as iron oxide), which causes the tie to expand in size. This can result in pressure on the surrounding masonry causes cracking in the mortar bed. Expansion in the external wall can also cause the brickwork to bulge outwards.

Poor installation during the construction phase can also result in wall tie failure. When building with wall ties, it is important to install the correct tie for the type, height and location of a building and a tie of sufficient length for the cavity.

If wall tie failure is not addressed it can lead to severe structural issues including the potentially dangerous collapse of the masonry outer leaf.

Read more on Cavity Wall Ties in a recent blog post here.

 

How Much Do Wall Ties Cost?

Wall Tie Replacement, Installation and Removal is dependant on the size of your property. Prices vary depending on the number of wall ties that are needed in order to stabilise and secure the structure.Wall Tie replacement is an excellent investment, gives you a good return for your money over time and provide you with peace of mind. Putting off replacement wall ties will never cost less in the future and the potential for serious structural damage and additional costs shouldn’t be ignored.

Did you know mortgage companies will not lend against properties with failed wall ties? Unless remedial work to replace them is undertaken! It may be necessary to use scaffolding or a tower on some properties to allow our engineers to work safely which needs to be considered.

We can survey the condition of your wall ties by placing specialist equipment in your cavity wall and provide you with a quotation for any work necessary.

How Long Does It Take To Replace Wall Ties and Remove Cavity Wall Insulation?

Cavity Wall Insulation removal normally takes between 1 and 3 days depending on the size of your home. Weather conditions and access to defective areas should also be taken into consideration.

Replacing Wall Ties takes between 1 to 3 days also.
When remedial works for both are undertaken on the same site visit 3 to 4 days is a normal timescale.
The surveying engineer will access your home and advise you of the timescale when the quotation is completed.

Does Removing Cavity Wall Insulation Make A Mess?

No, we leave your home as clean as we found it (if not cleaner!).

Prior to work commencing we cover windows and doors to minimise dust entering your home. Our engineers are instructed to leave your home expert from debris resulting from the remedial works and tidy up after themselves. In some circumstances, it may be necessary to place ladders, scaffolding or towers over garden areas resulting in unavoidable temporary damage, but this will be discussed prior to the work beginning.

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