Does Cavity Wall Insulation Cause Damp?
Learn when cavity wall insulation can cause damp problems.
Published: September 28, 2022 Author: Matt Jackson
Cavity wall insulation is a cost-effective way to reduce the heat loss from your property.
If, however, it is not installed properly, it could lead to damp which leads to more problems.
The idea nowadays is to make sure that houses are built to be energy efficient and better for the environment. However, this can lead to damp problems like the penetrating damp.
Penetrating damp is the result of water infiltration through an external wall and into the property.
What is Cavity Wall Insulation and How Does it Work?
Properties are either built using solid walls or cavity walls.
The standard cavity wall has a 50mm gap from the inner wall of the property to the exterior wall.
These walls are insulated by injecting insulation material to fill the gap which prevents heat loss. The most common insulating materials used are foam, wool and mineral wool fiber.
If the property was built without cavity wall insulation, then the insulation is installed by drilling into the property’s exterior wall and the insulating material is inserted in the drilled holes.
After the material is inserted, the holes are filled in to match the brickwork of the property.
Installing cavity wall insulation takes around to 2 hours but of course this varies according to the size of property as well as other factors.
Damp Problems
Damp problems arising from cavity wall insulation are a result of poor installation as well as poor judgments.
Not all properties can have cavity wall insulation, and installing cavity wall insulation on a property that does not support it leads to damp issues.
It is really important to check if cavity wall insulation is suitable for your property or not before installation. The external brickwork of the property acts as a bridge for the moisture to penetrate the inner walls of the property, which causes damp issues.
Another problem of cavity wall insulation is condensation. Cavity walls are used to reduce the heat loss from the property. However, if there are gaps in the walls, then the walls will remain cold.
This is an issue as when moist-laden air builds up inside the house, the warm moist-laden air will land on the cold walls resulting in condensation which builds up and causes serious problems like black mold.
Is My House At Risk of Damp?
Damp issues arising from having cavity wall insulation is not something common. So, just make sure you check if your house is suitable for cavity wall insulation before beginning the process. It is better safe than sorry. Most properties nowadays are built suited for cavity wall insulation, but it is never bad to double check.
If your house is “weatherproofed “then you are not at all at risk of damp issues after having cavity wall insulation installed. So, you’ll be able to benefit fully from having cavity wall insulation and as a result the monthly energy bills will be reduced.
We have compiled a list of questions to assess if your property is at risk for potential damp issues from having cavity wall insulation:
- Is your property prone to wind driven rain?
- Is your property sheltered by trees or buildings?
- Are your external walls poorly constructed and not well maintained?
If your answer is yes to any of the questions above, then I’d recommend that you double check whether cavity wall insulation is suitable for your property.
How Is Cavity Wall Insulation Installed?
A team arrives and proceeds to drill lots of holes in the wall.
They then pump millions of tiny polystyrene beads into the holes.
It is worth mentioning that the people installing the insulation will leave noticeable scars on the wall they operate on.
You can hide these scars by having the walls coated with an exterior textured wall coating.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our article on Does Cavity Wall Insulation Cause Damp?.
If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected].
