The external wall of a house is constructed of two masonry (brick or block) walls, with a cavity (gap) of at least 50mm between. Metal ties join the two walls together.
The cavity wall is injected with insulating material by drilling holes in the external wall, through the mortar joint. Holes are generally of 22-25mm diameter and are 'made good' after injection. Each hole is injected in turn, starting at the bottom.
Cavity wall insulation normally takes around two hours to install, but the time does depend on the size of the house and other factors, such as access.
Before the installation, Energycare will undertake an assessment of your property to confirm that it is suitable for insulation. This assessment may be undertaken by a surveyor or our Technician before installation.
The drilling process does create some vibration – so it would be wise to remove ornaments, particularly on external walls, for their safety and your peace of mind.
Our Technician will need access to all walls, so he will need to get inside attached garages, lean-to sheds, conservatories etc. The insulation can only be really effective if all walls are done. If you have a wall right on the boundary, you may like to mention to your neighbour, that the Technician will need to go onto their property.
The drilling process inevitably creates a little dust, which will be cleared at the completion of the job. It may be wise to remove vehicles from the drive and things close to the walls. This will also give the Technician better access for equipment and tools.
Our crews must undertake checks before and after installation, including any heating
appliances, so it is essential that they have access inside the property.
Assuming your neighbour’s house is not already insulated, the Technician will insert a cavity barrier at the party wall line. This is usually a length of bristle brush. Of course, if the neighbour’s house were to be insulated at the same time, the cavity barrier would not be needed.
Are all the systems of insulation the same?
There are several different types of insulation:
Note: both glass wool and rock wool are known as ‘mineral wool’.
Energycare’s systems of CWI have been tested, assessed and approved by the British Board of Agreement or the British Standards Institution. All are suitable for their purpose. Except for Urea Formaldehyde foam, the systems can be used in all parts of the UK. All systems have a similar insulation value.
All our technicians (team leaders) undergo training by the system supplier and the installing firm to ensure they are competent in CWI and carry a training card. Please feel free to ask to see the training card.
Each system has a defined pattern of holes, which has been tested to verify that it results in a complete fill. Most systems have an automatic cut out, which actuates when the adjacent wall area is full. There is tolerance in the injection pattern so that the material will flow past the next injection hole.
No, as the insulation is contained within a masonry wall, it doesn’t need to be ‘dense’. For insulation and other purposes, a light density is better. Before installation, the Technician will undertake a quality test to ensure the insulation will go into the wall at the right density. He will also note the amount of material used, to know that sufficient insulation has been installed.
Note: Drilling a hole in the outer wall and testing the cavity fill with a rod or pencil will not provide any meaningful information.
Ventilators supplying combustion air to fuel burning appliances must be safeguarded. Similarly ventilators at ground level that ventilate below timber floors must be safeguarded.
Our technician will investigate them to check they are already sleeved. If they are not, the Technician will remove them and seal around them to stop them being blocked by the insulation. Other vents, which may be redundant, such a cavity vents or vents that used to supply air to open fires in bedrooms may be closed off. The Technician should discuss these with you. Redundant airbricks may be filled.
Energycare’s technician will fill all the injection holes with mortar to match the existing as closely as possible. He will use a mix that closely matches the existing colour and texture. On pebbledash finishes, he will apply pebbles to the surface to match the existing finish. After weathering, the holes are difficult to see.
Normally, we will not paint the injection holes. Unfortunately, even if the original paint is used, it may not match due to weathering. So it may be necessary for you to consider painting the area, after the mortar has dried.
No, we submit the Guarantee application. The Guarantee is posted to you within days of the application being received at CIGA – please keep it safe! CIGA is non-profit distributing; its only function, is to stand as guarantor for the promises set out in the Guarantee.
It has the resources to meet the promises made in the Guarantee. All professional approved installing firms are members of CIGA and can apply for a CIGA Guarantee, for properties built with traditional cavity walls. You should insist on a CIGA Guarantee, since nothing else can give you the level of assurance to which you are entitled.
Yes - if your heating is not controlled by a thermostat. However, if you have a thermostat, it will cut out the heating at the same temperature, so you may not notice the difference in the room with the thermostat.
However, you should find that the temperature in other parts of your house improves, for example, the small bedroom on the corner. With CWI, you should find that the house holds its temperature for longer; therefore the time between heating cycles may be longer. The result should be a more even temperature throughout the house and a reduced fuel bill.
No, not to the cavity wall insulation, but normal building maintenance is needed.
For the life of the building - the British Board of Agreement say so.
Loft insulation is installed to bring the overall level of your loft insulation up to a depth of 250mm (10 inches). This is achieved by laying one layer of mineral wool quilt down between the joists and one layer at 90 degrees across the top of the joists.
If you already have some loft insulation, you may just receive one layer on top of your existing insulation to bring the overall level up to the recommended depth. If there are cold water tanks and/or pipes in the loft, if required, these will be insulated to bring the insulation up to current standards – this is to stop them from freezing in cold weather.
The loft hatch will also be insulated with mineral wool quilt to the same depth and the edges of the hatch will be draught proofed.
We require the loft space to be emptied of the majority of belongings prior to us commencing work. If there is a small amount of belongings left in the loft space, we can move this as we work. If you have loose boards in the loft, these would need to be lifted prior to the work being carried out.
We would recommend that you do not use the loft space for storage as the joists are not designed to support additional weight. However, if you do choose to store materials in the loft space, they can be placed on the insulation material without causing damage but we suggest that you place belongings so they rest over the joists. Energycare’s loft insulation material is non-toxic and not harmful to humans – or their pets.
Once you have signed the Quotation/Order, the surveyor will pass the paperwork back to the office. Please ensure you keep the top white copy for your own records. The office will then call you to arrange a convenient time and date to carry out the installation - you will normally be given around one weeks notice of when we can carry out the project.
During normal operations, the maximum time you should normally wait for the installation team would be 6 to 8 weeks. The winter period from October to March each year is obviously pour busiest period, so the wait may be slightly longer. However, appointments do sometimes get cancelled and we may be able to carry out your insulation project in a shorter timescale.
When the Energycare team arrives, they will show you their identification and explain the work they are about to do. If you have any queries about the work, do not hesitate to ask the crew.
On completion of a project, we request that you pay the Energycare crew on the day by cheque - they will give you a hand-written receipt and a full receipt will be sent to you by the office. If you wish to pay by credit card, we can accept Visa and MasterCard. The easiest way to pay by credit card is to phone our office and supply us with your card details. A receipt will then be sent to you.
If you are having cavity wall insulation, once the works have been completed and paid for, we send your details to the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency who will issue the 25 year guarantee. The Guarantee Agency can take up to one month to send off the guarantees during busy times.