Cavity Wall Insulation Problems ~ The Ugly Truth

[@bouzoukistudent8180]

brother you don't know how many times i have tried to explain all these to house owners when they call me to fix them problems , explain again and again to make them realise what problem they have and is the best solution for their problem . and they always anded up make half measures like just simply repair and paint the wall . only to get called again after 4-5 months and get yelled becase the problem shown again and i didn't do a proper job . And after they finaly have realise that they need to do properly they realise that they have spend more money with those half measures instat of doing the right job at first place . A new subscriber from Greece ! You have a great channel sir !

[@davidayton5807]

Have to say , as the owner of an approved and accredited insulation contracting company, and wait for it... an approved an accredited damp proofing company, who mostly rectifies the sub-standard installations carried to by other companies, Roger knows his stuff and is talking absolute sense.

[@thomaslbane]

No. He missed THE reason people remove this type of cavity wall insulation: freeze-thaw brick deterioration. You think a cold-feeling wall or drafts around a window are a “big deal”? Try finding out that the insulation you put in allowed your brick veneer to get wetter (because it didn’t have the benefit of the heat of the building to evaporate excess water), and freeze more often (the outer brick is insulated from the heat of the building), which means that the brick is spalling, the mortar is deteriorating, and the brick veneer now needs to be replaced. His explanation of condensation is also absolute bullshit. Moisture vapor diffusion is a terribly inefficient method of moisture migration. RAIN is why you wall is wet. Manage the rain and rain penetrating into the brick, and you’ll prevent wet walls.

[@alpachino468]

@David Ayton Would your company be able to quote me on cavity wall insulation?

[@SMSCOOBY71]

@@thomaslbane Spoken like someone who hasn't got a fecking clue. Brick deterioration, absolute bollocks, brick will last hundreds of years in all sorts of conditions, modern buff brick however is garbage, hence it's prolific use in new builds because it's dirt cheap. The cavity is there for one reason and one reason only, to prevent water penetration via capillary action, so yeah the moisture getting in through driving rain will soak away, and the heat radiating from your walls (very little to be fair) will help stop moisture building up. The same principles apply to loft spaces, your loft should be colder than your house, if your loft is warm then you have a problem, technically a loft is considered the outside of your house and you should make sure your loft is insulated to stop heat escaping your house or you'll end up with damp in your loft & ceilings, this is why a high percentage of loft "conversions" end up cauing severe damp issues.

[@alpachino468]

As a layman, I almost end up almost collapsing on the floor into the foetal position trying to plan the insulating of my home to a higher standard. The only thing I know about insulation is that its yellow and itches my skin - other than that, I haven't the foggiest who's correct and who isn't. Are these discussion points fact, or simply a difference of opinion? Who knows... 😭

[@impys]

@@alpachino468 i found that no one wants to quote or do cavity wall insulations, ive asked so many companies, i said i'm ready to pay but no one seems to bother even replying

[@paulharding9208]

My bungalow was a self build 40 years ago, we lived in a caravan on site, every night after the brickies had finished I went around with a torch and knocked off any mortar on the wall ties. The blown fibre was installed from the inside before the internal walls were plastered. Never had a damp problem in all this time. Roger is my "go to" for any info regarding buildings.

[@faster4tec]

The takeaway point here is when buying a home, defo go after one self built by someone who's fussy OR a builders own built house, always the best ones! Mate had a 1880's town house, end of terrace, and they never really noticed when they bought it, but its about a 1/3rd bigger than the rest of the terrace. Turns out it was the main guy's own house, sat on the best face (SSW facing corner) and had a few neat features, a few extra windows, a proper built out basement (rest had just one rooms worth with a stone flag floor), less decorative ceiling plasterwork (guess he wasn't fussed by it) but much more elaborate woodwork and tiles everywhere, staircase was amazing in that place. Even at 140 years old, they have zero issues with fabric of the building type issues.

[@jamesgane8197]

I wish I had KZbin twenty years ago!! I have a 1930s house and had an extension built, then had lots of damp problems, I dug sixteen bags of rubbish out of the cavity that bridged the Dpc which had made the walls in the new rooms damp. I was told by an old builder friend that back in the old days the brilkies didn't have skips to dump the left over cement in, so they tipped their muck boards down the cavity. out of sight out of mind, until you build an extension that is! Great video.

[@paulwibb.8944]

Roger,, I would like to say, you ought to be very proud of your presence on KZbin, especially for your consideration of the masses and to educate in the way you do. God be with you my friend,,👍

[@CEO786]

Your welcome

[@buildorder06]

I agree with cavity wall insulation EXCEPT in those exposed walls facing south or southwest. In 1978 we purchased a detached house built of an attractive sandstock brick which happened to have a huge gable wall facing south. I gave it no thought when a blown Rockwool cavity wall insulation was offered and accepted in 1984. That winter damp patches appeared through the decoration on both floors of that particular wall which was not sheltered by the neighbouring property. Examination showed that all patches corresponded to the position of the galvanised twist drop wall ties. Foolishly, I soaked the brickwork with a white spirit based silicone product sold for the purpose although subsequent examination of extracted brickwork showed it to be useless at preventing the powerful transfer of wind-driven rain through the porous structure,and additionally effective at preventing the subsequent drying out of the bricks. I ended up removing a large triangular section of external brickwork as well as blockwork in the loft, and with my drain rods removing all of the fibre insulation from that particular wall.(I obviously don’t recommend anyone else does this unless he/she understands the load distribution in brickwork!!). This solved the problem entirely and I was able to subsequently sell the property with a clear conscience. Some years later, my next door neighbour,who had suffered from the same problem on the same wall asked me to remove his insulation in the same fashion with the same positive outcome. Hence my advice to all; don’t retrospectively fill the cavity of all south/southwesterly facing wall. Malcolm Collins, Collins Builders.

[@fieldsofomagh]

No fancy speeches, just plain rant. Roger is king when it comes to the soapbox. Knows his subject, back to front and is not susceptible to hype from any reputable organisation. He is no "fly by night" and is there for the long haul.

[@cristech4489]

We need a video about interior wall insulation.

[@anonymous.youtuber]

I ❤️ your videos. Not only because you turned ranting into an art, but also because most of the time you’re spot on. Never stop ranting ! 🙋‍♀️

[@boris7204]

Absolutely great and spotless man. Speaking human language, clearly and honestly. Makes the subject so interesting. Can't wait to see more of your videos. Thank you so much. Boris.

[@Gary-kd4ry]

I learned more in 13 minutes than in weeks trying to research it on my own. I feel a lot more comfortable with the idea (and risks) of CWI

[@GHOOGLEMALE]

Always talks sense this bloke - From his understanding and linking of seemingly unrelated issues in buildings to explain problems, right through to his analysis of salesman mentality - Love it

[@240soundwave]

Half rant half the best lecture available anywhere.

[@MysticShiv3r]

You are an absolute credit to the building industry Roger. Coming from a fully qualified sparky btw.

[@Mmmmetro]

I totally agree Procell-84. I’ve been watching/a fan, of Roger, even involving my Landlord to share. Much credence to you Roger, and may it long continue.

[@klubstompers]

As a mason who builds with brick, he is dead wrong about sealing the cavity. It needs to have ventilation. Iv'e spent half my career renovating homes, schools, industrial buildings, etc., that had sealed cavities and mold/moisture/effervescence damage problems from no cavity ventilation and drains. Brick, cmu, stone, concrete etc., is a sponge and will draw moisture into the cavity via the exterior face, sill plate, or right through the foundation/footing, with no way to dry out.

[@Mike-tv9rk]

Bollocks . Learn your science .

[@mr.145]

As a former foreman with a national roofing and cladding company,many times we took coping/tabling stones off flat roofs ie high sports halls/ gyms.only to shine a torch down the cavity to find a couple of feet of cavity insulation at the bottom of a 15m high wall.

[@stephennellist3045]

absolutely on the money! I moved into a house that appears to have had government grants for both cavity wall and heat pump installation. The heat pump install is atrocious and the point made about fly by night installers now makes perfect sense! The advice on the cavity wall is perfect and just ordered a camera to take a look for myself as I think the best way with these situations is simply to see for yourself! Thanks for the vid keep em coming!

[@andysims4906]

It took thousands of years to invent a cavity wall . And it only took a short time to decide to fill them. Im an electrician and I see loads of houses that have damp problems after having cavities filled. Also in the old days it was common practice to drop cables down the cavities. Guess what the polystyrene installation balls attack the cables . No one ever thinks of that. I also think houses with to much insulation are not healthy to live in. Hence my 1960s house will never have cavity wall insulation as long as I live in it .

[@crisdunbar4753]

I nothing else, I love your super-practical take on government subsidies for these kinds of things, and how they're so often counter-productive.

[@gleff3345]

This was right on the ball, very informative. I have a semi detached house and had damp stains lowdown on the inside walls. After some research decided to vacuum all the dirt and cement out. The wall was already insulated, so in order for the insulation not to slide down, I cut strips of plastic fencing to pull through the cavity right under the insulation. Will have the outside wall sprayed so to keep rainwater out.

[@vernoncox9598]

We had cwi a good few years ago. No problem with damp, infact I have a humidity meter and that shows a dry atmosphere! Seems ok to me though. Certainly keeps the place warmer in the winter. HOWEVER, what they dont tell you is "it keeps the heat out in the summer". So most evenings its a bit chilly, Very tempting to put the heating on so wiping out any savings through the winter! There I've had my rant! Keep up the good work Roger.

[@darrencolvin]

The people that did our house prior to us owning it, sealed all the air bricks - the result is high humidity in the house with poor ventilation. I’ve since started putting in new vents through the walls which helps enormously. You need fresh air in homes. Particularly as we are coastal.

[@jesserawson898]

A bit baffled to be honest, are the air bricks above floor with air inlets into the room, or below the floor into the cavity below the floor? 😶

[@barneyandhannah]

@@jesserawson898 The air bricks could be either below floor level or above. We had cavity wall insulation blown into the cavity of our 1939 semi detached house ten years ago. The installers fitted brush seals inside the cavity around the below-floor air bricks (they had to replace the airbricks in the process). Unfortunately they didn't do the same with the airbricks at the top of the house (airbricks that ventilated the rooms on the first floor). These they just blocked up with silicone sealant. And yes, we had some problems with condensation and mould.

[@alisonwilson9749]

Our underfloor vents (we have a suspended floor) were blocked with crap that had fallen through the cavities, and the house was damp. When we moved here, we found this, and we cleared them all out- there had been some white mould on a few beams, but after we cleared the vents, it just disappeared completely, we never touched it, but it just went away. The house also dried out -though we did other things too to sort out ventilation and got rid of some stupid tanking that was just in one room which had made it very damp- a room which is now as dry as a bone. Tanking was completely wrong for this house. As was having plastic sheeting under the floor and cracked drains. Out the plastic came, all the drains laid new with plastic, underfloor floor is now dry instead of damp with puddles on it in places. Had we done what a pre-purchase 'damp-proofing' company suggested and tanked the whole house, it would have been as damp as Morecambe Bay by now. (We're in the damp West Pennines.)

[@bryanbufton]

in the late 1960s i got interested in insulation, foil had been used in the USA and Canada, before the war. interstitial condensation, had been a problem, and at over hanging roofs they needed ice dams, your video has spurred me to refresh my memory on the subject, your video is very good

[@eliotness107]

In Sweden we almost always use rockwool insulation, i think its the best and easiest to work with. Love this video, always good to hear this stuff to keep my head fresh so i can do my job right

[@davidebratton]

How refreshing, someone who knows his stuff and takes the time to make an honest vid.

[@andyyouell5037]

Thank you - great, informative video. My biggest take-away here is the importance of keeping the house well ventilated.

[@wobby1516]

You’re absolutely right about the product Stormdry, it’s expensive but it’s the best on the market. I’ve used it a number of times including on my own house 10 years ago and it’s still working.

[@g7mks383]

Good explanation thanks. My perents had a 1957 built semi. Dry as a bone till they had foam injected. Within a year rising damp on every wall, adjoining and exretnal. The company (Big yellow sea shell ) didn't want to know.

[@007nadineL]

So would adding ventilation help?

[@g7mks383]

No it did not help at all.

[@peterjhillier7659]

Great Video, when our House was built in the 80s the Builder insulated the 100mm Cavity with Rockwell slabs. We do have damp Problems which have become worse over the Years and I know the Cavity isn’t capped. The Cavity is very damp so we are going to get a Chartered Surveyor specializing in Damp Issues to help us solve the Problem. Until I watched you Video I didn’t realise that Cavities should be capped. Thanks.

[@RaymondGroot]

Great explanation as usual. I live in the Netherlands and have had an inspection 6 months ago for cavity wall insulation at the farmhouse we've been turning into our next home. We made sure to have a company with a history and good reputation and it paid off in the sense that they advised us not to apply the insulation. Because the cavity space was very poluted with exces morter and other things they were expecting moist problems would be sure to follow.

[@chapsnaps1]

I arranged a visit from a surveyor when cavity wall insulation was offered as part of a government scheme. The surveyor told me to avoid foam insulation like the plague. He predicted major damp issues if I went ahead with it.

[@007nadineL]

So you don't insulate the cavity at all or you did something else to insulate?

[@RaymondGroot]

@@007nadineL weve insulated the ceilings, roof and are getting all windows replaced coming year with the highest insulation standard available. As far as the wall insulation goes, the suggested alternative was to place insulation on the inside of your walls, effectively reducing your living space by a small margin. We havent done that yet, we are working towards going full electric with a heat pump, hopefully also the coming year. We are mainly adressing insulation to optimize for a heat pump and since you can always apply interior insulation at a later stage we are waiting to see if we actually 'need' to.

[@kaasmeester5903]

Also in the Netherlands :) I had a similar issue with debris between the walls, but I found a company who specialize in cleaning up wall cavities (as well as insulation). They did an inspection and told me cleaning it was not necessary; it is fine to insulate as long as you use the right stuff. I gave them the job, and I've never had any issues with moisture. It helps finding experts who have different tools in the arsenal for tackling these problems, and the knowledge to pick the right one.

[@Walterbgaming]

My parents had it done probably on poor info and its been drama ever since here. Doesn't help we live fairly coastal.

[@multi-therm]

Spot on regarding the grants system boom and bust. As a cavity wall insulation contractor, we have seen this time and again over the years.

[@jonathanhicks140]

As a chartered surveyor who used to work for a national lender I have to say the advice on blocked cavities at the base of the wall is spot on, it’s much more common than people assume. The other common problem is where previous owners have put patios etc. in & raised the ground levels thereby bridging the damp proof course. And then you get the odd numpty, like the one I encountered who had a 4 ft pile of sand heaped against the side wall of his 115 year old solid brick house (because he may want to build a shed base at some time). Needless to say the wall was very damp - & the profile of the limits of the dampness precisely matched the profile of the sand pile, but about 1 meter higher…..odd that…😳😱

[@SkillBuilder]

That is great information and, for all those people who say that rising damp doesn't exist, the fact that it climbed the wall for a further metre is a perfect illustration that damp defies gravity.

[@jonathanhicks140]

@@SkillBuilder Oh there are many such examples, I found that many problems were down to direct action of the owners rather than age or decay. I had one beauty where the owner of a large modern detached house was a model railway fan & wanted to put the track in his loft; the only snag being it was a modern house (then anyway, late 1990’s build) with a trussed rafter roof construction. Not to be defeated he got his rip saw out & removed the bracing struts to create a clear void for his extensive model railway set-up. The roof looked like a horse saddle shortly afterwards, it cost a lot (LOT!!) to put right (in fairness I think the Structural Engineers working for the previous lender may have over-spec’ed it by a fair margin) & if we’d had a cold winter with a big snow fall there was a fair chance that the whole concrete tile roof & snow loading may have joined him in bed one night before it was detected & rectified. Don’t get me started on amateur electricians & plumbers, you know - “I’m not paying that,” - far cheaper to do it myself, saving £750, & kill my kids with carbon monoxide poisoning, or burn the house down…….But hey, the money saved paid for a new games console & screen……

[@replevideo6096]

It's not odd at all. It's called capillary action. Liquid will defy gravity and flow upwards and outwards in very tiny spaces due to forces acting at a molecular level. It's capillary action which enables a wick in a candle or an oil lamp to draw the fuel upwards into the flame. Building materials like bricks or plaster consist of small grains stuck together with many small gaps between them.

[@jonathanhicks140]

@@replevideo6096 I did realise that, my “odd that” comment was an ironic one to make a joke (which I obviously failed in), hence the 1 meter higher comment as that is the height to which water will rise by capillary action at sea level under standard atmospheric pressure. In the UK 1 meter is near enough irrespective of where you are, but if you live near a mountain top in Colorado, or the Himalayas / Andes, then it won’t rise quite so high - but your’ probably more worried about building the roof strongly enough for the snow loadings in that case. Funny old thing the English language, & actual English - English is probably the oddest of the lot, I forgot that most speakers of English live a long way from the UK, & don’t use all the ironic / sarcastic/ self-deprecating phrases that we locals do on our damp little Islands….

[@replevideo6096]

@@jonathanhicks140 I am as English as you. It's easy to get that type of joke in conversation but so when in writing. Facial expression comes into it. Also I am used to dealing with people on YT who have very odd beliefs and ideas. Try corresponding with a flat earther or creationist. Now that is odd. Anyway, it looks like you know far more about capillary action than I do, so thanks for the lesson.

[@sambrooks7862]

One of my friends bought a large bungalow about ten years ago, he bought in in the summer and when winter arrived so did the damp. This was the theme for the next few years and right from the start i told him that the cause was the cavity insulation. He wasn't having it and started using dehumidifiers which are very costly to run. The main thing I noticed when he first showed me the damp spots starting to appear was that in this huge 4 bedroom bungalow there's not a single air brick. I told him straight away that with no ventilation you get condensation which of course causes damp. About 3 years ago he finally relented and let me install some air bricks, we treated the damp that was already there and after 2 winters it hasn't returned. As everyone commenting on here knows, if cavity insulation is retro fitted good ventilation is a must, it was the same with my parents bungalow, built in 1973 with no insulation, retro fitted in 1979, damp by 1980, air bricks fitted in 1981 and no damp since. My father was a master builder and although he's dead now he always maintained that the sole purpose of cavities was to allow an air flow thus helping to prevent the spread of damp caused by modern living, central heating, washing machines etc. When he first started in the building trade a lot of houses were still built with solid 9 inch walls and these old places didn’t suffer with damp until people started fitted plastic double glazed windows and insulating roofs and lofts. I'm sure that my dad wasn't the only builder to know this but trying to convince people that ventilation is important is often almost impossible. In the course of my job i have to visit a lot of rental properties and I'm always finding damp in kitchens and bathrooms the common denominator being that they never open the windows.

[@seanyrobbo1]

Thanks for the info. I wish my dad knew as much about this stuff as yours did! We have a really poorly insulated house, no roof or cavity insulation. I'm in the process of filling in cracks and gaps for now until i can afford better protection, and ventilation is definitely in the back of my mind. It's just such a difficult concept in the uk when you're struggling for warmth..... to open the windows when it's 2°c outside

[@July-A7]

@@seanyrobbo1 do external insulation. It makes a huge difference. It cut my heating bills in half while nicely warm and dry. I did it myself so I saved thousands ££££. Whereabouts in England are you?

[@seanyrobbo1]

@July-L I've been looking into EWI a lot more recently so thanks for the recommendation. I'm just weary about the DIY of it, cutting around windows and pipes etc. The costs for a company seem extortionate though. We're in liverpool though, so probably cheaper than most places!

[@July-A7]

@@seanyrobbo1 if you were closer, I could've helped you. As a competent DIYer, I did my house myself. I used the best materials and the result is excellent. No labour costs and no profit and vat to contractors who one can't even rely they'd do a good job.

[@nohandle474]

I just bought a downstairs flat and every room is fine except the kitchen and front bedroom. Both rooms the amount of condensation is as if I threw a bucket of water at the windows. Both rooms are ffff freezing. I have no idea what the issue is and am abt to honestly cry. I am ill from how cold it is. Bought it in the summer no idea of the issues. Rain came and I have one wet wall where water is from the coving down. Fixed the gutter upstairs by contacting the landlord and i dnt think it's persisting as running dehumidifier the patchv isn't getting worse and the wall doesn't feel as wet. Now other side of room the wall was actually wet at the right angle/corner all the way up. And sort of got wider at the skirtingboard and went along the skirting board. This happened after i got rid of all the weeds outside the wall huge gaps. I am in the middle of getting the wall repointed and hope it helps. Had a window repair man come said my windows were fine but need sealant around edges outside. But I can't imagine only the sealant will solve the issue? I don't know what to do :( also they're charging me 700 for repointing the full front of the downstairs flat don't know if I am getting ripped off. I got a few quotes and it's similar prices.

[@Lee.Willcox]

You Sir are a Star ! We recently had new windows installed and I was watching without interfering the lads work. I noticed all this white fluff in the cavity and HORROR took over me ! I touched some of it and and it was dry as a bone. All the work was completed yet this fluff I saw was still niggling a me, until now. Cheers buddy, one less thing to worry about ! 😎😁

[@colinmiles1052]

Great rant Roger, as usual. We had poly bonded beads. Surveyor found our cavities were 90 mm which was unusual for a house built in 1910. Trouble is that they forgot to tell the install team who ran out of beads for the next job! No problems with damp here thank goodness!

[@SkillBuilder]

That is a big cavity for those times.

[@AllMouthAndTrousers]

What? 90mm! I think the recommended amount was something like 2" back then, wonder why it was so large?

[@Charlie-tl4dv]

Would poly bonded beads be better than expanded foam, or it just depends on the building?

[@montypythonish]

Nice educational video like usual. It makes a nice change to have a professional give the facts about the pros and cons without holding their hand out. Too many KZbinrs take a running guess at educational videos and base their opinions on hearsay and urban legends rather than work & experience. Keep up the good work. (Qualified plumber since 1988)

[@contessa.adella]

We have Cavity wall insulation….and a damp problem on the inside of our exterior walls at the top one foot or so, ruining the decor. I think it must be due to uncapped cavities…so thanks for the info Roger👍. On the plus side…our house is always warm…even without heating on!

[@jofo3197]

So how did you solve it?

[@tectorama]

I remember a time when the building inspector would check the cavities of new houses being built, to check there was no mortar on the brick ties. They wanted the cavity perfectly clear. Now we have to fill it up. Over the years, regulations are constantly changing, and not always for the better.

[@jamescpalmer]

The brick ties are the metal spokes in between the two walls holding them together right?

[@tectorama]

They used to be made of heavy guage wire, in a butterfly shape. They are a simpler design now I believe.

[@alisonwilson9749]

@@tectorama Our old ones are massive thick iron ones, with big flat fishtails each end and a twist in the centre. Where I had to do some remedial brickwork on the inner leaf, I had to use modern stainless steel ones as I couldn't bed the old ones back into the outer skin, due to mortar levels and different brick sizes, etc. and boy do the modern ones look weedy by comparison. I salvaged the few old ones that we had to take out, and they're great, you can level paint tin lids off with them, use them to adjust bricks when you're bricking up awkward holes, all sorts.

[@noire1001]

We got the injected foam insulation done a good few years back and the installers were terrible. When they got near the top of the house, I could hear them not drilling all the way through. Long story short, they had just made marks that they then pointed up, so they didnt have to fill the last meter or so of wall. I removed one of the air vents as I noticed it hadn't been siliconed up and used a mirror and flashlight to look into the cavity and it was bare for a meter or so all the way along. After getting them to come back and fix the issue, it did make a difference that was most apparent the night after having it done. Not sure if it made a difference to energy usage as we got a combi boiler fitted not long after, so can't compare bills. The surveyor seemed good and told me an area that had some rubble inside the cavity, so I busted out a brick and removed it before they came. Just always be there when they do the work and pay attention to them trying to get an early finish...

[@annieridesagain3262]

We were given a grant to have cavity wall insulation for our 3 bed semi about 15 years ago , and had it done right during the coldest period of the year. We thought it was great, until spring and summer arrived and the house stayed so cold that I began to suffer from depression during what normally is my favourite time of the year! And it was the main reason why we sold up and moved in the end. Really the gas that we saved during winter was undermined by the extended period of not being able to switch it off like we were always used to doing . But to have to keep going outdoors just to warm up during our few precious warmer months here in the Uk has strongly put me off cavity wall insulation, especially as in the SW our winters are very mild anyway.

[@barryhodgetts5918]

Hi Rodger, I started a small cavity wall company 40 maybe 45 years ago. I gave my younger brother a job a long time ago and he is still installing it and must have over 35 years’ experience. I would agree with your comments and say it was not bias and everything you said I agreed with. I did smile when you mentioned sealed cavities and rubble in the cavity. My brother has to get jobs approved with pictures of the cavity and a lot of jobs get refused. We did not use a camera 40 years ago and could count the problems on one hand we had in 12 months. But all problems were put right easily. Usually open the cavity remove the rubble and reinsulate. We started with BIP foam no longer available (and the best) Did beads for a while but now just fibre which is better than nothing as foam no longer with us. I was next to my brother yesterday when he took a call from a lady who had damp problem in a five-year-old house. Luckily, she had a builder come round to advise her on the problem. It was caused by her Lap top. You can’t make it up but my brother like you gave her some advice on trying to sort out her problem. Great video, looking forward to future videos.

[@CogitoBcn]

Can you please tell me why did you stop using polystyrene beads? Dud they gave more problems than fibers?

[@barryhodgetts5918]

@@CogitoBcn Hi it was really down to price. We used the RMC system and the materials were very expensive which made it harder to sell against the foam. We offered them for a few years and cant remember having any problems with the beads. I supose its important to make sure the binder is used to stick them together so when the wall is opened in years to come you dont empty the wall putting in say a tumble drier vent. I would need to ask my brother but I am not aware that he has any remedial problems with fibre but today the cavity is inspected with a camera as part of the survey process and he has a number of jobs refused if the cavity is not clean. Looking at Rogers video I would have thought waterproofing the wall would be the first step before having the insulation removed which will not do a lot in cutting energy bills. I did an extension 4 years ago and my company installed the foam over 40 years ago before I brought the house. Pleased to say it was still there doing the job when we broke into the wall. My brother installed the fibre on the extension (he works on a lot of building sites and sees what builders get up to) but if he installed beads I would have been happy with that system. But like a lot of things the job is as good as the man that turns up to do it. Do a little home work try and talk to someone that has used that contractor. Look at the job. One of our biggest complaints was that we had not insulated part of a wall as we matched the existing morter so the holes could not be seen. I have lost count of the say 50 mile return journies to point out the injection hole and of course no money was offered for my time or fuel. Good old days. Hope that helps.

[@CogitoBcn]

@@barryhodgetts5918 Thanks very much for the explanation, I was worried that the EPS beads had some long term problem or so, good to know they haven't, cheers.

[@moominjuice2]

I've always been suspicious of cavity wall installation but when the grants were available I decided to get a quote. To my astonishment the sales guy actually told me that, as I had over 40% window space on the wall, the insulation wouldn't actually be of any benefit. Goes to show that they are not all out for a quick buck.

[@ih1955]

The exception that confirms the rule!

[@paulmarjoram2258]

I love your rants Rodger. Sound a lot like mine. The wife doesn’t appreciate them but what does she know. She knows how to turn the thermostat up just before going out to garden and leaving the bleeding door open. I was out only there for five minutes cause it’s bleeding freezing she says. Stupid mare. Give us strength Rodger and keep up the good work. Top bloke.

[@007nadineL]

Sounds like she's doing it on purpose to bug you.

[@owenoneill5955]

A common theme that comes up in every video about insulation and damp and condensation is ventilation. Materials and construction techniques have improved so much, if employed properly, that 'air tight' houses are becoming the norm. Proper, well thought out designed and implemented ventilation, has become critical to the fabric of the building and the health of the people that live in them. It will take time for this to become the 'talking point' rather than just the problems caused by not having it.

[@faster4tec]

A lot of that is the UK humidity levels, if it was 20c warmer we'd be living in a jungle. Around where I'm at, it sits at 65-85% RH for most of the year. So if your house isn't perfectly even on the insulation front, you've got a few cold spots, and you don't make use of an opening window, you start getting still air and damp, followed by mildew building up in some areas. If you lived in the south of France, you could probably go a few years without opening a window to no negative affect.

[@owenoneill5955]

@@quercus3290 lol

[@owenoneill5955]

@@quercus3290 I suggest you watch '' the truth about black mould'' on this channel

[@owenoneill5955]

@@quercus3290 I am an older guy and a building expert. M.C.I.O.B.Your theory only works if you have managed to convince your heating energy supplier to charge you Georgian prices.

[@alisonwilson9749]

@@quercus3290 Some ****** repointed our 1920s house (Accy brick originaly laid with black ash mortar and pointed with lime) with cement mortar. 🙄 I'm going to have the get all the pointing off and repoint with lime. 😠Worse, they seem to have used a massive circular saw disc to clean out the lime pointing (the pointing is only 6mm or less), so they have chipped the edges of a lot of the bricks, and overshot at both ends of many of the perps. Maddening, because even when I have cleaned it out properly and repointed, however well I do it, it'll look like I made a mess of it. I hate shoddy work.

[@BoudewijnGroot]

Incredibly well said! Surveyors are often lazy nowadays. Grants are given for things that don't need it at all. What we do need, is knowledge like this being shared as much as possible. Please teach more people!

[@nedloh17]

Had it blown In twenty years ago on a grant scheme and it made a dramatic difference. We've never had any adverse issues 🙄

[@Charlie-tl4dv]

@@user-if1de8pt2j @Dave_Holden What kind of insulation did you have? I thought the best option would have been the foam, until seeing this video.

[@gaelicd8328]

Thank god someone is making sense in a sea of conspiracies. Mine is done some 12 years or more. The best investment ever made. Unfortunately our presenter posted so much doom and gloom it's hard to see daylight.. No evidence, no fact just waffle

[@gaelicd8328]

​@@Charlie-tl4dvjust to answer that question. Our product was called warm fill. The product and application is approved and certified by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). As a provider you must be accredited to the NSAI. Your management systems are audited annually and a full recertification is required every 3 years. The application is also covered under the Irish Building Regulations 1997 to 2019

[@onlymise2758]

spot on pal .... 55 now on site since i was 17 ,,,,,,,,, This chap is telling the truth

[@sevenowls7776]

Many years ago someone I worked with had visits from tenacious cavity-wall-insulation salesmen. Eventually he let one in and let him do his speil, and when the order forms had been filled in and the salesman was proffering his pen for signature, my former colleague said: "just one last question: how do you get the old stuff out?"

[@designerprojects8137]

My mother, after a half hour sales pitch call for a new conservatory asked "how will it be built, will it be on stilts?", salesman asked "what do you mean mam" to which she replied "I'm on the 3rd floor" haha

[@laetitialogan2002]

@@designerprojects8137 funniest thing I've read all day..😂😂😂

[@grahamcook9289]

Spiel, it's German Jewish or Yiddish.

[@michael5089]

@@grahamcook9289 yes! I've learnt something 👍👍👍👍

[@grahamcook9289]

@@michael5089 Great. Spiel actually means game. Zum Beispiel, fussball spiel - for example, football game.

[@JT-si6bl]

Regarding gaps, to explain to clients if the gap could be seen like a material rolled up, the gap becomes clearly a bigger hole. With that in mind, a vally in a roof may look like a 'good job' but during a downpour, the vally is overwhelmed and water spills over onto the sarking... the membraine (if present) then encourages the tracking towards the wall headers. Industry tends to not 'read' the building (one size fits all), which Im glad to witness You do. Ace work fella!

[@hitsov]

I have cavity wall insulation for 3 years now and no damp problems whatsoever. The house feels much more comfortable though. I agree with your arguments in the vid, but there are people who have CWI without problems

[@nineislandshuffle6599]

I've watched a few of your videos, and one thing I find striking is your resemblance to Nicko McBrain, drummer from Iron Maiden. That aside, I find you extremely knowledgeable and provide sound advice. Thank you for producing the content you do.

[@alanyoung7532]

Really useful video which provides a good insight into cavity wall insulation and the potential perils of installation. I particularly liked the reasoning behind why cavities should be filled and the warning about gold diggers who are too often minimally trained and are in the business simply to hoover up any available grant funding. As pointed out, not all cavities are suitable for insulation and a proper survey, inclusive of a cavity check is essential. This is not a rant but a balanced insight as it covers the good, the bad and the ugly.

[@upsidedownnoise]

I just subscribed because, after leading me to believe that you would be an overripe plum, you turned out to be an on point technician.

[@ChelseaPensioner-DJW]

We had a 1971/72 'New Build' no insulation then, my Dad went with foam cavity wall insulation, it was brilliant. No problems whatsoever in the property in the 28 years of living there.

[@CannabisRex]

What area/climate do you live in?

[@slipofthetongue6443]

Thanks for an informative presentation. We are currently looking into cavity wall insulation but unfortunately, there are so many contractors to choose from and they all seem very generic in their sales pitch. As you highlighted, there are a lot of unscrupulous people just out to make a buck.

[@latin105fm]

Looking for an expert company but which one does one choose!!!!

[@dannykimble7671]

Love your explanation of things, two questions, if you use a camera & find a load of detritus in your cavity bridging it what can you do about it, second if you’ve got to ventilate your lovely sealed up box you might as well keep the draughty old house with plenty of ventilation, I know I’m being a bit sarky here but I do wonder some times. Brilliant vids keep it up.

[@agentcarbunkle]

take out a brick or two from the inside and hoover / pull it out, your house wont fall down with a couple of strategically removed bricks lol

[@basilkearsley2657]

Very useful video. I have the small beads blown into my cavity walls and when I had a car crash into my wall, the repair resulted in all the beads falling out. What a mess

[@ramshank99]

😅

[@theravedaddy]

I had some 'we know our rights' tenants who were complaining of mold. Id never had an issue with it in 20 years but they had been on the internet and told me i had to fit trickle vents and this n that. I fitted the vents n did this n that and they still complained of mold so i did a full inspection 1 day when they went out banging on peoples doors and lo and behold, hand washed sopping wet laundry on every radiator and every vent they demanded was shut.... AND SELOTAPED OVER! I got rid.

[@lprice5583]

Some people just don't know how to live. The brains of these individuals can not understand cause and effect. The renting population has a higher ratio of individuals who struggle with cause and effect.

[@BlazingSaddles129]

Yeh tenants are just lazy complaining good for nothing people. They will never help themselves.

[@davidleighton7557]

Very helpful indeed. My in-laws suffered the problems he describes, and ended up paying a lot of money to have it removed. That put me off for some time. Maybe now I can find a decent insulation company to do the work. Thanks for the video.

[@harenterberge2632]

In the case that the combination of humid air inside the house, insulation and heat bridges causes condensation, active ventilation with heat recovery can be a good solution. This is cheaper than removing the insulation and it improves the air quality in the house considerably.

[@markdonnelly9026]

Mechanical ventiltion is a waste of money .Get new windows triple glazed with vents in them. Put a fan extractor in bathroom that switches on when the shower is on. Easy affordable solution. Insulate with exterior boards or interior one room at a time if money is tight. I would do the bedrooms last unless its a real ice box.

[@harenterberge2632]

@@markdonnelly9026 Not all houses are the same, so what works for your house might not work in another. For example, in many cases Insulation from the inside can cause serious moisture and mold problems

[@markdonnelly9026]

@@harenterberge2632 Can you explain how mechanical ventilation actually is any different from vented windows and interior insulation.

[@harenterberge2632]

@@markdonnelly9026 1) I was talking about mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. This saves energy compared to just venting. 2) you can have a smart controlling unit that compares the absolute humidity inside and outside the house, that only activates the ventilation when it will reduce the humidity level. 3) around windows you have already heat bridges, add a continuous inflow of cold air and condensation and mold will quickly follow. 4) inside insulation is a separate issue.But it is quite easy to make mistakes there that will lead to mold inside the insulation, especially if you use glass/mineral wool. A good alternative are silicate plates that are naturally resistant to mold. 5) chalk based wall paints are also a good way to prevent mold, because their high pH make them inhospitable to mold My experience is based on brick houses with a cavity wall in a moderate climate. And will probably not apply to a cardboard mcmansion in Mississippi. Like I said each house is different.

[@agentcarbunkle]

isnt heat recovery expensive to run?

[@frankryan2505]

Used to see a lot of the injected stuff when I worked in the UK. Since I moved to Aus I've only come across it a couple of times, worked in with the guys when I've done the odd residential re-roof. I strip and let them get at the cavity from the top, the cavity feeds into the eave and the ceiling is insulated to this junction. Works well by all accounts..

[@paulfinnonjoinery]

been doing the camera thing for years. we found loads of times in my town south shields that cavities were blocked with crap from when the house or whatever was built. sure the camera is an aldi special we got about 15 years back. 9 times out of 10 clearing that out cures damp problems.

[@Jaaammmbbbooo]

Yeah I had a damp patch in a corner of the room. The corner was one wall under a window and the other an internal wall. In the end, I took down the internal skin under the window and it was probably 12" high of just crappy stuff, mainly in that corner. Cleaned it out and touch wood, not had damp again since 👍🏾

[@christianlebracq1956]

Very useful information, thanks. When my property was "surveyed" the guy didn't even get out of his car, just filled in the documents on my car park !

[@bunning63]

Years ago in New Zealand we had a tutor at trade school who was Welsh. He would go on about brickies that wouldn't clean out the bottom of the cavity and the moisture issues it could cause.

[@prozeza]

How do you clean the bottom out when the wall is at full height?

[@bunning63]

@@prozeza Yes, I did ask him that question. He became agitated and went on about taking care about not throwing stuff down the back. But I pushed him on the point you couldn't actually 'clean' it out once the wall got up in height. Problem of having older students in class, they call you out and wind you up. We'll, he was on a pretty good rate of pay, needed 2 earn it.

[@alisonwilson9749]

@@bunning63 We've had to get brickie's messes out of our cavities using the underfloor vents for access, and raking it out when doing other work where we were taking, or could take, bricks out. I'm an amateur brickie and only work on my own house/buildings, but when I have been working on cavity walls, I have just wedged a board across to stop mortar falling down. It's really not rocket science.

[@jonh9561]

Interesting video. Some people I knew bought a 500 year old plus cottage in the west country that had thick "cob" walls. It was cool in the summer and warm in the winter ....... gotta love "progress".

[@thelight3112]

Cob is great. Insulates really well, and is environmentally friendly since the materials are very local. It just requires a little bit of maintenance, and doesn't look very "modern".

[@theondebray]

I've had three houses into which I've had CWI pumped in, never had a problem. In each case it halved my energy bills. If there's damp, look to stopping the SOURCE of the damp, open a window and / or add trickle ventilation.

[@MiniLuv-1984]

Excellent rant! Thanks. Your proposition that government subsidies just fills the industry with fly-by-night businesses that don't give a toss makes a lot of sense.

[@SkillBuilder]

They also put the price up by the amount of the subsidy.

[@MiniLuv-1984]

@@SkillBuilder Another excellent point. Man you are dangerous!

[@Doityourselfmate]

If anyone has a damp wall, it’s probably caused by something else, however when moisture seeps in and gets the insulation wet it stays wet for a long time, then the wall gets sopping, I’ve just hand removed all mine it took me weeks, but the wall is now dry 👍

[@annakudelka6894]

We do! Caused by something else like what? Our house is detached build in 1800’s it used to be a part of a coal mine. No damp proofing outside.

[@HighlandCowWoodworking]

Oh Roger Roger Roger…I need you to come to Glasgow and fix our little 200 yr old cottage. Thanks for the brilliant info as always. I’m slowly working through your videos.

[@peterwalker7510]

I’m a builder in New Zealand and we often build using a cavity, in my experience it’s extremely important that the cavity is NOT blocked or filled. air flow is vital to allow any damp that enters the cavity to dry out again. New Zealand learnt the hard way in the 90s what happens when you try to make the walls air tight along with other factors. As a result thousands of homes needed massive repair to rotten walls and framing

[@elorateq3672]

Here in the UK, wooden frame-built houses are one of the exceptions to the requirement to have Cavity Wall insulation before getting a grant to install a heat pump.

[@alisonwilson9749]

UK houses are usually brick, older ones often have internal walls of brick from the foundations right up to the roof timbers too- all of ours are- but modern ones have timber frames ( and I wouldn't touch any of those with a barge pole).

[@multi-therm]

Thanks!

[@SkillBuilder]

Thank you sir

[@rhiantaylor3446]

Our house was built in the early 1960's. We moved in 35 years ago and I found that we had foam-filled wall cavities. We have had no problems with this at all and I would say the house benefits in terms of its thermal efficiency.

[@AllMouthAndTrousers]

It will have off gassed by now wo I guess you're fine.

[@HighlandCowWoodworking]

Thanks

[@SkillBuilder]

Thank you Paula. All the tips are going to the LUcy Rayner Foundation

[@tinytonymaloney7832]

Good rant as usual. At least you aren't going to glue yourself to your road outside. We had the blown rockwool stuff put in about 10 years ago, that was a grant job. A couple of thugs came round, used a 25mm SDS drill direct into our walls, i would have done pilot holes gently first so i was concerned that they may be loosening the brickwork. There must have been a massive brick burst inside the cavity which I'm guessing settled at the cavity bottom, we will nevwr know. Im going to buy a damp meter for the walls i think and check to see if there are any issues. My dad had polystyrene beads blown into the cavity of his house back in the 80's which they claim allowed air and moisture movement. You dont see it any more, no idea why. 👍👍

[@deadduck4041]

Interesting....I've just had my cavity walls done last year with those polystyrene balls ...that was through the Gov Green scheme 👍.

[@UberAlphaSirus]

@@deadduck4041 the grey beads are still a thing. I have cut cores out for tumble driers and the stuff never stops coming out, lol.

[@shaunconnor7525]

Loosening the brickwork???? 😂😂😂😂 so you would have drilled a 6mm hole ? Then 8mm hole ? Then 10 mm hole then 15mm hole then 20mm hole then 25mm hole ?????? 😂😂😂😂

[@DavidJones-or8ek]

A damp meter won't tell you where any damp is coming from. Also "damp" meters don't detect damp, they detect conductivity between the prongs of the meter. That conductivity can be generated in several ways.

[@Frieslick]

The fact that you were so frightened at the sight of working men, to the point that your gut reaction is to imagine you’re surrounded by “thugs,” who are out to knock down your house with a 25mm drill bit really says it all about you. I bet you go shopping in a respirator.

[@Chanesmyname]

When we bought our house I was told by the surveyor there was cavity wall insulation fitted, I was opposed to it because I believed the hype about the problems and the surveyor even said if it was incorrectly fitted it would be a problem so we got quotes to have it removed. They were around 3k to 4lk - we drove down the asking price by a couple thousand to help toward paying for its removal. That was 7 years ago, we did not get it removed and it has kept this house lovely and warm, and on reading more about it I found this house was perfect for the insulation. I am sure there have been some badly fitted insulation that caused problems but a professional opinion should be found before you get it fitted anyway. This house is twice the size of our old house and the heating bills are cheaper. That's my experience.

[@propylaeen]

It’s strangely possible having cheaper energy bills with having an old farm house with massive walls and just single glased double framed box-windows without any insulation all together if the house reflects an how to deal with south/north direction and thermal mass… in the Mediterranean we have it cool in summer and cozy in winter… ;) The trick in physically well and healthy functioning builds is: keep the materials list synthetic polymers free and short keep out the bullshit use when needed just mineral 100% hydrophobic insulation… use clay plaster… use the effects of silicification… don‘t let PVC to your tab water system… don‘t use heavy metals… don‘t use industrial fibers… build yourself don‘t let anyone sell you stuff you don‘t know in detail what implications it might have… don‘t focus on surface focus on function… open heating pipes on a massive wall are radiators… keep in mind everything breaks and crumbles make sure that most repairs potentially just stay at the broken item and not involve several stages of different craftsmanship. That‘s my recipe for living in freedom… build where you want to live… live first only work if it gives you additional benefit… don‘t tolerate the shit around as something normal we naturally have to stand and share…

[@barriestephenson8289]

My first house was a 120 year old terrace, and I had damp on the front wall under the window, I removed a brick at ground level outside and discovered the cavity was full of snots as they used to call it basically cement left on the inside of the brickwork by the builders, and had fallen down blocking the cavity, so I made a rake and cleaned out that section, moved along to the next section till it was all clean left it open for a few days to air it off then replaced the bricks, and it solved the damp problem, I replastered the inner wall that was affected,

[@SkillBuilder]

That is quite a common fault with cavity walls and putting insulation in there is going to make matters worse. Inspection cameras are very cheap now so the surveyor should check but they rarely do.

[@hk78901]

Thanks a lot Roger, you're the Martin Lewis of the building industry!

[@tommurray3974]

I find your videos very educational and instructive, many thanks. I live in a 40 year old timber framed single storey kit house, basically a plywood shed with a brick shell around it. The walls have a 2" cavity (roughly) containing a polyethene sheet vapour barrier and some glass wool insulation. The cavity is open at the top. Can you say whether it should be closed? The house was built by a policeman who had lots of friends in various trades (as policemen do) and I've found over the years that some of them were not entirely skilful at their chosen profession!

[@casinodelonge]

I'm guessing your property is located on "Lettsbe Avenue"?

[@fredMplanenut]

Excellently put forward, and as it appears, unbiased, thank you.

[@johnriggs4929]

I had blown fibre cavity wall insulation injected into our cavity wall in 2009, and to be honest, I noticed little difference. The rear wall, in the kitchen, faces the prevailing wind, and was particularly cold, and stayed that way, so I hacked off the plaster, fixed 25mm kingspan onto the brickwork with the odd 65mm galvanised clout nail, then direct fixed 12.5mm plasterboard on top of that, with red plugs and again 65mm clouts. It's far warmer than before. The wall in the bedroom above that was done 15 years ago with Gyproc Thermaline, which is also quite warm. The very last wall in the house - just about to be done - is going to be with Celotex PL 4025, which was delivered Thursday. I must say, of all of them, this seems the most rigid. We'll see ...

[@Autonomous1969]

I had the fibre stuff put in over 20 years ago. I never looked back. Saves me a fortune in heating costs and no damp problems so far.

[@SkillBuilder]

same with me

[@spanishpeaches2930]

We had those blue, plastic beads blown in about nine years back. Made a real difference and no damp at all so far.

[@immers2410]

Yeah, Roger doesn’t half sensationalise, but I guess that’s how you get the hits

[@IrishSchaller]

We had beads (ours were grey) blown in when the house was built, 11 years ago and haven't had a single problem. We live a mile from the west coast and 300 ft high with fantastic views of the sea and we get horizontal rain regularly. Our house is block built though, maybe that makes a difference.

[@michaelbalfour3170]

The beads allow movement of water between them, that the advantage of the beads, little spaces between them.

[@richardsmith7413]

We have a 1950's build with SW facing gable end. When it rained hard, we had waterfalls inside our windows and doors, then the paint peeled off the wall. Properla the wall, had what was left of old yellow insulation removed and now dry inside!

[@tonybroadhead341]

I’ve been in this industry for 25 years from installer to surveyor to supervisor everything you say is true apart from the guarantee! if you have any problems after install they make the installer go out inspect if your still not happy with the inspectors report go back to ciga etc they will send there inspectors out if they find your at fault and it needs extracting it won’t cost the homeowner anything 👍 ps I’ve learned a few things watching your vid today so thankyou Also could you explain efflorescence on bricks ie salting 🤷🏻‍♂️👍

[@gregmusto3336]

I had a different experience with CIGA. They confirmed that the house had extremely high humidity levels and this was down to the CWI. However, they said that as there was debris in the cavities, this breached the guarantee and were not liable. Had to pay to remove 😔

[@asilver2889]

A few years ago I was offered free CWI by Brit Gas. Surveyor put camera into wall, and advised was NOT suitable, due to unevenness of inner surfaces. It could create damp patches he said. At the time I was a bit disappointed, but now very grateful for the good advice. Has been suggested that closed-cell foam is the only solution for 'hard-to-treat' cavity walls, as this is liquid to start with and so will fill very effectively. However, still some risk, expensive, and no clear information about longevity. Keeping an eye on this.

[@clarkkent4683]

I’d like to see a video on how you would design a perfect house - power heat, insulation, look and any other aspect not covered

[@TheBrick2]

Very timely. I am preparing to do a roof raise with with some short timber framed walls onto a brick built bungalow. There is no cavity wall insulation currently. I also notice when taking a poke around the cavity was not closed. Now I am facing a cold bridging quandary.. 1. cavity wall insulation then close cavity then build timer wall (PIR insulated). Possible cold bridging. 2. cavity wall insulation, leave cavity open in the hope of tying in to the cavity. I don't yet have full drawing to know how much the timber frame may close the cavity. Also I was planning on scheduling the cavity wall insulation while the roof was off allowing them to blow down from the open cavity.

[@daveshortall3348]

Are there any good methods of insulating a house that has Concrete Cavity Blocks, but not a cavity wall? Some of the surrounding houses had the external insulation, and I think some are regretting it (not sure why, as my query is related to a family members house).

[@casinodelonge]

Good ask, I'm in the same position but as the house was built in Ireland, its no doubt worse.

[@David5467]

Thanks for the video. People like you need to be the ones advising the government.

[@JW-yt7lr]

Living in a 1896 solid wall [ 9 inch ] terrace with original windows and glazing it was freezing in the winter . I have just had Heritage quality double glazed sash windows installed along with internal [ Celotex ] insulation added to the front walls of the house . The difference is amazing . Even before the builders had finished plastering the walls the difference in the indoor temperature was noticeable . Why aren't more people using this system ? it's easy to fix . Not overly expensive . Ok you need to refit the skirting board . Then re decorate but I guess most people would be doing that at some point anyway . What do you think Roger ?

[@nobodydoesithalfasgoodasyou]

@@JBinthesticksSurely you cannot downgrade? What FENSA hath joined together, let not man put asunder

[@nobodydoesithalfasgoodasyou]

@@JBinthesticks I'm not saying I blame you, I'm just saying imagine how hopping mad you'll be if you have it all ripped out and replaced and then you get a compliance notice saying to reinstate the double glazing. I take it you didn't pay by credit card?

[@alisonwilson9749]

We have had battened-out celotex inside some external walls. If you have the space, and the building is okay for it, it's good.

[@jmills1549]

My end wall, wind blowing against it pushed rain into inside wall... Big circles of wet plaster... Only cure repoint wall (lots of holes in old mortar)... Problem sorted..

[@graysonneilson6947]

A "plumbing company" used a government grant to give me an energy efficient boiler. After years of cracked combustion chambers and CO leaks it turned out that they'd fitted a natural gas boiler to my lpg tank.

[@seanquinn5634]

My wall cavity which is insulated with the polystyrene ball type has provided a nesting site for starlings. The plumber that fitted my boiler made the hole for the vent pipe in the wrong place. He fixed it on the internal skin but he obviously didn't do a very good job externally! Only noticed it when the starlings got in as it's right up in the eves.

[@SkillBuilder]

I have several nesting sites in my house, we watch the birds go in and out. For 20 years the blue tits have used the nesting box and then one year they didn't and that was the year of covid. Glad to say they are back now

[@barrycooper2106]

I had my cavity insulated by a firm from Doncaster (who I won’t name for now). A couple of years later because of building work several holes were made in the brickwork guess what no insulation could be seen. Beware when having work done like this because you can’t see what’s been done unless like me you realise later it was a bodge and scarper outfit needless to say when I tried to call them the number didn’t exist 🤬🤬🤬

[@mandolinic]

By co-incidence, Bodge and Scarper is the name I've chosen for my next company. ;-)

[@DorkyThorpy]

We had blown EPS bead in our new build. It's been very good, it also saved me money and time, as building on my own. I wouldn't touch cellulose stuff with a barge pole though.

[@BrianSu]

I remember when we had subsidies for solar panels on roofs in the UK, lots of companies with no electrical knowledge appeared and tried to convince people to install them. They've mostly disappeared now.

[@scotland2256]

There still is subsidies for solar panels, insulation etc in the uk

[@douglastodd1947]

about 12/14 yr ago my council house got Cavity Wall insulation , if i mind right it was shredded Denim , i noticed my house went COLDER , and GAS BILL increased about £ 25/30 a month , then a year later they converted me from Back Boiler with storage tank to a crap boiler on the kitchen wall . when they took an air brick out of the kitchen wall 12"x12" i said to the guys there's cavity wall insulation expect it to be coming out to meet them, there was almost NONE it's hung up on all the bits of cement hanging into the cavity from between the bricks , then 5/6 yr, ago i eventually got the temporary repaired roof the tree went through in 1967 replaced by new ROOF , the guys let us look into the cavity it looked like ever hole drilled in the walls where they injected the insulation went in 360% up to about a 12" away from hole until it hit some piece of cement ,,, all cavity wall insulation does is stops a house from Breathing , if it had been the wee balls of polystyrene i would probably have had damp problems in the back bedrooms like my neighbours , woods and burn within 30ft of back of house,. STIRLING COUNCIL IS LANDLORDS

[@PC-oi4kj]

Never put insulation into the cavity of a timber-framed house. Their cavities must be ventilated.

[@BrianColdron]

Hi Roger, I bought a 1960's detached house in 1987. It had Formaldehyde CWI. I was concerned about this but your Flog has put my mind to rest. I have asked my neighbours and my bills (gas) appear to be much less than theirs (45/50% lower). However, electrical cables react badly to the Formaldehyde (black, bitumen like coating). I really liked the video and have subscribed to your chanel.

[@maskedavenger2578]

One of the first things we learnt on a pre apprentice course at technical college ,was there is a reason for a cavity & you don’t fill it . The old brick ties were wire dickie bows that were set with the screw joint pointing down so any moisture could drip down to bottom & drain away . My walls have been filled with crap fibre wool type crap ,that ants just love building nests in .& soaks damp like a sponge causing damp . That together with plastic windows & plastic soffits & facias ,causes the house to sweat . Buildings need to breathe natural materials are best like timber ,bricks ,stone & slate . Time we got rid of this plastic crap & insulation & got back to proper traditional builds . The plastic windows & doors don’t last they become obsolete , timber is better they can be repaired & keep the old skills honed & the lads in work .

[@dnsallen]

Another good rant. I had the cavities filled, and the house is certainly warmer. One thing I noticed was that when new the fibre fill is water repellent. However, a few years later it is not, and soaks up water. I suspect that invisible fungi grow on the waterproofing over time, and that compromises the waterproofing. A much simpler way of dealing with internal damp is to have a dehumidifier running 24/7, but set at eg 50% humidity. I have a Mitsubishi. When it is condensing water it releases heat, probably more efficiently than the cost of heating the house (not so great in summer in some houses though, and new builds with brick clearly need radon clearing ventilation).

[@twmd]

the water repellant certainly stops working after 10 years. it is like cotton wool. an absolute menace