Insulation removal
Cavity wall insulation removal
Failed cavity fill extracted and the brickwork made good.
Cavity wall insulation works well in the right house. In the wrong one, on an exposed wall or a property that was never suitable, it bridges the cavity and lets damp track straight through to the inside wall. Once that starts, the insulation has to come out before anything else will fix it.
What the work involves
Assessment
We establish what was installed, where the damp is showing and whether the cavity is genuinely bridged. Not every damp wall is a cavity problem and it is worth being sure before opening the wall up.
Extraction
Bricks removed at set positions and the cavity cleared, working across the affected elevations. Fibre, bead and foam all come out differently.
Cavity cleaning
The cavity is cleared of debris and mortar snots as well as insulation, because those bridge a cavity just as effectively.
Making good
Bricks reinstated and re-pointed to match. Where a wall needs to be re-insulated afterwards with a suitable system, we will talk you through what is appropriate for that property.
Our process
- Inspect. Including a borescope into the cavity where it helps, so we can see what is actually in there.
- Quote in writing. Per elevation, so you can do the worst wall first if you would rather stage it.
- Extract and clean. Contained and cleared as we go.
- Reinstate. Brickwork made good and pointing matched as closely as the existing mortar allows.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my cavity insulation is causing damp?
Typical signs are damp patches on inside walls that follow the weather rather than the seasons, worst on the wall that takes the driving rain. It is usually the exposed elevation. A borescope inspection will show whether the cavity is bridged.
Was my house suitable for cavity insulation?
Many were not. Exposed properties, walls in poor condition and narrow or irregular cavities were all filled during the grant schemes when they should not have been. That is why the removal trade exists at all.
Do you have to remove bricks?
Yes. Bricks are taken out at intervals to reach the cavity and put back afterwards. Done properly the wall looks as it did, allowing for the fact that new pointing never matches weathered mortar exactly.
Should I re-insulate afterwards?
Sometimes, with a system suited to that wall, and sometimes the right answer is to leave the cavity clear and insulate internally or externally instead. We will give you a straight view rather than sell you the same thing twice.
Recent work
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