Free Cavity Wall Insulation in Cardiff – FAQ’s
Here is a 6 minute video showing you how cavity walls are insulated.
We insulate Cavity walls by blowing the insulation material into the cavity, normally from the outside but under certain circumstances it can also be done from inside the house.
22mm holes (which is smaller than a 2p coin) are drilled in the outside walls in a set pattern. This pattern is specified in the British Board of Agrément (BBA) certificate for the material that is being used.
The insulation, together with an adhesive, is then blown through the holes using special equipment. The adhesive “goes off” after about 20 minutes, thus holding the polystyrene beads together in a loose block.
The holes are then sealed with cement which has been coloured to best match the colour of the existing mortar or render.
Filling cavity walls is not a “do it yourself” job. A 3-bed semi-detached house will take about 3 hours to complete.
Most of our customers are amazed at how quickly and neatly the job can be done.
The work is guaranteed for 25 years by CIGA. CIGA are the government-backed Cavity Insulation Guarantee Authority, which gives customers complete peace of mind.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
We always install “SuperBead” Polystyrene Beads and not “RockWool” (fibre). Polystyrene Bead is a superior material for insulating Cavity Walls, but it is more expensive.
“SuperBead” used for Free cavity wall insulation in Cardiff has been certified by the British Board of Agrément for the following.
- Thermal properties — “SuperBead” cavity wall insulation has a declared thermal conductivity of 0.035.
- Water resistance — “SuperBead” cavity wall insulation will resist the transfer of water across the cavity.
- Condensation — “SuperBead” cavity wall insulation will contribute to limiting the risk of condensation within the home.
- Behaviour in relation to fire — “SuperBead” cavity wall insulation does not prejudice the fire resistance properties of the wall.
- Durability — “SuperBead” cavity wall insulation is durable, rot proof and water resistant. It is sufficiently stable to remain effective as an insulation for the life of the building.
“SuperBead” cavity wall insulation is up to 20% more efficient than fibre insulation, such as Rockwool. This Free Cavity Wall Insulation reduces heat loss through the walls by about 70%. An uninsulated house will lose about 35% of its heat through the walls. Therefore, insulating the walls will save about 25% of your heating bill.
There are about 30% fewer holes than using fibre, and the holes are smaller.
The beads have been thoroughly tested and will not deteriorate over time. They are fully fire-resistant. They have approval for use in even the most extreme of conditions.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
The simple answer is “I couldn’t tell you without a survey”. But …
If your home was built after 1925, it is likely that its external walls are made of two skins of brick with a gap (cavity) between them and held together with wall ties. This is called a Cavity Wall.
Free Cavity Wall Insulation in Cardiff fills that gap, keeping the warmth in and thus saving energy. It can also help reduce or eradicate condensation inside the house if this is a problem on your external walls.
Your home will usually be suitable for free cavity wall insulation in Cardiff if:
- the external walls are unfilled cavity walls
- your cavity is at least 50mm wide
- the masonry or brickwork of your property is in reasonably good condition
But it is not as simple as that.
As a part of the initial survey, we also carry out a Cavity Assessment Survey. This survey is administered and audited by the IAA (Installation Assurance Authority.
The suitability of the walls to be insulated will be assessed by way of an extensive survey of the property.
This survey includes drilling a small test hole into the wall of each elevation. A borescope is inserted into each hole and the cavity is examined. Photographs of the cavity are taken, along with measurements of the depth of the cavity.
All walls are carefully examined and any remedial work noted, such as cracks, unfilled holes, etc. This remedial work has to be completed before the walls can be insulated.
Gutters and downpipes are examined for leaks, spills, blockages and proper drainage.
The survey takes about 2 hours and is free of charge.
The report and photographs are then uploaded to the IAA platform for auditing.
This is a part of the greatly improved quality control measures found within the new free Cavity Wall Insulation Grant scheme.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
No, not even all houses that have cavity walls.
If we go back to before 1920 there were very few cavity walls. Houses were built of stone or solid brick (2 brick walls side by side). There are some exceptions such as the mill houses of Lancashire and Yorkshire which were built of 2 stone walls with a cavity between them. These should not have cavity wall insulation because there are a number of potential problems.
However, solid walls (stone or brick) suffered from damp problems, and damp gave rise to illnesses such as pneumonia, and people were dying.
Cavity walls were seen as a solution to this. Two brick walls with a gap between them. So gradually during the 1920’s more and more new houses were being built with cavity walls. By 1930 cavity walls were the norm.
Subject to survey, all homes built after 1930 should be suitable for cavity wall insulation, but I will repeat – subject to survey.
There are 3 main exceptions
- Concrete properties, typically ex-Council houses. Some of them have an unfilled cavity, but they should not be insulated because of the potential of causing “Concrete Cancer”.
- Timber Framed properties. They have a brick external wall with a wooden frame attached on the inside and covered with plasterboard. The wooden frame is filled with insulation.
- Properties built after 1982 should have been insulated at build to comply with the new building regulations that came into force that year. However, 10,000’s of properties built in the 80’s and 90’s have no insulation. Subject to survey these could be insulated.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
Yes, it comes with a 25-year guarantee issued by the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA).
The Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency provides independent 25-year guarantees for Free Cavity Wall Insulation in Cardiff, fitted by registered installers in the UK and Channel Islands.
However, they will only issue a guarantee if the property has passed a CAS survey.
A grant will not be allowed unless a CIGA guarantee is issued.
The Government regards cavity wall insulation as “the most cost-effective energy savings measure that most people can carry out on their homes” and a major contributor to reducing carbon emissions.
CIGA was established in consultation with the Government’s Energy, Environment and Waste Directorate (a division of DETR) to provide householders with an independent, uniform and dependable guarantee covering defects in materials and workmanship.
Independent research for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) has confirmed that cavity wall insulation is a very reliable process.
Problems are therefore extremely rare, but if they do occur, CIGA has the expertise to ensure that they are swiftly rectified. The new CAS survey will also reduce the potential for future problems, by only insulating walls that are suitable.
CIGA also operates and administers the Cavity Wall Insulation Self Certification scheme (CWISC) in association with the British Board of Agrément. The scheme provides homeowners with the comfort of knowing that work by registered contractors complies with the requirements of the Building Regulations.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
No!
If you have any damp patches on the inside of your external walls they should not be insulated until the cause of the damp has been resolved.
In fact, if there is damp, the property will fail the CAS survey, and we will not install cavity wall insulation.
To get a Grant there must be a 25-year guarantee issued. To get a 25-year guarantee issued the property must pass a CAS survey. If the house has damp it will fail the CAS survey.
So, if there is damp, there is no Grant – it’s as simple as that.
If however, it is “Black Mould / Spots” then this is probably Condensation and not Damp. 90% of the time Condensation is a lifestyle issue rather than a structural issue. However, Cavity Wall Insulation can help reduce/eradicate the “Black Mould / Spots”.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
Yes, Free Cavity Wall Insulation in Cardiff will reduce your fuel bills. It will also reduce your Carbon Footprint and it can help reduce/eradicate Condensation.
These are the percentages of heat loss through the different parts of a house.
- Walls = 35%.
- Roof = 25%.
- Floor = 15%.
- Draughts = 15%
- Windows = 10%
Uninsulated walls lose 35% of the total heat loss of a house. Free Cavity Wall Insulation will reduce that heat loss from the walls by 70%. Therefore, your heating costs should reduce by 25%.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
Yes, free cavity wall insulation can help reduce condensation.
Condensation is caused by moist air coming into contact with a cold surface.
The warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold. Then when that warm wet air comes in contact with a cold surface the temperature of the air reduces, and it releases some of its moisture onto the colder surface.
If the cold surface is not immediately dried it can give rise to black mould.
When the cavity walls are insulated the walls inside the house are warmer, and are less likely to cause condensation.
So free cavity wall insulation can reduce or eradicate condensation and black mould.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
The Government have massive legal targets to reduce Carbon Emissions, so they passed the buck.
They gave a Legal Obligation to the Gas and Electricity companies to reduce Carbon Emissions.
This is known as the Energy Company’s Obligation, ECO for short.
We all pay an amount on our fuel bills towards this fund – “the green levy”. We pay 6% of our Gas bills and 11% of our Electricity bills.
So yes, we pay for it in the end, as usual.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
According to the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA), damp problems arise in 3 houses out of every 1,000 insulated.
The problems of damp and cavity wall insulation (CWI) are virtually all historical and were caused by inappropriate insulation being put into inappropriate walls.
Rockwool used to be the main insulation for Cavity Walls in Cardiff. This has now been replaced by polystyrene bead which is a much better material for Cavity Wall Insulation.
Even so, when polystyrene beads were first used they used the little white soft polystyrene beads, just like the ones found in “bean bags”. In some cases, these also caused issues – mainly due to their small size, structure and not being very good at repelling water. They were not waterproof.
Today, larger grey/silver polystyrene beads, shaped like half a coffee bean or a mix of differently sized beads are used. These beads are also impregnated with a water repellent.
But the main problem was caused by salespeople knocking on doors telling people they could have CWI for free, and then not carrying out a pre-installation survey. As a result of this, houses that should never have been insulated were insulated.
A massive improvement in quality control
In April 2017 the British Board of Agrément (BBA), was put in charge of ensuring that “inappropriate” houses would not be insulated.
This gave birth to the Cavity Assessment Surveillance Scheme (CASS).
The BBA are the body responsible for certifying that building materials are “fit for purpose”. They lay down how building materials should be used within the certificate that they issue for that material.
In October 2018 CIGA took over the helm of this scheme. It is now monitored by the Insulation Assurance Authority (IAA).
CAS involves a full survey of the property to be insulated which takes about 2 hours to complete. The survey of your property includes but is not limited to, camera shots of the inside of the cavity and other factors which may make a property inappropriate to insulate.
These would include factors such as the age of the property, condition of walls, depth of the cavity, condition of the damp proof course, construction type, condition of gutters and down-pipes, and rubble in the cavities, etc.
Leaky gutters and downpipes are one of the main causes of damp in homes.
The photographs and other data are then uploaded onto the IAA platform for auditing. Every survey is audited by the IAA at desktop level. 1 in 10 are audited with a visit to the property by an IAA surveyor to audit the survey that had been carried out.
“This level of “quality control” should resolve the historical problem of insulating inappropriate properties, and therefore reduce the potential for damp caused by Cavity Wall Insulation.”
Up to 2017, CIGA stated that there could be problems in 3 out of every 1,000 properties that have had CWI installed, but the CAS survey should greatly reduce this figure even further.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
Cavity wall insulation can offer several benefits, including:
Energy Efficiency: One of the main benefits is improved energy efficiency. Insulating the cavity walls helps to reduce heat loss from a building, making it easier to maintain a comfortable temperature. This will result in lower energy bills as less energy is required for heating.
Cost Savings: By reducing the amount of energy needed to heat a building, cavity wall insulation can lead to cost savings on heating bills.
Increased Comfort: Insulating cavity walls helps to create a more consistent and comfortable indoor temperature. It can reduce drafts and cold spots, making living spaces more pleasant throughout the year.
Environmental Impact: Improved energy efficiency means lower carbon emissions associated with heating systems. This can contribute to a reduced environmental impact and a smaller carbon footprint for your home.
Condensation Control: Cavity wall insulation can also help control condensation within the walls. Condensation can lead to dampness, mold growth, and other issues. Insulation helps to keep the interior walls warmer, reducing or eradicating condensation.
Property Value: Energy-efficient features, including cavity wall insulation, can enhance the value of a property. Potential buyers or renters may see the investment in insulation as a positive feature, especially as energy efficiency becomes an increasingly important consideration.
Noise Reduction: Cavity wall insulation can provide some level of soundproofing by dampening external noises. This can be particularly beneficial in urban areas or locations with high levels of ambient noise.
Quick Installation: Cavity wall insulation is normally quick to install. An average-sized semi-detached house would take about 3 hours to complete, causing minimal disruption to occupants.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
We do it all for you, so you don’t have to worry about piles of paperwork.
When we carry out the survey we also complete all the grant application paperwork and check that you qualify.
When we finish the work we then request the grant funds which are paid directly to us.
There’s nothing for you to worry about. Just enjoy lower fuel bills and a smaller carbon footprint.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
There are 3 routes to qualifying for a grant.
- The General Group.
- The “low income” Group.
- LA Flex
The General Group qualification for a grant.
Two ✔’s and you qualify.
- Your Council Tax Banding in Wales is an A, B, C, D or E (or in England A to D). You can find your Council Tax Banding on Gov.Uk ✔ and
- Your EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating is a D, E, F or G. You can find your EPC on the EPC Register. ✔
These rules apply to both owner-occupiers and privately renting tenants (with Landlord’s consent). However, for Cavity Wall Insulation, privately renting tenants will need to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
The “Low Income” Group qualification for a grant.
The personal qualification criteria for the “low income” group, is benefit based. The qualifying benefits are listed below. However, your EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating must be a D, E, F or G,
Here is the list of Qualifying Benefits.
- Pension Credit
- Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance
- Universal Credit – No income threshold
- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
- Tax Credits (including Working and Child Tax Credits) – No income threshold
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit – NEW
- Child Benefit/Family Allowance. Income Thresholds apply – see table below
You would qualify for a grant if you claim Child Benefit and have an annual income no greater than the appropriate threshold.
The threshold varies between single people and couples, and depends on the number of children you have. See the table below. So, 2 adults with 2 children would have an income threshold of £32,300.
| Number of children | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1 adult household | £19,900 | £24,800 | £29,600 | £34,500 |
| 2 adult household | £27,500 | £32,300 | £37,200 | £42,000 |
The “LA Flex Funding” route for a grant.
One of the qualifying routes is LA Flexible Funding which is based on other factors, but it is not based on benefits.
Route 1. Total annual gross household income must be no more than £31,000 or
Route 2. Someone living at the property must be suffering from one of the following conditions – A cardiovascular condition. A respiratory disease. Limited mobility. Immunosuppression.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
To find out if you qualify, or to book a free no obligation survey, complete our enquiry form or give us a call
or call us on 0800 8 10 10 60 or 07960 799681 and speak to one of our cavity wall experts.
