10 QUESTIONS ABOUT CAVITY WALL INSULATION

• What is a cavity wall?

In some houses, external walls are made of two layers with a small gap or `cavity' between them. This means they are `cavity walls'.

• Why are they built that way?

The main reason for building cavity walls is that they provide resistance to rain penetration. The cavity serves as a way to drain water back out through weep holes in the base of the wall system. They also have the advantage of better insulation.

• Why to insulate cavity walls?

Cavity wall insulation is an effective way to save energy and money at home. A well insulated house keeps warmth exactly where you need it - indoors. While you are spending a considerable amount of your annual income on heating expenses keeping the heat gnerated in the house would be the besst way of effective heating.
Cavity wall insulation can also help to reduce condensation inside the house if it is a problem on external walls.

• How much can I save?

You can save typically 40% by just cavity wall insulation. Cavity wall insulation is so cost effective that it will pay for itself over and over again. The better insulated your home, the less energy you need to keep it warm - and the more money you'll save.

• What are the materials used for cavity wall insulation?

Common materials for cavity wall insulation are:

• Mineral wool, spun from glass or rock
• Urea formaldehyde foam
• Expanded polystyrene beads
• proprietary brands, made from recycled newspaper

• How will I know if I need a cavity wall insulation?

If your buillding has two wall layers with at least 50 mm gap between them then you should consider having cavity wall insulation. Homes built between 1930 and 1995 generally require cavity wall insulation. Those built later commonly have insulation and those built earlier generally have solid walls. However, for the certain answer you should ask an installer.

• How does cavity wall insulation work?

Cavity wall insulation slows down the rate at which heat escapes, keeping as much of it as possible inside your home for as long as possible. Insulation makes it much more difficult for heat to pass through your walls by filling up the cavity with a material with lots of air pockets in it.

• Are there any grants available for initial investment?

Yes. SEI grants are available for also cavity wall insulation under “Home Energy Saving” scheme.

• What are the other benefits?

Cavity wall insulation has some more additional benefits.

• They provide extra sound insulation

In addition to this, as you will be burning less fuel for heating the carbon emission of your house will be less and so does your contribution to global warming.

• The building energy rating of your house will increase. In Ireland it is now a must to have a BER assessment for all houses to be sold or let.
• Having a higher BER the market value of your house will increase as the new tenants or buyers will not need to spend much on energy efficiency issues.

• How to get cavity wall insulation?

It is not something you can do on your own. You need to find a registered installer for cavity wall insulation.

For all your questions about cavity wall insulation, for learning if your house need it and for quote you can contact King Group CES.