Cavity Wall Insulation Survey

If you're living in or intending to buy a property that has cavity wall insulation installed, it's worth considering the long-term effects on the property and potentially its value. The results may surprise you. It is estimated that up to 6 million of the 14 million houses that have been installed with retro-fit CWI have faults and can cause damage to the house and will need to be extracted. Think Survey are now working with clients to provide technical assistance in relation to retrofit insulation measures and proper assessments. The scale of the CWI problem was discussed in Parliament in November 2016.

Think Survey work with Oscar and RICS accredited surveyors, Oscar Onsite being the country’s leading authority on Cavity Wall Insulation Extraction. They understand the insulation process more than anyone and particularly extraction when it has reached the end of its life span or has failed due to a variety of reasons.

A specific CWI survey involves a visual building inspection and an invasive inspection into the cavities to see exactly what is going on. It requires an amount of time spent at the property, an in-depth assessment of the building’s performance and defects and a detailed report.

The ability to drill into a cavity in multiple locations provides a surveyor with valuable information and photographic evidence as to the performance of the CWI and condition of the cavity throughout identifying problematic issues such as rubble in the cavity. There is a wealth of information a Think Survey surveyor will collect.

If you suspect that the performance of the Cavity Wall Insulation may be compromised, the following points should be considered by your surveyor plus many other factors and investigations:

• Exposure to walls from wind driven rain
• Drill patterns of the installation
• Size and condition of drill holes
• Cavity trays and weep holes
• Brushing off between properties
• Location of internal dampness, mould and/or condensation
• Type of insulation (i.e. overspill in meter cupboards, roof voids, wall vents)
• Overall wall thickness
• Location and condition of damp proof course
• Internal temperature and relative humidity
• Voids in the insulation, and lots of other specific checks.
• Spalled brickwork
• Deteriorated pointing between bricks

Where a surveyor will be able to view the cavity and identify any voids, rubble or other issues, a judgement can be made on the performance of the CWI. With reference to technical documents (e.g. BBA system certificate), the report can give accurate information to assist homeowners and ultimately aim to prevent damage to the property and when action is taken should avoid diminution and protect the value of your home and limit further damage.

Even where the CWI may seem to be performing without any problems, home owners will often request guidance on living with CWI now and in the future, knowing now that so many CWI installs have failed, prevention is better than cure.

To order your CWI Survey today CLICK HERE