FAQ’s

Stone or brick properties built in the last 30 years should have some form of wall based insulation materials. To be truly effective cavity wall insulation is most successful where there is limited exposure to the elements. Ideally, the cavity needs to be greater than 50mm, the choice of infill material must be right for the structure and it must be installed correctly.

There are a number of tell tale signs that your failed cavity wall insulation is leading to dampness or mould growth in your property, including: Wallpaper discoloured or peeling, Signs of black mould, musty odours, fungus or mildew on the walls, rotting woodwork, condensation on walls or even cold rooms where walls feel damp to the touch.

The cavity wall insulation can fail for a host of reasons – incorrect property type, the wrong type of insulation material, debris-filled cavities, poor quality pointing leading to excessive water penetration, faulty installation, blockage of air bricks. The water gets into the insulation material and it gets sodden and falls to the base of the wall in the cavity. Internal elevations will exhibit signs of damp and condensation, timber elements will start to rot, black mould spots will develop and the room will constantly feel cold. If left unchecked the structure itself will deteriorate requiring major amounts of remedial work. To make matters worse the house will become more costly to heat, it will lose value and your family’s health could suffer, particularly if you are prone to chest or respiratory infections.

In many instances, the homeowner was miss-sold cavity wall insulation by the energy companies and their contractors. Often the installation was described as free when in fact the process was covered by a loan that the homeowner paid back via their energy bills. In most failed cases, the product was incorrectly advised and installed. So why should you pay to remedy the fault of others? Take steps today to get your property back to good health. In cases of mis-sold installations, you should also be able to claim back the cost of the failed installation that you paid for

In short no. The responsibility for making good your property (and Health) falls squarely onto the CIGA, your installation company or their IBG provider if no CIGA insurance was provided. In the event that your installation company are unwilling to help or have ceased trading, you can still make a claim– there are no upfront costs for this service.

It may be possible to claim against your CIGA guarantee – you should check this has a matter of course.

For the greatest chance of success, a 6-year time span from the date your Cavity Wall Insulation was installed is best. Claims are still valid for up to 8 years if the condition has only just manifested itself. For health issue a 3 year time period is acceptable.