Cavity wall insulation help!

[joer90]

Good morning,

I have just had a guy from British round to check our property to see if we qualify for free cavity wall and loft insulation. The loft is fine and we qualify, however the walls are a bit of an issue. Our neighbours had theirs done at some point, probably years ago and whoever did it didn't put in a cavity barrier to stop the foam leaching into our property. This means that British had will not do ours because they cannot add the foam into walls that already have some in due to mixing the 2 types. This apparently means they cannot guarantee it due to the chance the 2 materials may react.

This as you can imagine is pretty annoying as this means my neighbour is nice and toastie in their place and because of that we are not. The man from British gas said it is worth trying to find out who did it but if it was years ago then they may have gone out of business. He mentioned that them coming into our property with their insulation is essentially trespass and that the company may come and do it for free...

I would be interested to know if anyone has any experience with either as a hone owner who has been in the same position or as an installer that has seen this situation before. I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do, we have a good relationship with our neighbour and don't really want to start a war over insulation.

Hope you can help

Thanks

Joe

 

[kbdiy]

Perhaps you could ask your neighbour who did their insulation and what material they used? Possibly they are still trading? Foam insulation did have problems with (alleged) fumes causing illness but many companies used rockwool or similar.

These days as far as I am aware only blown fibre or pellets are used. I think if it was blown fibre you would be ok regardless of what was installed by your neighbour.

Worth finding out more from them - without rocking the boat about encroachment etc.

 

[Millwright]

My mother had British gas around to insulate their loft.

A complete bunch of cowboys turned up and ruined the ceilings by crashing and banging into the rising water main and tried to lie over it.

 

[AronSearle]

Loads of them are incompetent.

I'd never let someone else do the loft. If it was part of the condition of free insulation I would be inspecting their work closely.

 

[joer90]

Thanks for the advise, the BG guy drilled a few test holes and said it was white foam, the stuff they blow in I think. I'm pretty sure regardless of the type BG won't now do it for free as it's in their policy not to...

I hear what you are saying about the loft, I do like the idea of getting it for free but if they trash my house then I'm not gonna be pleased. He also said it's not worth it if I am looking to board it out as the insulation will come up way above the joists and I would need to raise them if I wanted to board it out...

I will report back with any info I get from my neighbours about their insultation.

Thanks again.

 

[Deluks]

Why do you need to insulate the party wall? If the neighbours have already done it shouldn't you be benefiting from their insulation anyway?

 

[kbdiy]

Nobody mentioned party wall

 

[joer90]

No it's the external walls and it hasn't insulated them it's seeped in slightly but not filled them. This is still enough for BG to say they won't do it.

Thanks

 

[Bilabong007]

Hi,

Could you not use the same funding scheme through a different supplier? Dyson energy services did my house and the surveyor didn't drill near the neighbours house. They seem to do a decent job of both the loft and cavity so maybe worth a look.

It was knauf supafill they blew in and surely that doesn't react with anything.

Graeme

 

[wedginald]

What are your walls constructed from?

 

[joer90]

Walls are brick externally with block internally, 1950's ex council house.

I have spoken to my neighbours and they said they had it done by SEB (Southern electricy board) 20+ years ago. The chances of getting anything done off the back of that is nil I would think... Might try another firm I guess, we're not actually with British Gas it was only that they were offering bit for free to anyone that we applied. I might try SE as that's who we are with, they may be doing something....

 

[wedginald]

Its a shame you dont have a stone house or one of 3 or more storey house, then you would qualify for foam insulation. It might be worth speaking to an insulation supplier who installs both mineral wool and polyurethane foam systems who would have more of an insight into the use of the two systems in relation to each other.