Am thinking of taking up the British Gas offer of free cavity will insulation, but wondered whether it would have any adverse affect the electric cables which are in the cavity, in particular wouldn't be more difficult if we later wanted to re-wire? Thanks.
Cavity wall insulation
- Thread starter SJRSJR
- Start date
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Do they still use polystyrene granules?
S
SaladFingers
My house has cables in the cavity from the fuse board up to where they all run off in their relevant directions. 50s build.
As I'm getting round to a complete rewire I've chosen a new route for the new cables.
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Yes, at least in one wall. It was tracing them that alerted me to there being no wall insulation
Reading up on it suggests there are three types - mineral wool, foam and bonded polystyrene balls. I'm reading that it can result in damp and condensation so it's not the no-brainer that I thought it would be..
very strange for cables to be actually in the cavity as it would be nigh on impossible to feed them through and get them where they needed to be. How would they have got the cables up the cavity from downstairs to up, and then altered the direction and then managed to feed them back through a hole drilled into the cavity from the inside?
Unless the cables were put in before the inner or outer skin was built up - this i doubt.
How can you trace cables inside the cavity???? Its more likely that the cables go up into a void of some kind which is not the cavity, but maybe a partition or into the flooring void.
Unless the cables were put in before the inner or outer skin was built up - this i doubt.
How can you trace cables inside the cavity???? Its more likely that the cables go up into a void of some kind which is not the cavity, but maybe a partition or into the flooring void.
I read all the scare-mongering too, when I had mine done last year.
I suspect in truth, unless you live north of the border on top of a hill with no trees, houses or other hills for shelter from prevailing winds, you won't have a problem.
The fact is that thousands of people have cavity wall insulation installed each year without incident. Those who do have problems consequently are probably unlucky, but everything we do in life has an element of risk.
It's a brick external wall with a doorway in a downstairs room. We've made a hole in the door lining side and put a camera in. There's an electricity cable and TV co-ax in there. The previous owner was a builder so maybe he thought nothing of removing a few bricks here and there. I've since read why you shouldn't do it but he did.
Yes, I'm sure you're right, the pros no doubt outweigh the cons. I suppose my main concern is whether i'd ever be able to upgrade the cable or whether it could overheat when surrounded by insulation.
It could.
Do you know what size cable it is, and what circuit it is?
Do you know what size cable it is, and what circuit it is?
S
SaladFingers
It's very common on 50s and 60s builds with original cables. That's how they built them and wired them.
Any future rewire shouldn't involve cables in cavities so you can stop worrying about that. Any existing power cables in the cavity should be assessed as surrounding them with insulation could lead to overheating.
S
SaladFingers
Adequate supporting of cables, bridging the walls and creating damp patches.
S
SaladFingers
Won't be an issue.
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