Damp - caused by cavity insulation?

[mrobbo]

Hi all,

About 18 months ago, we had cavity wall insulation done on our property. In the corner of our living room, I have noticed early stages of damp - very, very cold wall, and wallpaper lifting. No visible signs of damp patches - yet. Outside, approximately where the damp is, I have noticed the brickwork has become a little discoloured, like a white, salty powder substance. I have looked this up and it looks as though it's 'efflorescence' which is symptomatic of damp.

Has the cavity wall insulation caused this damp to appear, or is it unrelated? I have read that cavity insulation can actually bring on damp due to the gap between walls becoming bridged? If this is the case, how can it be rectified? Thanks in advance!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Did you have these problems before the cavity was filled?
Is ther any place that look like water can ingress in to cavity ie pointing, slates, gutters..?

 

[mrobbo]

Did you have these problems before the cavity was filled?
Is ther any place that look like water can ingress in to cavity ie pointing, slates, gutters..?

Hi, thanks for the reply. No, we didn't have any damp problems before the cavity wall insulation. I am wondering if the insulation is a red herring though, as I am now of the opinion some repointing is needed. Cheers.

 

[jm2000]

Hi, i have said this before i am not a fan of this new fad of cavity insulation.

Your cavity is there for a reason and that reason is to stop damp on the inner leaf of your house, It is also vented, so any damp in the cavity dries out.
When we build houses we have to build by various regulations and have regular inspections to make sure that cavities are not breached to stop damp.

Now i cant, say that the insulation in your house has caused the damp, as there are various other factors to consider. Like you said you may need repointing.

But i would say that, even if you do need repointing, having blown in cavity insulation will not help, as the moisture that is now penertrating the cavity is just tracking across and affecting the inner leaf.

Like i said, this is my opinion....for what its worth.

 

[gemcars]

i doubt insulation has anything to do with this damp cos it doesnt take in moisture very well i.e meaning water will not track over the cavity, make sure the marks on the wall are def damp and not condensation which will start to go black eventually. if so this is prob been brought to ur attention due to the insulation been put in where as before u had bit more ventilation round the wall areas to prevent this.

timed extractors in kitchen and bathroom will cure condensation problems

 

[Bankrupt]

Hi, i have said this before i am not a fan of this new fad of cavity insulation.

I've had several people tell me that they didn't notice any difference in the warmth of their house or heating costs after installing cavity insulation......