outer wall made of single brick width only

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evening to the Forum.
A customer has suffered from damp and condensation since having cavity wall insulation some years ago.I vacuumed some by getting into the eves of the bungalow. I tried to get more at ground level outside by removing the pebbledash and attempted to take out a brick.I was amazed to see the bedroom through the drill hole I had made, the bungalow is 50's built, this particular wall forms part of the front door porch. I can't see how the wall can be free of this cold spot which is exposed to the wind and rain.I hope the front of house wall which the bay window is set in is double skin.Advice or comment appreciated.
Dean.
 
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It must be double skin or the insulation would have filled the house instead of the cavity.
 
thanks for replying 1990. The front wall must be double to take the bay window, but the wall returning to the front door is definitely one skin, I
could see the kids toys through the 4" deep drilled hole. I've seen plenty of garage walls single but not house wall. It looks like the other
wall returning to the door frame is probably single, the room behind this also has condensation.
 
So, it's obviously double skinned to take the insulation but single skinned at certain points - often the bay windows on older houses, but that doesn't mean that the front wall has to be single skinned to take the bay.

You need to work out where the single skins are, and see if the if the condensation is now appearing on the single skin walls. It's possible that the insulation they've used is carrying the moisture across the void, but it's more than likely that they keep the windows closed, and the excess moisture is now condensing out onto the cold walls.
 
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That's why I'm getting the insulation out. The single skin, laid stretcher( not header fashion like
Victorian houses) ,I hadn't seen before on an outside wall. Thanks for reply.
 
You didn't check the reveals or window boards then?

If what you say is correct, then you are doing your client a disservice by removing wall insulation, as the cause of internal condensation is the cold walls not the wall insulation, or problems with the render, or other heating and ventilation issues.

And it does not sound like you have building regulation approval for this either.
 
Sorry Woody, what's the Building regs approval for.

Dean, you're last post was a bit confusing. It seems to imply that you're sure the insulation is wicking the moisture across, hence the reason you're looking to take it out, but I'm more in line with Woody thinking it's more of a an internal condensation problem. Just exactly what are the signs of damp and condensation that they've got. The insulation could be wicking the rain across the void, but it'd only be on the wall with the driving rain, so you wouldn't get damp on every wall.
 
thanks for both of you replying, I've seen you both regularly on the forum. I'll write further when I get back from work. I can't see what
Building regs can say about taking out the CWI. Further, in my own opinion, based on the properties I look after, it has
increased damp. I try to keep to the moisture level of the 50's but work with inhabitants' comfort demands of2016.
 
CWI removal needs to be done properly, as removing small areas will make cold spots on the walls.
 
thanks Stuart145. I take your point. Customer has radiator on and tries to have D/G window ajar within reason,
groundfloor room and facing the wind off the hills. The damp is only on walls with driving rain which made me think the CWI
was wicking across the void. I still believe this is happening, the single skin wall has no wicking problem I beleive but is cold and lacks the depth
to hold rainwater and expel later like a header set 9"brick. I posted looking for other's experience with such single skin stretcher walls. The replies concerning the CWI were welcome coming from regular posters. The returns to the front door have no windows set in them, I could see no indication
looking in the loft that they would be single skin. Thank you gents for taking the trouble to consider my problem.
Dean.
 
Is it on the Sussex coast?
There are quite a few bungalows in places like Shoreham beach and Saltdean that were put up as holidays homes originally and were not of the best construction.
 
hello Stuart, no about 2 mile inland in suburbs. Being relatively new build 1950's,(most of the houses I look after are late Victorian),
I'm surprised at finding this single wall.
 
The old part of my house is like this, single skin bay window, though mine is quite a bit older. You get a lot of condensation, next job for me is to strip the plaster and put 100mm celotex over the bay and 25-50mm on the rest of the external wall in the room and re-plaster. The mini roof below doesn't even have any insulation in it.

Its a good job they don't make them like they used to.
 
:mrgreen: yes I liked that. Thanks for the reminder about bays, I think it might have been neo69 or noseall who posted
pictures a while back of the wooden support frame below a bay being celotexed and taped. I thought the same
for this single brick wall. Dean.
 

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