What are the benefits of Cavity Wall Insulation?

Guest Blog from Domestic & General Insulation Ltd

Having a good insulation solution is something that is often overlooked by homeowners, with many seemingly disregarding the extra savings and related benefits that having a full loft and wall insulation system can provide for them. Masses of heat is lost through the walls and lofts of homes every year, thanks to their poor insulation qualities, and this is something that really needs to change.

However the unfortunate thing about insulation is that there is always an upfront cost involved. No matter what the potential future benefits of the work, having the work done in the first place is often a barrier that many people simply aren’t willing to navigate past without some solid information under their belts.

With this in mind, we are going to look at some of the benefits associated with cavity wall insulation, providing as much information as possible as to why such a solution is ideal for any home that has a cavity.

Cavity wall insulation is most useful for homes that were built after the 1930s. Homes built before this time period were usually solid wall homes, which themselves had rather poor insulation qualities. For such properties, solutions like external wall insulation and internal wall insulation exist. However cavity wall insulation is required for the homes that were built with an external wall that consisted of two smaller walls with a gap in between.

So what are the benefits of cavity wall insulation? Well, for starters…

Effective cavity wall insulation reduces energy bills

Statistics indicate that approximately 45% of the heat lost in a home escapes through the walls of the property, a number that can be massively reduced with the implementation of good cavity wall insulation. This is all energy that is being paid for and then not used by the homeowner, which of course means that energy bills soar to levels that they need not be reaching. Cavity wall insulation can help to reduce the heat loss dramatically, ensuring that less energy is needed to keep a home at a chosen temperature.

Cavity wall insulation can increase the value of a home

For many people, having insulation installed is a long term investment that can also indicate that a homeowner is fully committed to settling at their property. However, with the introduction of the Energy Performance Certificate, this is no longer the case. Having insulation installed allows you to instantly add value to your property by increasing the home’s rating substantially. This serves to make the property much more attractive to prospective buyers, in addition to reducing their own fears that they would have to spend time and money to have the work done themselves.

Your home becomes much more environmentally friendly

We have already covered how having insulation can help save a homeowner a ton of money. However that shouldn’t be the only reason to have it installed. The simple fact of the matter is that cavity wall insulation makes your home more energy efficient. In doing this it makes your home more environmentally friendly and allows the homeowner to reduce their own carbon footprint. We live in an age of increasing awareness when it comes to environmental issues, so anything that you can do to make your home greener should be seen as a positive.

Cavity wall insulation can reduce condensation

Of course, the primary concern when having cavity wall insulation installed is ensuring that you keep your home nice and warm. However that isn’t the only benefit that comes with having an effective insulation solution installed.

All homes generate moisture, simply due to the fact that there will often be occasions when warm air comes into contact with a cold surface, which in turn leads to condensation. This can cause mould and black spots in the home if it is not monitored and kept in check. Having cavity wall insulation installed can prevent this, as it allows the home to maintain a warmer temperature, reducing the amount of cold surfaces that water vapour can condense on.

Cavity wall insulation is extremely tidy

Another issue that many people have with insulation is the possibility of the insulation making a home seem unsightly. After all, loft insulation requires a lot of material being placed in the attic and even older versions of cavity wall insulation could leave a home with a number of unsightly holes across the outer surface. Newer techniques in cavity wall insulation have reduced this issue substantially however, with technologies like bead lances allowing for a single hole to be drilled and used install the cavity wall insulation. In addition to this, the insulation itself goes into gaps in the property’s walls, meaning it is never visible to the homeowner.

Cavity wall insulation is something that all homeowners should look into if it is relevant to their property. The benefits that can be provided are simply too numerous to justify not having the technology installed!

Domestic & General Insulation Ltd are one of the foremost insulation installers in the UK and can provide advice on a range of insulation solutions.

Local Builders | Find a local Builder | 6 Steps to Success

Local Builders | Find a local Builder | 6 Steps to Success

Tradesman4u has a network of local and recommended Builders

If you are looking for a recommended local builder, then in order to avoid contracting a cowboy you need to head to the internet to choose a tradesman with impartial reviews.

By choosing your next builder online you can improve your

chances of finding a quality tradesperson and minimise the risk of poor workmanship. The internet allows everyone to be reviewed and gives consumers the ability to publicly rate the work any particular tradesman has carried out.

Our 6 steps to success for choosing and instructing a local builder or tradesperson are:-

1. Set a realistic budget and do some research on the nature of your project. For example checking if you need planning or change of use etc. If so, ensure they are factored into your budget. TOP TIP – Remember to be realistic with your budget also if you want a quality job doing. A shoestring budget may result in disappointment and sometimes its better to wait.

2. Once you have a budget and confirmation that you are in a position to proceed with a job you should post your job for free on our website. When posting your job be as thorough as possible in your job description to ensure the process starts as smoothly as it can.

3. Look to obtain the appropriate number of tenders/quotes for the job you are looking at doing. If you are looking at a reasonably small project then around 3 quotes is usually sufficient. If it’s a particularly large job then perhaps you may look towards 5 quotes. Remember that after 3 or 4 quotes it is unlikely you are going to shave much off the prices as you should have a good ballpark figure for what the job is. If after 3 or 4 quotes none are within budget then its realistic to think it’s probable your budget forecast was insufficient in the first place rather than keep trying to get the job done for less money. TOP TIP Remember the chances are there is always someone out there who will appear to offer you a ‘great’ price but ask yourself if you’ve set a budget of £10,000 and had 4 quotes with prices of £15,000, £15,900, £14,700 and £9,500 then its likely your budget is wrong and the quality of the work may not be what you want. Often the cheapest price can be the most expensive! Ensure also you know the situation with regards VAT on the quote.

4. Once you have spoken to the builders you have received quotes from start to filter them down. Don’t simply go off price (whilst important, a decision on your tradesman should never be based solely on price), read feedback left from our other community members to get a feel for how others have found them, check their professional qualification or that they are members of a relevant trade associations. If appropriate ask to see examples of previous work, many Builders have portfolio pictures along with testimonials on work they have completed in the past. Use your gut feeling too, someone may have been reasonable on price but if you didn’t get the right feel or rapport with them then maybe they are not the right tradesman for you. TOP TIP Use a combination of price, punctuality, ratings, experience and tummy feel to choose the contractor thats best for you.

5. Once you have selected a builder based on the above criteria, it is courteous to let the unsuccessful builders know that you have placed the order elsewhere. If you are uncomfortable in making a telephone call to them then a quick email, voicemail or even text is sufficient. Afterall the tradespeople have taken time to provide you with advice and quotations it is only courtesy to at least let them know they haven’t been successful. TOP TIP It is easier in the long run to let any unsuccessful tenders know about it as chances are they will at some poit look to chase up the quote they have given to you and this will prevent any waisted time or unwanted phonecalls.

6. Once you have everything in writing and you are happy to proceed ensure that timescales, payments schedules and possibly even contracts have all been agreed and signed off. Most builders will be able to discuss with you things such as JCT contracts and even third party payment protectors for both customer and builder benefit. Some builders may ask for payment in advance for materials, others may not and therefore the discussion and sign off process is very important. TOP TIP It is very important to protect your money and we advise as much due diligence as possible before handing over any funds but also remember that it is equally important to any reputable builder that payment terms are clear and the funds are in place to cover the full value of the contract. There are many examples of cowboy builders but there are also many examples of cowboy customers so keep everything clear and transparent in order to prevent any misunderstandings.

If you follow these steps when commissioning a local builder you should generally have a very happy experience and minimise the risk to yourself of any shoddy workmanship. If you’ve followed these steps, and have agreed an incremental payment process also then the risk to both tradesman and customer will be massively reduced.

Get connected with our network of local builders now for free.

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After oohing and aahing about the nice work the contractor had done with the tiling, the plumber proceeded to tell me he wasn’t keen about drilling through the tile on the wall in order to affix the pedestal sink. Seems he’d done that years ago and shattered the tile in the process. It cost him more to have the tile redone than he made on the job. Needless to say he wasn’t in a hurry to repeat the experience.

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