Cavity fill insulation is the least expensive wall insulation. Cavity fill insulation is used to reduce heat loss through a cavity wall by filling the air space with a porous material. This immobilises the air within the cavity (air is still the actual insulator), preventing convection, and can substantially reduce space heating costs.  The success of cavity wall insulation is based on the condition of your cavity and the thoroughness of your installation contractor.

Cavity fill insulation can be fitted into new builds and existing dwellings with ease. A series of holes are drilled in one leaf of the cavity wall and the insulation is pumped in under pressure. Gravity takes effect and the cavity is gradually filled form the bottom up.

Comfort Solutions use a graphite based expanded polystyrene bead, which is injected into the cavity along with a specialised bonding agent which adheres the beads together forming an insulating mass.

New Builds

For a new dwelling, cavity insulation should be installed after walls are built and roofs and windows are installed. We will install cavity wall insulation from the inside in a new build situation. The width of your cavity should be considered at planning stage, if this is the method you are using to insulate your house, as this will determine how much insulation you can install and what U-value you can achieve.

Existing Dwellings

For a retrofit, cavity wall insulation is bored through the outer leaf from outside the dwelling. The holes are then patched up afterwards with a sand and cement mix. Where one may wish to stop insulation at a point in a cavity eg. where a new extension adjoins an old cavity wall or where you meet a neighbouring dwelling, special brushes are installed in the cavity to prevent insulation from passing through.

Improving partial fill cavity wall insulation

Since the 1970’s, Building Regulations have stipulated that partial cavity insulation be installed in cavity walls. This began with 40mm white polystyrene and has gradually increased over the years. During construction of these new buildings, insulation panels were placed between the two wall leafs. A cavity wall consists of two rows of brick or concrete block with a cavity or space between them. The quality of these cavity walls varies quite a bit, where many cavities became dirty during construction. This was mainly through poor workmanship, where wall ties weren’t installed correctly and mortar was dropped between the cavity leafs, sticking to blocks, bricks, wall ties and insulation as it travelled downwards.

Likewise, the insulation may have been poorly installed. This partial fill insulation should have been tightly fitted against the inner leaf and held securely in position with aforementioned wall ties. Unfortunately, wall ties were left out, mortar snots on the inside of the cavity prevented a tight fit against the block or brick, mortar snots falling onto the tops of insulation boards prevented the next board form fitting snugly into the last…

Any of the above scenarios, either alone or combined, leads to thermal looping,  an under-performing cavity and ineffective insulation. This is why so many people are now electing to have their cavity walls pumped with insulation. This fills the available gaps within the cavity and in an ideal world will give you a full 100mm (or whatever your cavity width is) of insulation. If only it was this simple…

Where cavity insulation will certainly help your wall’s U-value, the success of the insulation still depends on the quality of the construction of your cavity. If your cavity is dirty or if partial fill insulation panels are installed incorrectly, it will make the circulation of cavity bead insulation more difficult and uninsulated patches or holes are possible.

Comfort Solutions endeavour to minimise this problem by carrying out the best and most thorough installation possible. Hole drilling patterns and hole numbers are vital for the successful installation of cavity fill insulation and where a contractor takes shortcuts or fails to bore the optimum amount or pattern of holes, drastically lessens the chance of a quality insulation job.

Cavity fill insulation is supported by SEAI under the Better Energy Homes scheme where a grant is available. This must be applied for in conjunction with some other Better Energy measure such as attic insulation, solar panels or a boiler upgrade. See our grants section or contact us for further information or a quote on any of these measures.

So, if you think your home could benefit from Cavity Fill Insulation, contact us today and we will be glad to guide you as best we can. For other methods of insulating your walls, why not take a look at External Wall Insulation or Dry Lining. Comfort Solutions can help you to make the right choice. We want to make your home more comfortable this winter at the right price. The quality of all our installations is guaranteed and we give warrantys of up to 10 years on our insulation systems!
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