Investing in Cavity Wall Insulation

Cavity Wall insulation is infused into the cavity or hollow space between inner and outer portion of the brickwork that makes up the exterior wall of the property. There are different insulating materials but they all function the same by combining the still-active air; the insulation acts as a block against heat loss. They are preferred more than solid walls since the latter may have trapped air included in battens and plasterboards.

It was introduced in early 20th century when building with solid brick walls is no longer trendy. Cavity walls are built for two reasons: one, they thought it was more affordable to construct double-walled masonry buildings and, two, double-wall construction technique eliminates accumulation of moisture in homes.
brick wall
It is suggested that you invest in cavity wall insulation since these methods can span a lifetime without need for maintenance and can help decrease your energy consumption.  During winter, a house without a cavity wall will lose 35 per cent of the heat through the walls, floors, windows and roofs. Most people will turn to heaters and use it more than what is needed. It can considerably increase your bill as it is turned up since it takes longer to heat up a house and will cool down quickly, eventually. Having a well-insulated cavity wall can maintain the heat longer, and during summer, the cool air hangs out.

Identifying Cavity Walls

If your house was constructed after the 1920s, then chances are its external walls are composed of two layers with a cavity or gap in the middle. Houses built prior to 1920 may have been built with solid brick walls. Cavity walls are usually 26.5 cm or 10.5 inches thick. Cavity wall insulation occupies the gap, and absorbs the warmth to save energy. It also helps to minimize condensation in your home if this is an issue with your external walls. If for some reason you don’t know if you have cavity walls, just examine the brick patterns of your external walls to check if you have cavity walls since they typically differ from solid walls.

Costs and Savings

The cost for cavity wall insulation depends on the size of the house. If this is with subsidies, the costs can be further reduced and you can pay for its installation within five years. Due to the deterioration of our environment, people are now more conscious in reducing energy consumption and cavity wall insulation is one of the cost-effective methods to lessen the amount of heat by as much as 35% lost from convection of walls. It has lower initial installation costs and lesser payback time. It only takes two to three hours to install this to a 3-bedroom semi-detached house.

Heat Insulation Materials

Materials used for heat insulation can be categorized into two classes: (1) bulk insulation, and (2) reflective insulation. Bulk cavity wall materials consist of vegetable fibers and organic papers while Reflective insulation includes aluminum foil. These materials are relatively affordable and can help you save on costs.

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