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Original poster

Anybody had cavity wall insulation removed?

10 replies

Origamiheaven · 09/10/2023 18:08

House is a 1920s semi and had cavity wall insulation installed in 1980 by previous owners. Looking at having the house rerendered and the trade guys have asked if we have cwi. as this can affect the longevity of the render. Checked on our deeds to find it was done with a now banned substance, dangerous to health and looks like we will need to have removed by specialist company. Any one any experience of this??

OP posts:
Thingamebobwotsit · 09/10/2023 18:16

Yes. It is quite straightforward. It was a while ago and I can't remember the costs but just make sure they make the external wall good again. Similar situation to yours.

StandUpForYourRights · 09/10/2023 18:21

Yes I have. I nearly lost a house sale as it had been inappropriately installed on a timber framed house by the previous occupant (who got a full grant). I told the installers they either removed it at their cost or I would see them in court.

They removed it, bit messy but was done in a day.

amandaleeds · 30/09/2024 22:35

StandUpForYourRights · 09/10/2023 18:21

Yes I have. I nearly lost a house sale as it had been inappropriately installed on a timber framed house by the previous occupant (who got a full grant). I told the installers they either removed it at their cost or I would see them in court.

They removed it, bit messy but was done in a day.

So we're you able to get it removed for free, even though the previous owner had the contract with the installers? I'm in the process of buying an 80s house that's had cavity wall insulation installed which I'm told might be an issue, as there have been a lot of homes damaged by it

Defender90 · 30/09/2024 22:37

We did, it was removed as part of the process of external insulation and rendering.

It was noisy and created a fair bit of dust but otherwise uneventful.

StandUpForYourRights · 01/10/2024 07:31

amandaleeds · 30/09/2024 22:35

So we're you able to get it removed for free, even though the previous owner had the contract with the installers? I'm in the process of buying an 80s house that's had cavity wall insulation installed which I'm told might be an issue, as there have been a lot of homes damaged by it

Show quote history

Yes, they removed it for free as they were unable to produce a pre-installation survey to demonstrate it was suitable. The previous owner was elderly and therefore was due a full grant (this was about 1999ish) so they took advantage of that and installed. I'm sure this happened a lot.

When my buyers surveyor indicated a problem when I was selling, I went to their professional body (sorry can't remember the name) who told me they should have done a survey which would have shown timber frame house which is not suitable for cavity wall insulation. (My £1k surveyor didn't pick this up when I bought the house 2 years earlier but there is a whole other story).

They got a strongly worded letter from me telling them to remove it or I would see them in court, and they just folded basically. The buyers mortgage company following it's removal, then agreed to reverse their decision and lend the money and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

Good luck and be very careful.

amandaleeds · 07/10/2024 16:58

So I the survey has come back with some structural damage, blistered plastering (despite the plastering looking relatively new), higher than normal damp readings in some places and some mould.
I need to now request the vendors supply info on what was done with the CWI. If they don't know as it was before their time, then what other options do I have? What kind of cost is it to get someone to look inside to see what's happening?

StandUpForYourRights · 07/10/2024 22:28

My CWI was before my time, too, but my solicitor found the necessary documents with the deeds etc. (Its a shame that my surveyor when I bought the property didn't pick up on it at all.) That's how we found the company involved and as they still existed, we went after them.

A surveyor may be able to help?

At the end of the day with our case, my buyers mortgage company refused the loan whilst it was still in situ, so if we hadn't have got it sorted, I would have lost the sale.

Hope you get it sorted x

amandaleeds · 07/10/2024 23:02

Thanks @StandUpForYourRights yes a RICS surveyor has just said there is damp in the walls and damp caused damage to a lintel and cracking, but they don't inspect inside cavity walls. I'll need to ask the vendor for the guarantee and if expired or the company no longer exists, might have to look into costs of rectifying the issue if at all possible.

StandUpForYourRights · 08/10/2024 07:19

Good luck. It's definitely worth being thorough now as you could end up with an expensive purchase that you can't sell on. I came close and it was a horrible experience. Thankfully my buyers loved the house and were prepared to see it through.

Removing the CWI was interesting. The guys that did it said it was their first ever time they had been asked to do it! Thankfully it was able to be "blown" out.....all over everyone's gardens, cars, houses, street...everywhere!!

amandaleeds · 08/10/2024 22:49

Thanks @StandUpForYourRights . I'm trying to get it inspected but the issue might be that as I'm not the owner, I can't agree for holes to be drilled into the walls. Just hoping to vendor agrees and doesn't just put the house back on the market.

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