Cavity Wall foam removal

[Downtherefordancing]

Last year I bought a 1970’s house that needs some work.

Recently, I had an insulation company come do a survey and quote for a few things like loft insulation etc. I really want cavity wall insulation (the house was an ice box last winter) and after drilling a few holes and taking a peak at the cavity, the surveyor said there is some old blue expanding foam in there which needs removed before they can put cavity wall insulation in.

That company do not remove the old foam so can’t help with costs.

Has anyone had this done and was it expensive to do?

How exactly would they do that? You'd need to take the walls down to get to it. Expanding foam will be stuck to the walls so its not like they can suck it out through the top.

Perhaps look at different forms of insulation.

Friends had it done in a bay window which just wicked water so incre damp it was very expensive. It was also very messy

These days they tend to put in k rend where suitable.

I was told they use a chemical that desolves it, although that might be the polystyrene bead stuff that Shell (petrol people) used to pump in. I would worry about any electrical cables that might be within the cavity.

But foam roof insulation is notoriously difficult to remove so I would image that cavity wall foam would be even more difficult to remove.

Thanks so much for replies.

Just to explain - in the 80's/90's a product was used for cavity wall insulation that was not only useless, but a health hazard, and causes damp.

The advice is to get it removed - but I am worries about the cost of this.
I think I may have to do a search for contractors in the area that can help.
Fingers crossed it isn't too expensive :-/

I have recently got my insulation extracted, and then new stuff installed. It was not cheap. The company i used where in Northern Ireland.

I am not to sure where your based, but if you live in NI then this maybe handy.

cleverinsulation.com/cavity-wall-insulation-northern-ireland