Wall Cavity Insulation - Well Worth the Investment

Wall cavity insulation can help cut the cost of heating your home. In today’s economy, energy conservation is a major priority. In older buildings, heat loss can be substantial, and cavity walls can be one area where heat can escape if they are not adequately insulated.



Some people may worry that installing wall cavity insulation may cost a bit initially, but it is well worth the investment, as you will see from the noticeable savings on your energy bill in the months to come.

The good news is that if you live in the UK, it might be possible to get some help from the government or from your energy company to help pay for the cost of insulating your cavity walls.

The air space that exists between the two layers of a cavity wall creates what is known as a thermal block. Even though this insulating layer of air helps prevent colder temperatures from reaching the inner wall, heat loss still occurs due to the movement of the air. This empty space offers the perfect opportunity to improve protection considerably by simply placing an additional layer of insulation in the space.

Wall cavity insulation is made from a porous material, which fills with the same air that is already creating the thermal block. It is actually the air, not the insulating material that is creating the thermal block, but what the insulation does is holds the air still and prevents convection, or transfer of heat. That means that the heat stays in and the cold stays out, and the cavity wall continues to fulfil its purpose of keeping moisture at bay.

When new buildings are constructed, wall cavity insulation is now routinely installed, often in the form of glass wool or rockwool, but because these types of insulation typically come in the form of panels it may not be possible to effectively install it in the cavities of existing walls. For older buildings, there are several other types of wall cavity insulation that can be used such as cellulose or polyurethane.

There is also a type of glass wool insulation designed for insertion into confined spaces. It is made up of smaller particles that can be blown into the cavities through small holes, effectively filling the spaces. Some types of foam insulations such as urea-formaldehyde have also been used in the past, but use of these materials has ceased because some of them were found to cause allergic reactions in some people.

Once installed in wall cavities, the insulation is extremely difficult to remove so it is important to use a material that can be allowed to remain there permanently.

Residents of the United Kingdom may have the opportunity to get free or very inexpensive insulation for cavity walls by taking advantage of grants that are being offered by the government and also from most of the energy companies. With an offer such as this available, who can afford not to install insulation in their home’s wall cavities?

To read more about related subjects, please follow these links:

What Are Cavity Walls?

Buy Cavity Wall Insulation

Free Cavity Wall Insulation? Ask Your Energy Company

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