Cavity Wall Insulation

By Author: Gareth Hoyle
Total Articles: 692
Comment this article

Cavity wall insulation has been around for decades and the installation of it for new builds has been compulsory in the UK since the 90s. However, you still occasionally find new builds that have been built without it, but fortunately this is rare.

The Main Types of Cavity Wall Insulation

There are several types of cavity wall insulation, but only 2 main categories. The first and currently most common is insulation that is fitted after the building was built. In other words retro-fitted. This is common for houses with cavities built between the 1950s and mid 1980s. This kind of insulation is fitted by holes being drilled into the outside wall at intervals and foam being sprayed into the cavity through those holes. The foam sets between the walls to form a solid layer of insulation.

The other category of cavity wall insulation is installed as the walls are being built. It normally comes in sheets. Once the skin of the building has gone up sheets of insulation are installed between the batons to which the inner walls or skin of the building will be nailed. Plasterboard or other material is placed over the ...
... top of the cavity wall insulation to produce the finished, insulated wall. This kind of insulation comes as a sheet, panel or a roll of material.

The main role of cavity wall insulation is to stop heat from escaping the building in the winter and heat from entering the building during summer. However, some kinds of cavity wall insulation, such as breather foil is designed to act primarily as a windbreak. You find this kind of installation being installed on buildings that are faced in timber.

Buying the Right Cavity Wall Insulation

With such a wide choice of cavity wall insulation available buying the right kind can seem daunting, which is why you need good advice. It is wise to buy your insulation from well established and experienced firms who sell a wide range of cavity wall materials. Look for firms who offer technical support and who sell branded rather than generic insulation.

YBS Insulation sells a huge range of cavity wall insulation products. They offer full technical support and installation advice for all of the products they sell.