Can we use these blown beads to "top up" areas where we think that the in-wall insulation is not great or does it need to have a fully vacant in-wall cavity?

The reason for asking, is that the previous owners put in foil-backed insulation throughout the house (between the exterior wall and stud wall), but I don't think it's even, especially around windows where we can feel feel the cold. So it would be nice to fill these gaps.

@editor

I think that’s a question for the installation company but I doubt it.

Hi Morgan,

Try the following two links-

PROPERTY-CARE.ORG "https://www.property-care.org/problems-with-cavity-wall-insulation/"

Cavity Wall Insulation Issues | Common Problems & Solutions

Property Care Assocation Website

https://www.insulation-info.co.uk/cavity-wall-insulation/best-cavity-wall-insulation

Alternatively just google cavity wall insulation.

One thing that you could do is inspect your external walls for any signs of cracks or damage.

I must admit when we had our cavity wall insulation installed I did not fully research the subject.

If I was now considering having it installed I would research the type, get quotes from various companies, and confirm if there was a warranty and what is covered by such a warranty. Does it cover removal if damp problems arise?

@derek-m

@editor I think the above is FYI.

@editor See if you can hire an IR camera (or buy one) and take a set of photos to see where the heat loss is occuring - it may be that some draft and cold bridge patching can suffice?

@merrion, that's on my hit list of things to get this summer so that we can embark on the next part of our heating efficiency journey.

@editor We have insulated with hempcrete and iso-hemp blocks.  More expensive than foil backed foam but as a breatheable/moisture permeable material does not need all the membranes and is better suited to our (no damp proof course 1880s) cottage.  

Draught proofing of windows done this weekend. Check.

We've tried using an endless amount of products (caulks, silicone, fillers, etc.) to draught proof our windows, and they never seem to last more than a few months before they start to crack. So we've turned to our go to all-in-one product, Maxam's DURA+, to draught proof 29 windows across the property. It's been a winner of a product so far, from sealing our shower to sticking a broken slate step together, so we're optimist it's going to work sealing our windows, keeping draughts out this winter (and the heat in):

MYHOMEFARM.CO.UK "https://myhomefarm.co.uk/draught-proofing-windows"

Draught proofing windows – Kirsten & Mars

DURA+ on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FsDYiQ

The former Energy Secretary claims his 1930s house is “too awkward” for a heat pump and compares installing one to “fitting a Rolls-Royce engine to a shopping trolley.” 🤦‍♂️

So I thought we should write a rebuttal (link below), and also resurrect old threads on insulation to see how well or poorly your home is insulted and what you're doing about it and debunk some of those old (and unhelpful) narratives.

RENEWABLEHEATINGHUB.CO.UK "https://renewableheatinghub.co.uk/grant-shapps-and-the-heat-pump-myth-that-wont-die/"

Grant Shapps and the Heat Pump Myth That Won’t Die | Renewable Heating Hub

In a recent interview with Elemental London, former Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Grant Shapps, shared why he hasn’t installed a heat pump in his own home: “My place is a 1930s house with solid walls with a conservatory tacked on the back – exactly the...

Grant was my local MP before he lost his seat.

He was one of the more green MPs, with an electric vehicle and I remember he had his house assessed for a heat pump when he was a government minister in 2023.

I suspect his comments are primarily based on the feedback he received in 2023 which would have been interesting to say the least with the conservatory etc as we know from other posters recently. So without further info I am not sure if the blame sits primarily with Grant or the one or more installers who visited him.

Also things have moved on over the last few years I feel with perhaps more pragmatism around the fabric first approach which I remember well this forum championing strongly.

I do wonder if Grant had a couple of assessments now from installers, what feedback they would give him. It would clearly depend which installers from what we have seen.

@jeff Insulation (or lack of same) will not mean that a heat pump will lose any more or less of the precious heat we would pump into a property than that with an oil burner, gas boiler or even night store electric heating. A therm is a therm, however created and the better the insulation, the less thermal loss will take place (all else being equal).

Insulation is, as they say, a ‘no brainer’ and ought to be accomplished when affordable. Meanwhile, is it not better to produce the heat required within the property by the cleanest and most efficient method available? A heat pump is likely to be the preferred method in many if not most cases. If energy is going to be wasted due to heat loss, it is probably preferable that that heat be supplied by the most efficient means and thus leave the fossils in the ground - and also insulate as soon as possible commensurate with available funds and practicality. (Tucks soap box away again) Toodles.

Posted by: @toodles

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@jeff Insulation (or lack of same) will not mean that a heat pump will lose any more or less of the precious heat we would pump into a property than that with an oil burner, gas boiler or even night store electric heating. A therm is a therm, however created and the better the insulation, the less thermal loss will take place (all else being equal).

Insulation is, as they say, a ‘no brainer’ and ought to be accomplished when affordable. Meanwhile, is it not better to produce the heat required within the property by the cleanest and most efficient method available? A heat pump is likely to be the preferred method in many if not most cases. If energy is going to be wasted due to heat loss, it is probably preferable that that heat be supplied by the most efficient means and thus leave the fossils in the ground - and also insulate as soon as possible commensurate with available funds and practicality. (Tucks soap box away again) Toodles.

I did say anything to infer this.

I am offended and would like a apology