Any experience of DIY cavity wall insulation?

Question

gibbyguys - the building is already built, so whichever ones can be used with that. I expect that blown or poured in are the only choices.

Slartibardfast - the new Earth should not need this! or are we in the old one?

I should have mentioned the walls are brick, inner and outer.

Answer 1

Blown-in cellulose is the way to go. A single hole (2.5" - 3") per stud cavity and a 1.5" i.d. tube is inserted into the cavity; cellulose is blown up and down in the cavity. Don't let the installer tell you they can get a good pack without the tube (regardless of the number of holes per cavity). Infrared scanning of walls shows you need the tube. Scanning of walls also shows cellulose to be a superior product to other blown-in insulation products.

If cellulose is installed via the "tubing method", the voids and weak density produced by the 'two-hole method" are virtually eliminated. Tubing installs the material in the same direction the wall cavity is running, vertically. Two-hole blows the material in horizontally, then uses the air pressure to force the material vertically. Usually, a star burst pattern of insulation material is created right around the access hole, and then the material starts backing up, implying that the cavity is full. Unless you leave the top hole open (as a pressure relief opening) when you're blowing insulation into the bottom hole (which creates a cascade of insulation on your head), this method does not work.
Installing the material at 3.5 lbs/ft3 eliminates settling of the material and produces a sound barrier as well.

If you're going to hire this out, I'd go foam. If money is a consideration, I'd go cellulose.

Brick in and out?
Forget the cellulose... it wicks moisture.
I'd go with the foam for sure now.

Answer 2

Diy Cavity Wall Insulation

Answer 3

No experience of DIY cavity insulation. However we have just moved into a house wich had neither loft nor cavity wall insulation. We did the loft ourselves but had to get a firm in to do the cavity. There are firms which will do the insulation incorporating a grant.

Ours was done yesterday, they took about 2 hours drilled lots of holes in the wall and pumped the insulation in. Cemented them all back up and all looks very tidy. Cost £260 inclusive of grant, well worth the money, it's already warmer in the house!

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Any experience of DIY cavity wall insulation?

Answer 5

Get a professional insulation installer to give you an estimate on installing 1/2 pound density poly-urethane insulation in a "Drill and Fill" application, I would personally stay away from injecting cellulose if every thing is brick for moisture reasons, however, if foam just isn't in your budget than cellulose is your only other option. Try hitting a web site on Icynene Insulation to get an idea on 1/2 pound foam, they have a decent product and only certified installers can buy it, so you know chances are they will give you a good job. Remember, there is a certain amount of trust that goes along with a drill and fill job because you can't really see the finished product, so make sure you get references on the company you hire. If they are good at what they do, they wont mind giving them to you. Good Luck.

Answer 6

Since no one else has offered this option, I'll go ahead and mention it. Injected foam is beginning to become popular for new home construction. Our company just completed a new home with this type of insulation. For years we have used in commercial applications at masonry block wall cavities. They inject the foam in the cavity by drilling a small hole at the top and bottom of each cell cavity. They inject from the bottom and stop when it comes out the top. I used it between drywall and metal stud partitions to limit the noise between a Harley Davidson showroom and their shop area with great success. That's another advantage to foam, it muffles outside noises. The installers modify the aggressiveness of the foam to determine how expansive the formula should be. That way it doesn't expand to aggressively and pop drywall off the walls, so experience is a must. Cellulose is the typical product, but the weight of the material, which is chemically treated newspaper, causes it to settle down over time. Goodluck.

Answer 7

I'm going to assume that you have already established that you have cavities to fill. I haven't done a brick house, but I have done hundreds of "stick" houses.the product I used was called "Cellufibre" its a product made from pulverized old newspapers and treated to make it fire resistant. it's grey in colour. To blow this into the walls of existing buildings, I would drill a 1" hole in every cavity, that means along the outside wall of the house you would have a row of 1" holes roughly 16" apart. When you drill these holes, you drop in a fish weight attached to a string to make sure there aren't any cross braces in the wall, in which case you drill another hole below the cross brace. You can rent the machinery from most lumber yards. When finished, you insert a plug into the hole and finish as per the finish of the house. If you find their is already insulation in the cavity, you will not be able to blow in any insulation. Your options then are to live with it, or start tearing down walls, or go buy another house.

Answer 8

Do not leave windows open, that's stupid. The condensation is due to temp. differences ie glass of ice water will sweat. There are some window insulators that are relatively inexpensive that will help this problem if not fix it. These kits contain heat shrink plastic that will make the window more efficient thus controlling the problem. Any person who lives in that house will have had the same problem and it can lead to a mold growing which can become hazardous to your health. Make sure you do everything possible to minimize moisture, make sure dryer vent is going to the exterior and vent in bathroom is turned on while showering and so forth. Good Luck and be safe.

Answer 9

Blown in insulation is the easiest DIY method. Home Depot or Lowes will sell bags of the celulose insulation for around $10.00 per bag. Sometimes they will rent the blower to you for free if you buy so much insulation.
Next step is that you need to make 2.5 inch holes in each stud space (usually one in the middle and one in the top). Blow insulation in the bottom hole, then when you hear the blower motor pitch increase, stop, and continue in the upper hole (after plugging the first hole in that stud space. Continue this until all cells are full.

Answer 10

blown rockwall is the best you know you can get a grant to have this done in some cases have a search for warmfront hope this helps