Cavity wall insulation options

[dog-man]

Just had the cavity wall insulation rep round.

Their adverts stated that grants were available for ALL!

Been told that because my kitchen is an extension and not part of the original house, it cannot have a grant. Therefore the full price is payable.

just to clarify...........

My house is a large old victorian, so not possible for cavity insulation, We are dry lining what we can and draft proofing like mad.

The kitchen extension was a 1980's build, so can have cavity insulation.

Seems daft to me that it can't have a grant. They are expecting me to pay the same amount you would pay for a 3 bed semi just for the extension.

Do I have any other options appart from dry lining?

I think they have me by the short and curlies to be honest!

Steve...........

[David Hansen]

On 18 Oct 2006 05:49:42 -0700 someone who may be "dog-man" wrote this:-

Have you researched what is available at

?

There are many schemes and if one doesn't fit then another might.

[Codswallop]

Get some more surveys/estimates from other firms.

[Ron]

What about me I can't get it done because health and safety constraints won't allow anyone to climb onto my garage roof and the cost of erecting scaffolding makes it uneconomic. And I live in a semi built in 1991. Ron

[Dave Fawthrop]

|>> Their adverts stated that grants were available for ALL! |>>

|>> Been told that because my kitchen is an extension and not part of the |>> original house, it cannot have a grant. Therefore the full price is |>> payable. |>>

|>> just to clarify........... |>>

|>> My house is a large old victorian, so not possible for cavity |>> insulation, We are dry lining what we can and draft proofing like mad. |>>

|>> The kitchen extension was a 1980's build, so can have cavity |>> insulation. |>>

|>> Seems daft to me that it can't have a grant. They are expecting me to |>> pay the same amount you would pay for a 3 bed semi just for the |>> extension. |>>

|>> Do I have any other options appart from dry lining? |>>

|>> I think they have me by the short and curlies to be honest! |>>

|>> Steve........... |>

|> Get some more surveys/estimates from other firms. | | What about me I can't get it done because health and safety constraints |won't allow anyone to climb onto my garage roof and the cost of erecting |scaffolding makes it uneconomic. And I live in a semi built in 1991.

Just get three quotes for the work which needs doing, specify access via garage roof. Someone, with more reasonable insurance, will be happy to take the job.

[Dave Fawthrop]

|Just had the cavity wall insulation rep round. | |Their adverts stated that grants were available for ALL! | |Been told that because my kitchen is an extension and not part of the |original house, it cannot have a grant. Therefore the full price is |payable. | |just to clarify........... | |My house is a large old victorian, so not possible for cavity |insulation, We are dry lining what we can and draft proofing like mad. | |The kitchen extension was a 1980's build, so can have cavity |insulation. | |Seems daft to me that it can't have a grant. They are expecting me to |pay the same amount you would pay for a 3 bed semi just for the |extension. | |Do I have any other options appart from dry lining? | |I think they have me by the short and curlies to be honest!

Thanks! I am considered having my extension cavity wall filled.

No you just use the standard method of pricing building work.

Get three quotes from reputable firms for the job which needs doing. Chose the lowest.

[Phil L]

Som firms will do it - it was a regular occurence when I used to install it, we even went on conservatory rooves and put ladders on pitched rooves...in the 10 years I was installing it, I think I worked on scaffolding twice.

Find out the 3 main installers in your area who are involved with Eaga, ring all three but don't mention the garage roof. Ring the electricity board and find out about what grants they are offering, ring the installers they reccomend...in fact, you are better off just bypassing everyone and just ring every CWI firm advertised in your Yellow Pages, ask them what grants are available and get them to come out and look at it, the smaller firms will jump at the chance because they don't get as much grantwork as the large outfits, although they are required to be involved in all the same schemes because of 'customer choice'.

[Phil L]

Get another firm in, I've done CWI grantwork on houses that turned out to be solid except an extension, a few times it's just been a porch.

[Ron]

The firm that won't do it is Miller Pattison and they do most of the grant work for EDF energy, my supplier, and they also do the work for Powergen and scottish gas. I was going to get it done for £125 which was grant aided. Without grants it will, I have been told, cost over £600, not cost effective to save £30/£40 per year. Or what is the cost of cavity wall insulation for a 3 bedroom semi in Scotland? picture here

[Phil L]

Built in 91? Have you checked that the cavity isn't already insulated?

As an extra bit of 'leverage' for you to get it done, tell any future surveyors that they can do the peak from inside the loft - this is the part they can't get to without scaffolding...if your house had been hipped instead of a peak, it would have been done by now.

[Ron]

The cavity is not insulated. The company were going to do just the front and back (still for £125, where would the material for the end have gone too?)) but as you can see the biggest wall is the gable end. I suggested doing it from the inside but was told it could not be done. The garage was added 3 years after the house was built. Ron

[beamoocher]

I went via a link from my local council's website page on environment / energy saving. Contacted the council, who got the company to call me. The company they put you onto sorts it. Our modern extention on a victorian house is being done soon for =A3238 by Millfold Group.

[Guy King]

The message from "beamoocher" contains these words:

They did our loft nicely. The only bit I didn't like was the very narsty latches they used to secure the loft hatch - just a tiny wire cabin hook into some screw eyes. When the bloke came to check it I queried it. He said they'd previously used some rather nice catches but that the grant-holders had complained they were too expensive.

[Dave Fawthrop]

|

|> Just get three quotes for the work which needs doing, specify access via |> garage roof. Someone, with more reasonable insurance, will be happy to |> take the job. | |The firm that won't do it is Miller Pattison and they do most of the grant |work for EDF energy, my supplier, and they also do the work for Powergen and |scottish gas. I was going to get it done for ?125 which was grant aided. |Without grants it will, I have been told, cost over ?600, not cost effective |to save ?30/?40 per year. Or what is the cost of cavity wall insulation for |a 3 bedroom semi in Scotland? picture here

do the other two/three firms you contacted say? What price did they quote?

[David Hansen]

On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 17:24:47 GMT someone who may be "Ron" wrote this:-

Yet they presumably allow their operatives to stand on tall ladders while drilling holes and blowing the stuff in.

Get another firm to look at it. Assuming the roof is not in a dangerous condition somebody probably didn't want to do the job for some reason.

[DMac]

Sounds like the bunch of cowboys I had on a council contract - trouble is they have so much work they can afford to be choosy. My lot turned up totally unannounced (after a survey 6 months prior that said all was ok) took one look at house and buggered off ( ihave a 1.2m gap between my house and next door)

Got smaller independant in - no problems done within 3 weeks - still got grant

[Codswallop]

My circumstances are different, a 1900 semi all original build, about 80% is cavity wall and 20% is solid wall. They measured the cavity walls in square metres and charged me for that. I don't understand why they have not quoted just for your extension. You definitely need to get more estimates.

[dog-man]

I emailed my local council and asked for clarification.

They have eventually replied saying, that they are not aware of the regulations the insulation company quoted regarding the extension not being eligable for a grant due to it not being part of the original house.

To cut a long story short, I am now waiting for someone from the council to contact me voice to voice to discuss it futher. It looks like I will get it done with a grant.

Steve.........

Codswall> "dog-man" wrote: