Cavity wall after 1983?

[Uncle Peter]

A cavity wall salesman stopped me in the street to ask if I knew if the houses were built after 1983, apparently they can't do it to modern brick builds? He didn't know any more about it, being a salesman.

[Andrew May]

Wasn't 1983 the time after which it became mandatory for builders to build insulation into the cavity wall?

[harryagain]

It will already have full or part fill cavity wall insulation fitted during construction.

A few years later, virtually all houses were/are timber frame. Sometimes with a brick outer leaf.

[Robin]

Sources please?

I ask as we've started to look to move. So I've been seeking info on such questions. And the answers are anything but as clear and firm as yours. Eg Green Deal sellers have been telling loads of people that houses built since 1983 won't benefit from cavity wall insulation. Seems to be utter bollocks based on both what I've seen in specific cases and - more importan - what Consumer found in 2012[1]. Drawing on NHBC records they estimated that over 2 million houses had been built since 1983 with unfilled cavities. Of course that doesn't mean they are as bad as older properties as they may have thermal blocks etc. But speaks volumes for the integrity of so-called flagship initiatives to improve the housing stock.

[1]

[news]

Houses round here were built in 1987/88 and 89 and don't have any form of cavity fill (other than air). The outer wall is brick and the inner wall is lightweight block. The cavity wall fillers seem to be filling their boots round here. (personally I'm wary of damp problems caused by bridging the cavity -have these really all been overcome?)

[ARW]

Have a guess how many timber framed new builds I have worked on?

[newshound]

Not round here they are not. Several estates of conventional blockwork / brick facing.

[JimK]

Er.....zero?

Jim K

[Ferretygubbins]

For what it is worth the side of street I live on was built in 2001 - none of the houses had filled cavity walls. Apparently the blocks used at the time had sufficient insulation properties that extra insulation inside the cavities wasn't needed to meet the regs. The houses on the other side of the street were built about 4 to 5 years later and all has cavity insulation.

We had our cavity insulated by British Gas - they did virtually the whole of our side of the street - for 'free' about 18 months ago. It does seem to keep the place a warmer.

Cheers

Mark

[ARW]

Correct.

[Uncle Peter]

My neighbour noticed no difference at all after cavity wall AND extra loft insulation. It's a con.

[Uncle Peter]

So not only do houses have to be made safely, they have to be made economical. What a farce.

[ARW]

No - thay just shows you have a bedroom in the same mental ward as your neighbour.

[dennis]

Have you told them to close the doors and windows when its cold?

[Adam Funk]

They let you out after you tried to escape with the trolley of light fittings, eh? ;-)

(I used to travel to London occasionally for meetings at a the offices of an NHS psychiatric trust. My mother always congratulated me on being let back out.)

[Uncle Peter]

Ni, it shows that nobody gives a shit about a 1% heat saving.

[Uncle Peter]

His wife is a skinflint, I would imagine they do that.

[Tim Streater]

If the wife is a skinflint, they they probably had the job done by some useless cowboys.

[Uncle Peter]

Freebie tax-funded government scheme, like everyone else.

[harryagain]

You're not expected to. You will get a reduction in your heating bill.