How to make a Cavity Wall Insulation claim

What is Cavity Wall Insulation?

To understand why the cavity wall insulation has failed, we first need to know what cavity wall insulation is.

Cavity Wall Insulation is a material that was packed into the gap between the inner and outer walls of a property. It was installed to stop heat escaping from a property through the walls. The most common forms of cavity wall insulation are polystyrene beads or mineral wool.

How do I find out if my home has cavity wall insulation?

To find out whether or not your home has cavity wall insulation, you can contact the previous owner (or builder) and ask them directly. You should also be able to find out if it has been installed through your property deeds or EPC certificate. Please note that if you were not the owner of the property at the time of the installation, you will not be able to claim compensation with Housing Triage. This is because the agreement will be in the previous property owner’s name.

If you do have cavity wall insulation that has gone faulty, you might see signs of mould in the house. In addition to this, there may be damp patches on walls and other areas inside the house, as well as small holes, filled with mortar, which were drilled into the outer wall for the installation process.

faulty cavity wall insulation

What should you do if you think your Cavity Wall Insulation has caused problems with your property?

If you have been experiencing problems with your wall insulation, the first thing to do is get a second opinion. A specialist surveyor can attend your property to check for signs of faulty cavity wall insulation. They will do a series of checks, using machinery to check for signs of damp, mould and cold spots on your walls – caused by gaps in the insulation where it has been inappropriately applied.

It is imperative that there is solid evidence of the insulation installation. If your EPC records are up to date, it should be possible to retrieve this information quickly. If these records are outdated, it will be down to you to provide this evidence. This can be:

  • a guarantee certificate from CIGA
  • a pre-install survey
  • a installation receipt

Why is it important to act quickly on cavity wall insulation problems?

If you think your cavity wall insulation is the cause of damp or water ingress, it’s important that you act quickly to make a claim.

The longer you leave it, the more difficult it will be to prove a link between your problems and your cavity wall insulation. This can make things harder for us when we come to evaluate your claim – so do get in touch as soon as possible if there’s something wrong with your cavity wall insulation.

The length of time between installation and damage occurring can also affect the validity of a claim under the Consumer Protection Act, because manufacturers have different periods of liability depending on what they’ve made and fitted into your property.

Why are some claims successful and others not?

You can make a claim for cavity wall insulation compensation if you’ve experienced problems because of badly installed or faulty CWI.

However, the law does place a time limit on when claims can be made. Called the ‘statute of limitations’, it means you have to make your claim within six years of becoming aware that there was something wrong with the work. You need to think carefully about when you first knew there were problems with your property and how they might have been caused by poor insulation. If it was more than six years ago, then chances are that you won’t be able to make a claim for compensation.

Some claims go ahead and others don’t. It all depends on the circumstances involved and whether we can prove that any damage or loss has been caused by poorly installed or faulty CWI rather than something else. The vast majority of cases end up being resolved without needing court action and can take anywhere between three months and two years from start to finish depending on their complexity and other factors such as delays in obtaining key information from third parties such as local authorities and architects acting for the parties involved in a dispute.

How can I make a Claim to get compensation?

You may have a valid claim against Cavity Wall Insulation and could be eligible to receive compensation.

To start your CWI claim, speak to one of our specialists today. One of our advisers will go through a questionnaire to find out if you are eligible to claim compensation. Simply call us on 0330 380 0941, or fill in our claims form and one of our friendly advisers will give you a call back within 24 hours.

If you do have a valid claim, we are here to help you every step of the way, from building your case and making your claim, through to fighting for the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve.

How much can I claim for problems with my Cavity Wall Insulation?

You can claim back the cost of the cavity wall insulation plus any building work that has been required to remedy problems caused by the installation.

You will also be able to recover other expenses such as:

  • Costs for remedial work
  • Loss of earnings as a result of time spent dealing with the issue
  • Legal costs (we work on no win, no fee basis)
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Need more information?

If you’re experiencing damp and mould, and you live on the west coast of the UK, it is likely you have faulty cavity wall insulation. Request a call back from one of our experts today. We will arrange a FREE survey of your home and see if you have a case for compensation. You have nothing to lose!