Does my home have Cavity Walls?

There are three simple checks you can do yourself which should tell you if your house has cavity walls.

Check 1: When was your house built?

Most houses built from 1920 onwards and up to 1995 will have empty cavity walls. If your house was built before this date it is unlikely to have cavity walls. To double check go to Check 2.  Note: houses built in the last ten years are likely to have walls that are already insulated.

Check 2: Check the pattern of bricks on your outside walls

The pattern of the bricks on the outside of your house will be able to tell you if you have cavity walls.

Stretcher bond, where all the bricks are laid on the long side, often indicates a cavity wall.

Other brick patterns such as alternating full and half length brick are unlikely to have cavities.

Check 3: Measure the thickness of your outside walls

If your brickwork has been covered you may be able to tell a cavity wall by measuring its thickness. Cavity walls tend to be thicker than solid walls because they have an air gap between the external and internal wall. To measure the thickness of your outside walls, Go to a window or door on one of your external walls and measure from the outside face of the wall, through the door/window opening to the inside face of the wall.

If the wall is more than 260mm deep then it is probably a cavity wall. If it is much narrower it would suggest that it’s solid.

Does my home have cavity walls suitable for filling with insulation?

Access

Cavity wall insulation is blown into the cavity from the outside of the house. Every part of the wall must be filled so it is important that the installer has access to all of your external walls.

Existing damp problems on the inside of external walls.

Any damp patches on the inside or external walls need to be investigated to determine cause and remedied out prior to insulation being installed.

Flats

Cavities cannot be filled in blocks of flats unless the whole building is insulated.

Type of construction

Timber and steel framed houses and some other unusual construction types are not suitable for cavity wall insulation.

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