Drill a Small Hole in the Wall If you have a closet that has an exterior wall, then this is a great place to drill a ¾-inch hole. Once the hole is drilled, you can sometimes get a look to see if there is insulation. If you have an inspection scope, you can use that to get a better look at what is in your walls.
If you feel you're hitting something soft and pillowy, you've got insulation. If you immediately hit something hard, you're probably bumping into a wall stud -- try the other side, top, or bottom. If you can wiggle the skewer around and touch it to the inside face of the exterior wall -- bad news, no insulation.
Missing insulation allows either heat or cold to infiltrate, which shows as hot or cold spots on your walls or ceiling when viewed by a thermal camera. You can easily detect areas of missing insulation by walking around your house with a thermal imager and looking for temperature differences.
You can do this by using a window or door and a tape measure to measure the distance between the outside wall and the inside wall. If the distance is over 260mm, then it is likely cavity insulation has been installed in between the inside and outside wall.
Thermal imaging is a process that allows you to analyse the heat signatures of your home digitally and see what effect the insulation is having. Thermal imaging is done using a thermal camera, which shows you the hot and cold spots within your walls. These are likely to be the areas where you're missing insulation.
Do the touch test. The interior ceilings, walls and floors in your home should feel warm and dry. When drywall and paneling inside a home feels damp or cold, there is not enough insulation. Alternatively, when touching an exterior wall, it should feel cold because insulation is keeping warm air inside a home.
By properly insulating cavity walls, you will save energy and cut costs off your heating bill. In general, houses built from the 1990s onwards have wall insulation to keep the heat in, but if your house is older than that, it may not have any wall insulation at all.
You can actually claim off them if the failure of your cavity wall insulation breaches the dates of the guarantee. The installer should have parted with a certificate containing the details of your provider, and from there you can begin to reclaim what's rightfully yours.
In most cases, interior walls are not insulated during construction. Unlike exterior walls, which must meet local and state codes for insulation, interior wall insulation is rarely required. This is because interior insulation has much less impact on your home's energy efficiency – but it can still play a role.
Check Your Wall Insulation Level
Remove the outlet cover and shine a flashlight into the crack around the outlet box. You should be able to see if there is insulation in the wall and possibly how thick it is. Pull out a small amount of insulation if needed to help determine the type of insulation.
Tuck the insulation into the cavity, ensuring it's snug against the top of the stud bay with edges flush against the studs. Allow the insulation to run long at the bottom, then use your utility knife to cut it against the bottom plate of the wall framing for an accurate fit.
Many people check for insulation by cutting a huge hole in their drywall. This is labor intensive and can ruin the wall. Luckily, there's a simple alternative: inspecting the drywall through a cutout that holds an electrical box. These are built-in holes that hold outlets, light switches, and more.
Houses prone to dampness and that are regularly exposed to wind-driven rain are not suitable candidates for cavity wall insulation. There are some bad practices in the industry that means these unsuitable homes are being recommended for cavity wall insulation in some instances.
This is another symptom of your cavity wall insulation's deteriorating health. Your boiler and radiators are working overtime to try and warm your house up, the heat wants to escape, and your insulation is allowing it! If your insulation can't even hold itself up, then there's no chance of it holding your heat in.
Moisture and water that get behind the wall cause the backside of the drywall to soften and even become mushy. Look for soft spots or wet spots in the drywall and gently press into them. If the drywall depresses, there is most likely water damage. Mold on your walls' surfaces.
If you're wondering what bad insulation looks like, check to see if it is moldy, wet, or discolored. It may be unevenly dispersed and thin in areas. If you see these problems, take action right away. Poor household insulation can cascade into expensive, uncomfortable, and even dangerous problems.
Look for Signs of Installation
If you notice small, evenly placed holes on the outside brick wall, it could indicate that insulation has been installed. The best places to look are under and by the side of windows as these are commonly drilled sections when insulating a cavity wall.
To check the level of your wall insulation, consider purchasing an infrared thermometer. The device will detect any poor insulation and alert you of any specific problem area.