FAQs
FAQs #3: Cavity Wall Insulation on Steel-Framed Buildings
Building work can often be complicated. Without the right guidance and advice, mistakes can be made, leading to setbacks like costly repair work or delays in time frame.
At Modulus, we receive queries and questions to our inbox that often concern the same issue, and our most recent one involved cavity wall insulation and a steel-framed building.
The Query:
“I am looking to purchase a non-standard construction steel-framed house. Cavity wall insulation has been identified from a homebuyer’s survey.
The report suggests this could potentially corrode the footings, and in addition to this, the chimney is apparently leaning
What would you advise?”
Our Advice:
Unfortunately for this client, if the walls of a steel-framed house have been filled with cavity insulation, this is not good news.
The first step towards solving the problem would be to get the insulation removed, which can be costly.
During the removal process, bricks may be removed to allow access to the cavity. If they are removed, this would be the best time to have the existing steel frame inspected for any corrosion.
If no bricks need to be taken out during the insulation removal process, then a builder will need to be called in to do so.
The bricks are usually removed at the corners, as this gives easy access to the steel frame.
The inspection will then reveal the following elements:
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How much, if any, corrosion has taken place.
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Reveal any additional areas other than the corners that require further investigation.
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Identify any remedial work that may be required due of corrosion.
If you are the potential buyer of a building suffering this issue, we would recommend requesting that the seller seeks out a solution.
Before any bricks are removed, the seller should get a second opinion of whether cavity wall insulation has been installed, and if it has, then they should seek redress from the company that installed the insulation as it is an unsuitable insulation for the property type.
Modulus Structural Engineering
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At Modulus we have been providing structural engineering and design services to a wide variety of clients in both the residential and commercial sector for over ten years.
On any project we work on, we aim to deliver a high quality and bespoke service with a clear brief and time frame, providing our clients with complete peace of mind.
If you have a project you’d like to discuss, contact us today on 01256 768588 or for a quote, use our simple and fast quote calculator here.