UK Process of Retrofitting Cavity Walls

Brussels, 7th February 2012

Gerry Miller

CIGA

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Regulatory landscape

• CWI is a mass market measure, with over 2,000 installations

taking place every day, circa 600,000 this year.

• 200 installing companies employ 2,500 technicians working in

1 or 2 mean crews, each completing ~2 installations per day.

• Procedures must be robust to ensure that all these

installations take place is a safe manner and satisfy the

requirements of the Technical approvals for the system and

CIGA.

• Focuses on 4 main areas:

– System Technical Approvals & Best Practice Guides

– Approval of Installers and inspection & surveillance of work

– Technician Training

– Building Assessment for suitability

– Installation

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Overview of Process

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

System Technical Approvals

• Systems in use include glass wool/stone wool,

polystyrene beads and Urea Formaldehyde foam

• Each is subject to testing prior to certification

including:

– Wet wall testing

– Adequacy of fill

– Thermal properties

• Majority of systems are covered by British Board

of Agrément certificates

• Scope currently restricted to traditional

masonry constructions <12m with a +50mm

clear cavity

• Research and testing underway looking at

systems to treat buildings falling outside of

current approvals.

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

CIGA Best Practice Guides

• Provide guidance to Installers and

Technicians

• Cover all aspects of work:

– Assessor’s Guide

– Installing CWI

– Flues Chimneys and Combustion

Ventilators

– Ladders – selection and use

– Technical Notes on specific issues

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Approval & Surveillance

• Initial Approval: Installers are subject to initial

approval covering:

– Technical competency

– Technical Systems

– Management Systems, training records etc.

• Ongoing Independent Surveillance & Inspection

– Annual office Visits

– Surveillance of work

– Post installation inspections

• Additional random inspections by:

– System Designers, 2 inspections per year on

each technician

– Scheme funders, typically 5% of work

– CIGA targeted inspections

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Training

• Individual System Suppliers and Installers are

responsible for providing system specific

training to Technicians.

• Ongoing task, as staff turnover typically 20% per

year.

• Typically involves a mixture of class and “on

the job” assignments and takes ~ 16 weeks to

complete

• Once trained Technicians are “carded” by the

System Designer as competent.

• CIGA provides support for training, including

training covering flues and vents delivered at 12

training centres located throughout the UK

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Assessment

• It is a requirement that all buildings must be assessed for suitability for the system involved prior to treating.

• Ultimately the installing Technicians is responsible for confirming suitability.

• CIGA Guide to Assessment covers:

– Form of construction

– Site conditions

• Building condition/state of repair

• Cavity condition/width

• Location and Exposure

• Identify any flues and vents

• If any doubt then specialist advice should be sought

• H&S risk assessment also required to identify any special access requirements

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Assessment

Examples of Assessment Considerations

Poor Condition Flues and Vents

Exposed Location Cold Bridging/

Condensation

Timber Frame Non standard

“System Built”

Existing Water

Penetration Conservatory

Random stone Extensive non

cavity areas

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Assessment

• Main reasons for unsuitability:

1. Solid Wall

2. Access problems

3. Timber Framed

4. Narrow cavity

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Pre Installation Checks

• Correct operation of machinery is verified prior to

each installation and the results recorded:

– Where a mineral wool system is used, by filling a

test box

– Where a polystyrene bead of UF foam systems is

used the relevant flow rates are checked

• Identification and appropriate work to

– preserve the integrity of essential combustion and

underfloor vents by sleeving

– add additional combustion vents if required

– Seal non essential cavity vents to prevent water

ingress.

• Other works, isolation from adjoining property by

installing cavity brushes etc.

• Checks to ensure that the building is according to

the Assessor's report and is suitable for CWI.

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Installation

• Installation is carried out in accordance with

– System Technical Approval

– System Installation manual

– Work Instruction for the property

– CIGA guidance

• System Technical Approval specifies the relevant

drilling pattern that should be used.

• Quantity of material recorded to allow check

calculation of installed density

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Post Installation Checks

• All installation points / holes are made

good

• All ventilators and vent axia’s are clear and

operating correctly

• All heating appliances are checked for safe

working operation

• Loft is re checked for possible ingress of

insulation

• All debris removed from site and windows

are cleaned down

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Guarantee

• Installer applies for CIGA Guarantee once work

completed to customers satisfaction.

• CIGA records details of the installation

• CIGA issues the Guarantee direct to the

Customer

• For installations in England & Wales CIGA

operates the Cavity Wall Insulation Self

Certification Scheme (“CWISC”)

– where the Installer is registered under the CWISC

scheme CIGA provides electronic notification to

the relevant Local Authority that the work has

been completed

– The Guarantee includes confirmation that the

work was completed according to the

requirements of the Building Regulations.

CAVITY INSULATION GUARANTEE AGENCY

Lessons from the UK

• CWI can safely be implemented as a mass market measure if

the correct quality assurance processes are in place.

• In the case of the UK activity was scaled 5 fold without any

significant increase in the incidence of problems

• A significant number of installations do not proceed because

they are found on technical assessment to be unsuitable.

• Many of these are for simple reasons, such as solid walls, and

better training of sales staff could reduce the time wasted

on these properties.

• Problems after installation remain at very low levels and

where they do occur are often the result of pre-existing

building defects or features, that were not identified at the

time of assessment.

• Technical guidance therefore needs to evolve to reflect

experience and new knowledge.