Warmfront Problem

[darkest_dawng]

Earlier this year I was contacted by Warmfront in relation to grants for Cavity Insulation and Loft Insulation - we were approved and the work was carried out a few months ago.

 

Since then, we've had a real problem with damp and condensation, mould is growing around my windows, the sills are constantly wet and the window frames and sills are starting to rot.

 

I've heard and read that cavity wall insulation, if not completed properly can lead to the airflow around the building being stopped, and this causes any wood to rot.

 

I'm currently unable to work due to serious illness, and I'm worried about the health of my 6 and 3 year old. I cannot afford to get double glazing installed, is Warmfront responsible for this? had I known at the time that I might lose my windows I would never have agreed to get the wall insulation.

 

Any help would be most appreciated.

[ukaviator]

Hi

 

If doing wall cavities they should make sure that the airbricks ventilating the joist and board ground floors are not blocked by insulation; this can happen particularly in older houses and sometimes leads to dry rot in floors.

 

There is a good guide here on the procedure which may help to see if they did things correctly:

 

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings/ce16.pdf

[darkest_dawng]

To be honest I really don't know if they did or not, my house is a 1980 build and the floors seem ok, it's the windows that are the real problem as I cannot afford to replace them.

[ukaviator]

Do you use a tumble dryer indoors? There is always some moisture in the air, even if you cannot see it. When moist air hits a cold surface it cannot hold it and tiny drops of water appear.Drying clothes in an un-vented tumble dryer produces a massive amount of water.

 

Have you tried ventilation?...

[Conniff]

Now that your walls are insulated the only place for damp air to condensate is on the cold bits that are left, ie the windows. You need some form of ventilation, an extractor fan in the kitchen.

[StormWarrior]

my house is a 1980 build

???

Should have wall insulation already

[ruralgirl]

We had the loft insulation/draught proofing and cavity wall insulation done at our last house. Pretty much the same, my husband got IB and DLA so we qualified to have the work done free of charge.

 

We never noticed much difference with the draught proofing and loft insulation, we still had to put sellotape around the back door to stop the wind coming through. What we did find though is that the condensation was awful, not just on the windows, we had pools of water on the bathroom floor after steam collected on the toilet cistern and dripped off. The wooden window frames were covered in mildew and had started to go rotten.

 

We bought a dehumidifier (it was about £90) and had that on 24/7. All in all, I think the cost of the dehumidifier and the electricity to run it outweighed the benefits of the cavity wall insulation.

 

Have since moved to another old house (over 100 years old) and apart from having double glazing here, not much difference apart from having solid walls (no cavity to insulate) but we are warm, dry and condensation free. I think the Warmfront people should include, as part of the deal, extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom of any house they recommend should have cavity wall insulation.

[darkest_dawng]

We don't use the tumbledryer in the house, and the condensation has started to rot the windows in the kitches, hallway, bathroom, my bedroom and my kids bedroom - I need to replace the windows and can't, I also can't afford to get dehumidifiers for upstairs and downstairs.

 

I have the central heating on for approximately 2 hours a day and have the window open in the kitchen when I'm cooking.

 

Can anyone tell me if I am in a position to ask Warmfront for compensation?

[Conniff]

I very much doubt it, if it was only a few months ago any rot would have already been there as it don't come that quick, but you can clean and paint the window frames to stop the moisture getting to the wood, like they are on the outside.

[darkest_dawng]

Yes but I have to clean my windows every day - and mop up puddles of water. I'll see what Citizens Advice have to say.

 

I just can't believe that in this day and age it's ok for a firm to say - here have a government grant - then arrange for a company to carry out their recommendations, and ruin your home!

[ruralgirl]

I completely sympathise with you, you have to be in that situation to know what it's like. We had wooden window frames but they were well maintained (painted inside and out). My tumble drier was vented through an outside wall so we couldn't blame that, plus it had been there long before the cavity wall insulation.

 

Within a day of having the cavity walls done the windows were running in water, not just after cooking or using the shower, all the time. Okay, it was November and it was cold outside but there was no getting rid of it, we mopped it up and there it was again a couple of hours later as bad as ever. Black mould started to grow on the frames so we tried a mould inhibitor - also works as an effective paint remover so that made things worse.

 

The dehumidifier sorted the problem but we could only afford to buy one so we had it on the landing and left all the internal doors wide open. All in all, heating the house with all the doors open and the cost of running the appliance proved more expensive than the amount the damn stuff should have saved.

 

I wouldn't wish cavity wall insulation on my worse enemy and if I'd have known then what I know now I would have been looking to do something about it. I don't think it can be taken out once it's in but I'd be looking for extractor fans (at least) from Warmfront.

[darkest_dawng]

I've spoken to my local CAB who were pretty useless, I at least wanted some advice on what to put in a letter to Warmfront, but the woman I spoke to was more interested in taking my personal details!

 

I'll send a letter outlining the issue, with some photos and see what they come back with.

[Conniff]

I can't see how you are going to get anywhere with this. Condensation is made by you and your family not as a result of having the loft and walls insulated. You need to find a way to get rid of the damp air before it condenses on the windows.

[darkest_dawng]

May I suggest that you look at the evidence to the contrary on Google and other people's experiences, whilst I'm not going to go into detail about my family life I know that the amount of condensation in my home is not caused by day to day activity.

 

If cavity wal insulation is done incorrectly then airflow around the house is restricted and condensation forms on the window sills which is exactly what is happening - I have lived at my address for 6 years and have not had this problem prior to the insulation. So thanks for your advice but I do know what I'm talking about here.

[Conniff]

May I suggest that you look at the evidence to the contrary on Google and other people's experiences, whilst I'm not going to go into detail about my family life I know that the amount of condensation in my home is not caused by day to day activity.

 

If cavity wal insulation is done incorrectly then airflow around the house is restricted and condensation forms on the window sills which is exactly what is happening - I have lived at my address for 6 years and have not had this problem prior to the insulation. So thanks for your advice but I do know what I'm talking about here.

 

That may be so, but you say yourself above 'condensation' and that is not caused by adding insulation. I am just trying to be realistic here, boiling the kettle makes a lot of condensation so does baths and showers or boiling spuds or doing toast, a gas cooker throws out a lot of condensation just by being alight.

Your body puts out condensation by breathing.

I don't want you to be disappointed when they dismiss any arguement you try to make.