Cavity Wall Pumped Insulation Beads

Lex Luthor

I'd like to hear from anyone who has gotten this procedure done to their house. I'm looking into it at the moment and I notice there are a few companies doing it (Polypearl, Ecobead, Warmfill).

Who did you go with?
Why did you choose them?
What did they cost?
How did they confirm that the walls were completely filled?
What was their finish like after they patched up the holes?

I have brick at the front, so I'm a bit worried about the finish to that after multiple holes being drilled.

Any other information you have would be appreciated.

Aeneas

Lex Luthor wrote:

I'd like to hear from anyone who has gotten this procedure done to their house. I'm looking into it at the moment and I notice there are a few companies doing it (Polypearl, Ecobead, Warmfill).

Who did you go with?
Why did you choose them?
What did they cost?
How did they confirm that the walls were completely filled?
What was their finish like after they patched up the holes?

I have brick at the front, so I'm a bit worried about the finish to that after multiple holes being drilled.

Any other information you have would be appreciated.

1) Kelly Insulation in Wexford; Warmfill Silver Bead
2) One of the few companies in the area with certification
3) €1300 for approx 2000 sq ft dormer bungalow
4) They didn't, but I climbed into the attic and eaves to see if the beads reached the top of the cavity wherever it was accessible.
5) Good finish on plastered wall. Holes filled with cement mixture and painted white to correspond with the existing finish. I supplied the paint.
6) Job took about half a day. Clean operation as done from outside. House much warmer during this recent cold spell.
7) Main fear is possible dampness across the cavity and by bridging the damp proof membrane at the base of the walls. Beads less risk than mineral wool. Not subject to capiliary action and manufacturers argue that penetrating moisture is filtered down through the air holes around the beads before it can reach the inner leaf.
8) Mine was retrofit to existing building that has been extendes several times. Walls varied, some had no insulation, some had very thin polystyrene, some had polyiso.

Mellor

Aeneas wrote:

4) They didn't, but I climbed into the attic and eaves to see if the beads reached the top of the cavity wherever it was accessible
I think he means can you tell that there aren't air pockets within the wall. Just because its reached the eaves, it may not have filled everywhere

7) Main fear is possible dampness across the cavity and by bridging the damp proof membrane at the base of the walls. Beads less risk than mineral wool.
Alot of people share this concern and its very hard to find any info on water corssing or not crossing the cavity

Not subject to capiliary action and manufacturers argue that penetrating moisture is filtered down through the air holes around the beads before it can reach the inner leaf.
If there are air holes between the beads then there could be capillary action. the smaller the air holes, the further the water could travel

its a tricky area, and no decent study has been done into it

Lex Luthor

Aeneas wrote:

4) They didn't, but I climbed into the attic and eaves to see if the beads reached the top of the cavity wherever it was accessible.

The only thing I would be afraid of is if the beads didn't manage to get to a certain area of the wall due to an obstruction of some sort like a cement snot and they missed it. Just going into the attic wouldn't verify that.
But I suppose the beads are that small they should get into most places.

Is your house semi det? Just wondering would it be worthwhile getting the adjoing wall between the 2 properties done or is a waste of money?

Aeneas

Mellor;Lex
1. the answer I got when I raised the issue of possible gaps was that since the beads are pumped in under pressure they would work their way around obstacles. And in fact there is evidence that this might be right. In places the beads have poured over the top of the cavity into the attic, like a miniature lava flow. And in other places where there was a gap, eg because of piping, the beads, penetrated a few inches inside.
2.Your other point about capilliary action across the spaces between the beads occurred to me too. The answer I got on that was that because of the relatively large size of the holes/spaces water would be taken downwards by gravity rather than across. My other hope is that if water does manage to make its way across it will be prevented from penetrating the inner leaf by the pre-existing rigid insulation. I agree it is a doubtful area, and I am sceptical of many of the claims made on either side of the argument. But I was struck by the fact that when I looked on the internet and elsewhere for concrete examples of serious damp problems from polystyrene beads (as distinct from mineral wool) I could find nothing. I decided to take the risk. We will probably not know for sure until there is much wider and longer experience of the system. In any event my house is much warmer. But whether that is all down to Warmfill, or to the 18ins of fibreglass I have put in the attic, or the sheets of polyiso I have put behind the bedroom walls, or the rockwool pumped over the kitchen, or the foot of fibreglass in the eaves..... I could not tell!! This insulation business gets a bit addictive, as I am finding out from various threads on this forum. A bit like people looking for the perfect hi fi.
Lex: my house is a detached dormer bungalow that has grown out of an older cottage. The kind of thing that has extensions on extensions. Some walls are cavity, some mass concrete. All I know is that if I were renovating again I would probably avoid the dormer design. They are difficult to insulate properly upstairs and more importantly in our climate, difficult to seal against wind and air penetration. But I continue the effort. Under the influence of Viking House my next project will probably be to floor one of the attics with softboard.

Stoner

Lex my house is an end of terrace, I got pollypearl in about 2 years ago, cost me 2000 euro. They went all the way up through the attic etc and this was balanced against the back of the house being a complete extension and only half of the wall there needed to be done. My place has little chance of suffering from mositure so i cant answer these type of questions, but I did notice a slight difference.,

I am still worried that not all of it is done as I am just like that , i dont trust other peoples work.

I have a thermal camera beside my desk now and I'm going to check it tonight for cold spots i will report the results tomorrow.
My house has brick on half the front and all the side and they did a good job with the coloured in filling for both the white and red parts of the external wall.

the guy who called out was decent too.

kadman

Were the beads loose fill blown into the cavity, or were they extruded on site, and pumped in.
If its loose fill and blown in, there are many easily made versions of a bead blower, and I know where the polystyrene beads are available from an ongoing source.

kadman

Stoner

the guys who did my place pumped it in under pressure

kadman

Are they polystyrene beads blown in. or granules under steam

kadman

ratty dread

hiya , could any of you get back on to the forum , and please post an update of warmth or not in house after silver bead insulation , has it been of benefit or not. Would you advise me to go ahead or not ? . Many thanks

MicktheMan

Depends.

It all depends on why & how your house is losing heat, i.e. the cause of your heat loss.
You can have 2 identical looking houses, both with identical pumped bead insulation in the cavities and yet, one house is still as cold as ever after the pumping, the other with huge improvement.
So, not the answer you wanted to hear but it should tell you, you need to do more research.

delly

Necrolock