Heating and Ventilating

An innovative company has fixed the problem of cavity walls that are too narrow for standard insulation with the first installation in June this year.
Kershaw Contracting Services has worked closely with manufacturer Isothane to adapt liquid polyurethane foam for cavity walls.

It is normally fitted by the company as a successful solution for deteriorating wall ties, to reinforce the walls.

The second installation for the new use of the product will be in July for a 13 storey block of flats in the London borough of Redbridge.

The £45,000 contract is on behalf of Climate Energy, under the Social Housing Energy Saving Programme (SHESP).

'Usually when we install cavity wall insulation, we are working with a gap of at least 50mm,' explained Ian Macklin, managing director of Kershaw Contracting Services.

'But the gap in the wall of these flats is only 40mm. That's not enough space for the mineral wool cavity wall insulation material to move around properly and adequately reach all parts of the cavity.

'By using the Isothane polyurethane foam, we can guarantee it will fill the entire cavity. It is a closed cell foam that repels water, making it a good insulating solution.

'As it hardens, it will also reinforce the walls, which of course is what it was intended to do in the first place,' Macklin added.

'Now that Kershaw Contracting Services has pioneered the use of this foam in narrow cavity walls, we will be offering it to local authorities, housing associations and contractors for buildings that have previously been rejected for cavity wall insulation.'

As well as central heating systems and fitting cavity wall and loft insulation, the company specialises in the safe removal of asbestos.

It is a division of the Cambridge-based Kershaw Group.