Cavity wall insulation removal in Bedford
Failed or wet cavity wall insulation found with a cavity camera and taken out of Bedford homes, so damp stops tracking through to the inside walls.
Cavity Wall Insulation Removal in Bedford
When cavity fill goes wrong
Many Bedford houses built from the 1930s onwards have cavity walls: two skins of brick or block with a gap between. The gap stops rain soaking through the outer brick from reaching the inside wall. Plenty of those gaps were later filled with insulation. When the fill was the wrong type, badly installed or has since got wet, it can carry damp straight across the gap.
Signs it might be the fill
- Damp patches on inside walls that are not near a pipe or the roof
- Cold spots, black mould or peeling paper on outside walls
- Damp that is worse on the side of the house facing the weather
- Trouble that started after the cavity was filled
- A survey on a sale or remortgage raising questions about the fill
Not every damp wall is a cavity problem
Leaking gutters, bridged damp courses and poor ventilation all cause damp too, and a wall can look the same whatever the cause. Older houses in the town centre and the villages may have solid walls with no cavity at all. That is why we look before we decide anything, and why we will tell you if the fill is not to blame.
How we check: cavity cameras
We carry out a full inspection using cavity cameras. A small camera goes into the wall so we can see what the fill looks like, whether it has slumped or got wet, and where the gaps and bridges are. You see the same footage, so the decision is based on what is actually in your walls.
How removal runs
- Camera inspection and an honest view of whether the fill is the cause.
- Written quote setting out the walls to be done, access, waste removal and making good.
- Extraction. The fill is taken out through openings in the outer wall.
- Check again. The camera goes back in to make sure the cavity is clear.
- Make good. Openings are closed and the outside is left tidy.
Once the cavity is clear, the walls need time to dry out. We will explain what to expect so you know when to redecorate.
Also from Ultimate Roofcare
Other work in Bedford
Recent work
Recent jobs
Our own photographs, from jobs across the area.
Peterborough A bungalow re-roof in Peterborough
A red tile re-roof in Sandtoft Olympus, Tuscan
A natural slate re-roof with hips and valleys
A Marley Modern re-roof, after some very bad spray foam
A big re-roof on TLX Gold, in a granulated grey tile
Letchworth A plain tile re-roof in Letchworth
A hipped roof in man-made slate
Milton Keynes A natural slate re-roof in Milton Keynes
How we work
Honest roofers: what the roof needs, not what pays best
Read our Google reviews and the same things come up: honest advice, the most detailed quote they received, and a team who arrive smart and leave the site tidy.
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A repair when a repair will do
A Bedford customer with a chimney leak got new lead and a metre of felt, not a new roof. "There was no need to start doing loads of unnecessary work," in her words.
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Itemised, line by line
Scaffold, skip, materials, even the portable toilet on a big job. You see exactly what you are paying for.
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Quick when it is leaking
Customers who called in the early evening with water coming in had us there the next day.
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Done the proper way
Dry ridge and verge systems, eaves support trays, welded lead, breathable membranes, and moss scraped off by hand. We never jet-wash a roof.
A 120-year-old roof, matched to the original
“The finished roof looks great, and is an excellent match to the original which is important in Letchworth.”
We noticed the felt in our loft was deteriorating quite badly, so decided it was time to get the roof replaced. We had three different companies out to quote, with Jude from Ultimate Roof Care being the last. Jude came across really well, very polite and well spoken, and took the time to explain everything properly. His quotation was by far the most detailed, with everything clearly itemised so we knew exactly what we were paying for. The team did exactly what was promised and we're really pleased with our new roof. We'd seen their vans working around Bedfordshire before, which was reassuring too. More than happy with the whole experience and would definitely recommend Ultimate Roof Care.
We had a bad leak coming into the roof and couldn't work out where it was coming from. We called Jude and he came out, had a proper look and identified the problem around the chimney. Our house was built in the 1980s and he showed us where the old felt had started collapsing around that area. One of his guys then came out and replaced the lead around the chimney as well as roughly a metre of felt around it. Jude explained that there was no need to start doing loads of unnecessary work and that a localised repair should sort the problem, which we really appreciated. The exact area where the water was coming in before has stayed completely dry. Really happy with the repair and thought the price was very fair. The guys were polite, turned up looking smart and were very professional. We're based in Bedford and would definitely recommend them.
We'd been having problems with a leak on our bungalow roof, despite previously having another roofing company out, so we decided it was time to have the whole roof replaced. Jude was brilliant from the start, and the detail in their quotation was on another level compared to the others we received. Everything was explained step by step, from the scaffolding and materials being delivered to the skip, even a portable toilet for the workers. Their price was very competitive too, but it was really the attention to detail and how professional they were that made us choose them. What a great company. We couldn't recommend Ultimate Roof Care enough!
I had spray foam insulation in my loft which was causing issues with selling my property. Jude explained the full process, gave me a clear written quote and even arranged for an electrician to safely disconnect and reconnect my solar panels. Once the foam was removed, they bagged and cleared every bit of waste and left the loft spotless. The surveyor who came afterwards commented on the quality of the job. True professionals, I'd highly recommend them.
I booked a roof MOT with Ultimate Roofcare because I wanted to be sure everything was in good condition before the winter. They showed me photos of a couple of cracked tiles and some minor pointing that needed attention, but reassured me the rest of the roof was in good shape. They fixed everything there and then at a very fair price. No pushy sales, just genuine advice and quality workmanship.
After the really heavy rain the other day we had quite a bad leak come through and called Jude at around 5 or 6 in the evening. He came out the very next day. Owen then came out shortly afterwards and got the repair sorted for us. They opened up roughly a metre along the bottom of the roof, renewed the felt in that area and fitted a new eaves support tray system. We've had more rain since and everything has stayed completely dry.
Jude and his efficient team of workers have done a complete roof replacement with slates on our 200 year old house. They have done an excellent job and the roof is now entirely watertight and looks very smart. Quality materials and experienced skills have resulted in a great job and peace of mind for us. Thankyou to all. Richard and Lorna
I found Ultimate Roofcare in the local Bedford Bulletin. Joe came along to check out the loft. Jude came along later in one of his branded vehicles (big reassurance) and explained that he could do the job in 4 days with 8-10 men. By Wednesday evening the roof tiles had been removed and replaced, a new roof lining installed, 3 layers of insulation placed between the joists, ventilated soffits and new gutters fitted and a good tidy-up completed. If you need any roofing or loft work done, you would struggle to find a better company.Read every review The full set, in their own words
Before you ring
Questions we get asked
How do I know the cavity insulation is causing my damp?
You do not until someone looks. We inspect with cavity cameras and show you the footage, and we will tell you if the damp is coming from somewhere else.
Does all the insulation have to come out?
Not always. It depends on where the fill has failed. The camera inspection shows which walls are affected, and we quote for those.
My Bedford house is Victorian. Could it have cavity fill?
Most Victorian houses have solid walls with no cavity, so it is less likely. We can check and tell you before you spend anything.
Get in touch
Tell us about the roof
- We call you back To hear what the roof is doing.
- We come and look And take photos of what we find, so you can see it too.
- You get a written, itemised quote What the roof needs and what it costs. No pressure.