UK Process of Retrofitting Cavity Walls Brussels, 7 th February 2012

1. UK Process of Retrofitting Cavity WallsBrussels, 7th February 2012 Gerry Miller CIGA

2. 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 5 main areas: • System Technical Approvals & Best Practice Guides • Approval of Installers and inspection & surveillance of work • Technician Training • Building Assessment for suitability • Installation

3. Overview of Process

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Assessment

10. Assessment • Main reasons for unsuitability: • Solid Wall • Access problems • Timber Framed • Narrow cavity

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. Guarantee • The quality assurance procedures in place mean that the incidence of problems is very low. • CIGA records any complaints received according to 17 categories, and analysis allows emerging issues to be identified and addressed through issue of special technical notes. • Many, such as failure to make good, are easily resolved, and some relate to lifestyle. • On the very rare occasions when more serious problems arise, these are often due to existing building defects or features that were not identified at time of the assessment. • Thermography is used in more complex cases to help identify the underlying cause and determine the best solution.

16. Guarantee

17. 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.