New homes have to comply with the buidling regulations and NHBC standards if applicable. The house could be in breach of both if it does not have cavity wall insulation. However, insulation can be provided in other ways to meet the standards and regulations.
The applicable building regulations are known as Part L.
The NHBC have an indirect test which states that the central heating system must be able to maintain a living room at 21c when the outside temperature is -1C.
thanks for the reply, i have been doing some research on this and it appears that the planning on this site may be 10 years old and if so people are saying it might not have been a requirment, even tho the houses are no more than 4 years old.
i have been in the buiding trade since i was 16 now 45 and as far as i can remember they have always put in cavity wall insulation, i just need some cast iron evidance, or facts..
The nhbc say the house complies with the regs, but i have my doubts!
Regards
Paul
PS monkeys could have built it better, oh and after 2 years i still dont have a bath panel
The building regulations that apply are the ones in force when the plans are approved, not when the houses are built. In your case it sound like several years have elapsed. I know some developers build in phases over a number of years. There is a Jones Homes site near me that has been on the go for over five years.
It is recognised that cavity wall insulation is the easiest way to meet the target U levels, but if this is not installed, you should simply ask how it is achieved? This seems like a reasonable question, but as they have yet to provide a bath panel I don't suppose they will be too forthcoming with an answer.
BTW Go to the NHBC about the bath panel if the builder is not being helpful. You could also buy one your self and claim it back theough the small calims court online - make sure you have all the necessary evidence .
Tony
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An old topic but i just want to say, things are very different between timber frame and masonary homes.
you can install cavity insulation in masonary homes (dependant on a number of different criteria etc) but cavity insulation MUST NOT be installed in timber frame external wall cavities. If you have a timber frame house you will not have cavity insulation. if you have a masonary home you may or may not!
That being said the lay person would call the insulation on a timber frame home - cavity wall insulation. Whatever it is called, the walls must be insulated. We call snow 'snow', but the eskimos have thirteen different words for it.
Tpmy
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True, but all too oftern have i seen mistakes made because people do not fully understand what things mean especially when it comes to timber frame, which uses different construction principles to that of brick and block constructions.
The area that is insulated in timber frame is the stud void. the external wall cavity is the cavity between the timber frame and the cladding.
Sorry if that comes over a bit preachy, or like i am a bit of a keyboard warrior i don't mean to sound that way
BTW i am a timber frame building inspector, and stumbled across this site whilst trawling the web the other day!
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