Cavity Wall Insulation: A Hidden Crisis With Damian Mercer of Cavity Extraction

“The real problems we have with cavity wall insulation is it’s been installed in the wrong geographical locations, in the wrong type of housing stock.” – Damian Mercer

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Cavity Wall Insulation: A Hidden Crisis – Uncovering the Risks and Remedies

In this eye-opening episode of Constructive Voices, host Steve Randall dives into the critical topic of cavity wall insulation with expert guest Damian Mercer , Owner and Director of Cavity Extraction Ltd.

While cavity wall insulation is designed to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprints, its failure in millions of UK homes has led to a cascade of issues, including damp, mould, financial strain, and even health problems. Could this be a national scandal in the making?

“Failed cavity wall insulation creates a breeding ground for damp, mold, and health conditions ranging from asthma to COPD.” – Damian Mercer

Damian shares his decade-long experience in addressing failed cavity wall insulation, shedding light on:

• Why insulation failures are on the rise.
• How misdiagnoses by landlords and contractors exacerbate problems.
• The financial and health implications of these failures.
• The role of government policies and the lack of oversight in creating this crisis.

Discover the surprising parallels to past controversies like asbestos and RAAC, and why Damian believes this issue needs immediate government intervention. Tune in to hear real solutions, industry insights, and what homeowners can do to safeguard their properties.

“A dry envelope with no insulation actually performs better than a property with failed cavity wall insulation.” – Damian Mercer

Key Topics Discussed:

• The alarming increase in failed cavity wall insulation.
• Real-life examples of the consequences for homeowners.
• The need for individualised assessments rather than blanket policies.
• Damian’s advocacy efforts with government policymakers.

“Surely, as a government, we should have investigated the processes of retrofit insulation and the impact of these products on the housing stock of the UK.” – Damian Mercer

About Damian Mercer

Damian Mercer set up Cavity Extraction in 2014 and is the first to admit his company shouldn’t be needed or indeed as successful as it is. Cavity wall insulation shouldn’t fail! But it does, and it is an unknown national scandal having a severe impact on not only public housing but also privately owned homes up and down the country, with approximately 50% of UK homes anticipated to have failed cavity wall insulation.

Over the last 18-24 months, Damian Mercer has been working tirelessly, lobbying for a change in legislation to ensure that this does not happen again and that those impacted are fairly renumerated.

Damian’s efforts have included meetings with then local conservative MP, Katherine Fletcher, who visited the Cavity Extraction Ltd office and more recently an appearance in front of hundreds of MPs at Westminster Hall in London.

Damian’s Westminster trip was specifically to shine a light on a cavity wall insulation scandal that has impacted over 100 people in Burnley alone, centred around the collapse of SBB Law, who were managing hundreds of no-win, no-fee cases for victims of failed cavity wall insulation.

The law firm collapsed in 2023 and as a result, its clients were slapped with huge bills to pay, with one victim owing ￡36,000. Following a meeting of around 100 Burnley-based victims earlier this year, Damian went to present their arguments to MPs at Westminster, passing on key messages from the community and fighting for a solution for those affected and living in fear of bailiffs and rising debt.

Just as it felt like headway was being made and the right people were being made aware of the regional scandal and bigger nationwide situation at play – which matches that of the recent post office enquiry – an election was called and alas, a totally new government in place, bringing everything back to square one but Damian is determined to keep fighting the fight.