Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

For the vast majority of homes cavity wall insulation is a very good thing. Half a million homes across Wales have had insulation installed since they were built and in suitable houses filling cavities reduces both heat loss and energy bills.

The installers told us that complaints are very very rare - yet after our programme was broadcast many more X-Ray viewers got in touch to say they've experienced similar problems and are finding it almost impossible to get their homes repaired.

As soon as he'd seen the programme Geoff Hall from Swansea got in touch. He'd had so many problems with his cavity wall insulation that it was now being taken out by Mark Group, the company who'd installed it.

"We did decorate the rooms", he said, "and everything seemed to be fine for about six months then the damp started to show.

"Now I need to have rooms redecorated. My decorators telling me could be two to three weeks' work, hundreds if not thousands of pounds."

Last month we sent chartered surveyor Tim Davies to examine the properties in Llandeilo. We asked him to take a look at what's gone wrong in Geoff's home.

"There was rubble in the cavity" he explained, "and that was causing rising damp from the insulation." Tim said that this should have been spotted when the house was surveyed to assess its suitability for cavity wall insulation.

So how complicated is it to do a survey? "Not at all, it's fairly simple", Tim said. "Using a boroscope you basically drill some holes in the wall, slide the boroscope in and look through it and you can see what's in the bottom of the cavity."

We asked Tim for his opinion on why some companies aren't doing proper surveys. "I honestly think they don't want to find problems; they want to sign people up and do the work and get the money, it's sales at the end of the day.

"If they find problems with the house and say sorry we can't do the house they're missing out on a commission and they lose money."

Mark Group told us they do survey properties using a boroscope but drilling multiple holes isn't practical or desirable.

They've only had to remove insulation from three of the 100,000 properties they've worked on. And they're now working with Geoff to repair his home to his satisfaction.

Before he employed Mark Group, Geoff had surveys done by two other companies as well, who all told him his property was suitable.

"It says to me that they didn't do proper assessments", Geoff said. "It's sales driven, they just wanted to have people sign up, get the work carried out and get the money in."

Geoff's is not an isolated case. After Paula Beeforth from Neath had cavity wall insulation installed by a company called Heatcare she started having problems too.

"We noticed that the TV first of all the sound and pictures weren't in synch", she told X-Ray. "We noticed water dripping from the socket and we had to get an emergency electrician out. It was just fizzing we were afraid it was going to catch fire."

Paula says she contacted the company but struggled to get them to put things right. She paid for an independent survey before EAGA - the company who had taken over from Heatcare eventually agreed to repair the damage.

But she was still waiting for work to begin when X-Ray got in touch with them. "Yesterday we did have a phone call to say they are going to fast track our case", she told us."So hopefully things will move on now."

EAGA told X-Ray that they take all complaints seriously and are working urgently to resolve Paula's problems. We asked chartered surveyor Tim Davies to look round her home and he immediately said that it was unsuitable for cavity wall insulation.

"It's a definite no-no", he said. "It's too exposed to the elements. The damage is quite severe in places, the power points have corroded as a result of the water going through the walls, the plasterboard, the wall finishes, the carpet, gripper rods. They are all corroded and decayed."

X-Ray has heard from viewers all over Wales who've experienced problems - and Welsh councils tell us 800 of their homes have been affected.

In Blaenafon, Judith Hale described the problems she'd had. "In my bedroom it's all above the window and all of this wall has black damp coming in. Also in my living room when it rains a lot water comes in, and my hallway and landing has damp coming in."

The work on Judith's home was carried out by RIS Insulation, who also did the work on one of the homes in Llandeilo.

X-Ray has received several other complaints about them since then. They told us that they're working to resolve these and point out that their satisfied customers far outweigh the limited number who've had problems.

The Welsh Assembly Government's Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Energy Efficiency Scheme has provided heating and insulation grants to more than 70,000 homes. Last year it funded 28 million pounds worth of work to people who were eligible.

So by insulating homes which are clearly unsuitable, these companies aren't just causing problems to the house owner - they can be taking money from the taxpayer's pocket too.

We asked the Welsh Assembly Government why they weren't keeping a closer eye on the situation. They told us that householders should always make sure that work is carried out by an approved installer.

They pointed out that work by registered installers who receive public money is guaranteed by the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency CIGA.

But people who've complained to X-Ray say they can be slow to act. And in the meantime, people like Judith are left coping as best they can.

"I can't redecorate", she said. "I'm putting wooden flooring in my living room that's buckling up. There's nothing whatsoever I can do; it's so depressing sometimes."

X-Ray asked the body which guarantees the work carried out by the installation companies - CIGA - to come into the studio and explain to us why so many people are experiencing problems, but they declined.

They say that each property is assessed before the walls are filled, but they will be arranging for the properties we featured to be inspected by a specialist and they are committed to resolving this small number of cases. And we'll be checking to make sure they do!