Maintaining My Home

insulation that is damaged needs to be repaired. Where a duct runs outside the building envelope – for example, through a roof space above the insulation – the insulation reduces the risk of condensation inside the duct

assess the level of damage. Insulation that is soaking wet or completely crushed may not recover to give its original level of performance and should be removed and replaced with new. New insulation should have the same or higher R value as the old

where the insulation is separate from the ducting, check that the ducting itself is not damaged

where replacement is required, flexible thermally insulated ducting is available

if a separate insulation blanked is used to cover ducting, make sure it does not crush the ducting

ducting run lengths should be no longer than necessary

where the insulation is separate and the damage is minor, fix the insulation back in place, making sure there are no gaps

at the same time, ensure that the ducting vents indoor air effectively to the outdoors. The vents should be clean and have protection against rain entry