Can I "Replace" my white foam cavity wall insulation

A question about : Can I "Replace" my white foam cavity wall insulation

Hi I have a 1960s property that has White polystyrene type cavity wall insulation that must have been blown in at some time. Over the years modifications like running cables through the cavity has put some holes in this and to be honest when I last looked as few years ago it did not look like it was a very good job. As I have got older and a little greener I have been thinking about improving my homes insulation.

Do any of you know is there is a way to remove the old insulation (short of digging it out of the cavity manually) and replace it with a modern alternative?

Update : Checked the internet and it does seem to be possible... now awaiting callback.. I suspect it will be expensive.

Thanks
Mick

Best answers:

• I'd be interested to know how you get on with this. My own cavity walls were filled with beads in approx 1982. I've often wondered how many were left after extensions, alterations etc. I've never seen much evidence of loss in my own home but also never had too much difficulty running cables etc.
• IIRC, polystyrene balls have a higher insulation value than fibre type insulation.
  Anyway, even if it's degraded in some places, the extra insulation value you might get from replacing it would be very low compared to the disruption and cost.
  If you are genuinely concerned about the best environmental outcome for your money, find a friend with uninsulated cavity walls in their house, and pay for them to be insulated. It will cost a lot less AND give significantly higher greenhouse gas savings than what you are proposing.
• Whilst I'm sure it would be possible to remove balls & replace with something else, I'd have to agree it's not the best value for money. It's highly likely that the balls have settled over the years and that some may even have fallen out through air-bricks or new holes drilled in wall for other purposes. The quickest, easiest & cheapest 'solution' would be to blow in some more PS balls from new holes at top of wall. If you want even better insulation than that would give, maybe consider external insulation or even a layer of insulation indoors on all external walls.
• The insulation is like solid polystyrene foam. I agree sucking the balls out would be reasonably easy sadly as stated that is not what I have.
• Foam is not like the above it is a clean white foam... I think from the internet is a urea formaldehyde foam
• But the gasses were only temporary, after 50 years they are well gone