Cavity barrier remediation… made faster, more cost-effective, and more convenient.
Meet the Retrofit Barrier System
High-profile fires in recent years, particularly in residential buildings, have changed how all of us think about fire risk and fire safety. For many developers and building owners, retrofitting today’s fire-safety technology into existing buildings is far from simple. Remediating a cavity fire risk usually means stripping the façade. It’s costly, slow, and can mean long periods of disruption.
The Retrofit Barrier System is different. It uses an A1 non-combustible product, installed by drilling small external holes into the external masonry to access the inner cavity before installing the material into the cavity to ensure a full fill.
• Significant cost reductions compared to traditional strip-and-replace methods seen on many FRAEWs (Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls)
• Minimal tenant disruption
• A1 non-combustible material that isn’t susceptible to settlement or slumpage
• 60+ years’ service, matched to the building
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SpeedOur innovative approach delivers faster programmes. Installed externally at speed, The Retrofit Barrier System takes potential years off an extensive full-façade scheme. -
Lower costA fraction of the price of removing and rebuilding the outer leaf. -
Residents stay putNo relocation, no upheaval to daily life. -
Warmer buildingsThe fill lifts thermal performance and cuts energy use.
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Installing InstaFibre Rockwool Retrofit SystemWaddon Road, Croydon
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Installing InstaFibre White Wool Retrofit SystemErith Park, London
The Retrofit Barrier System in numbers
- Up to 75% faster than traditional methods
- 20-50 times more cost-effective
- Just 22mm access holes
- 100m-125m² per day
- 60+ year service life
How a project runs from assessment to sign-off
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1. TestingDepending on the project and your fire engineers’ requirements for sign-off, a project specific BS-8414-2 / BS-1366-4 or other test may be required to confirm the materials project specific suitability.
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2. SpecificationThe system is specified as a suitable remediation method for that building.
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3. SurveyAs per our KIWA cert, InstaGroup will conduct a 100% building survey to confirm the cavity is suitable for the InstaFibre system. This includes checking that weep holes are present and unobstructed, cavity trays are clear of rubble so water can drain externally, and existing insulation boards are securely pinned back in the correct position, to name a few common remedial issues.
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4. RemedialsShould remedial works be identified at survey stage these will need to be remediated prior to installation of the system. InstaGroup offers this service in house as part of a streamlined turnkey solution.
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5. InstallationDepending on your chosen access methods, installation of the system will commence via 22mm holes as per our KIWA approved drill pattern and will follow a rigorous QA process throughout all stages.
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6. Sign-offInstaGroup uses the FieldWire CRM platform at the Survey, Remedial and Installation phases. This information is shared in real-time and during post-works, to ensure full compliance throughout every stage of the project.
Quality assured on every project
InstaGroup delivers in-house technical auditing, quality control and experienced site supervision on every scheme. Delivery, compliance and health & safety are logged in real time through Field View, with photos and snags sent straight to client and back office.
Proven on complex, occupied buildings
Erith Park, London
Wates Construction brought InstaGroup in to full-fill cavities across 10 blocks at Erith Park, London. The project saw 19,196m² of material installed and 1,000+ flats remediated, with residents at home throughout. Removing the façade would have added years and significant cost. Building Control signed off Block A, the tallest, on the programme.
“InstaGroup has been a brilliant contractor; its expertise on the Retrofit Barrier System was invaluable in guiding our success on this project. By working with InstaGroup, we were able to save time and money while there was as little disruption as possible for tenants. We are delighted to continue building our relationship and are excited to see the partnership develop further.”
Tony Quinn, Construction Manager, Wates Residential
Why now is the time to explore remediation innovation
With changing conversations around fire safety and high-rise fire safety remediation, the pressure on building owners to act has never been greater. But while traditional external wall remediation is slow and disruptive retrofit cavity barrier technology has risen as a practical answer.
Rather than stripping the façade, a non-combustible cavity barrier is installed into the existing wall to achieve a full fill, closing off the cavity fire risk with minimal disruption. For many owners and developers, this kind of retrofit fire safety solution makes fire safety remediation achievable on live, occupied buildings to turn a daunting obligation into a manageable project.
Why InstaGroup?
One experienced and accountable partner for product, surveying, remedial, and installation.
The system and accompanying process have been built over the last four years in partnership with our clients, fire engineers, accrediting bodies, and the BSR. The result is a remediation method that is backed by extensive independent testing and sign off that has been missing from the UK remediation market.
Built for everyone accountable for remediation
Building owners & asset managers – Make properties compliant without decanting residents.
Developers – Compliance and programme certainty, with commercial risk contained.
Main contractors – An efficient, well-supervised system with QA you can evidence with built in value engineered benefits to present to your clients.
Fire engineers – Tested evidence, certification from UK accrediting and sign off bodes including KIWA and the BSR.
The Retrofit Barrier System: your questions answered
A retrofit cavity barrier is a fire-safety measure that fully fills the open cavity behind a building’s façade with non-combustible material, with the aim to stop fire spreading through the void in a chimney effect.
The Retrofit Barrier System works by filling the existing wall cavity with A1 non-combustible insulation, injected through small external access holes. This starves the void of the oxygen a fire needs to travel upward, closing off the chimney effect that can let fire spread unseen behind a façade.
No. The Retrofit Barrier System is fitted externally through small access holes, so residents stay in their homes throughout all phases of the project, with no relocation or major disruption.
Cavity barrier remediation with the Retrofit Barrier System installs at around 100m-125m² per day. That is far quicker than removing and rebuilding a façade, which can easily add months, if not years, to a scheme.
Yes. Filling the cavity avoids stripping and rebuilding the outer leaf, making it substantially more cost-effective than traditional façade removal.
The Retrofit Barrier System is currently accredited for SFS buildings with external masonry leaves. It has also been tested and approved for timber-framed buildings, with accreditation being extended to these types alongside others.
Yes. The Retrofit Barrier System is KIWA-certified (BDA Certificate BAW-21-206-S-A-UK) and has been evaluated to BS 8414-2 and BS-1366-4 requirements.
BS 8414-2 is a large-scale British Standard fire test that assesses how an external wall or cladding system performs in a fire. The Retrofit Barrier System is tested to this standard, and each project has been verified by its own test before final specification.
BS 1366-4 is a fire-resistance test standard for linear joint seals, the materials used to seal gaps and voids between building elements. It assesses how those seals perform under fire conditions.
InstaGroup provides full technical documentation for every project, including Kiwa certification, cavity survey findings, post remediation results and installation QA compliance.
