Archive for category: Building News

THERMAL BRIDGING ISSUE MUST BE CROSSED TO MEET AS-DESIGNED BUILDING EXPECTATIONS

With one eye on the UK government’s target for carbon neutrality by 2050, the construction industry continues its drive to improve the energy performance of the country’s housing stock. Indeed, the thermal efficiency of new-build homes is the focus of a long-awaited consultation relating to Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations. The codes, which relate to insulation and ventilation, are part of the Future Homes Standard (FHS). Due for introduction in 2025, the FHS will require new-build homes to be future-proofed with low-carbon heating and ‘world-leading’ levels of energy efficiency.

Improved and more stringent fabric efficiency is among the FHS’s headline considerations. It’s proposed the unprecedented level of energy performance will be met by minimising heat loss from walls, windows, doors, floors and roofs, as well as by paying more attention to junction details. Putting a thermal seal on these elements will reduce the need for mechanical heat resources which fuel greater energy output. Heat loss from gaps around a window, for example, is greater than the amount that escapes from the window itself. This is caused by thermal bridging and the insulation failing to protect the element as a whole. Heat lost in this way is calculated via the PSI value method, which the Future Homes Standard review is looking to standardise according to different window types.

Put a seal on performance gap

If approved, a bespoke PSI value system for windows as a measure of thermal performance will doubtless increase the workload of designers and property assessors, but it must be welcomed if it helps plug a significant source of energy leakage and results in buildings performing as-designed. A well-insulated wall is all well and good, but its thermal performance will be nullified if windows continue to be a conduit to heat escape. The performance gap issue was addressed by Dame Judith Hackitt in her report, ‘Building a Safer Future: Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety’, in which she spoke of the need for a ‘Golden Thread’ of information to ensure best practice was upheld between all stakeholder links in the building supply chain. This, along with an upskilling of workers throughout the construction industry, was highlighted by the report as being essential to improving building standards and creating safe, thermally-efficient homes. Let’s hope all those involved in the building supply chain take Dame Judith’s learned recommendations on board.

Solutions for easy-fit, long-term thermal performance

Hard foam insulation products such as Eurowall Cavity or the full-fill version, Eurowall +, offer an effective, easy-to-fit solution to heat loss caused by thermal bridging in cavity walls. User-friendly, the Eurowall PIR panels match the height of a wall’s blockwork, thus eliminating the need for on-site cutting and resizing to result in a time and cost-effective installation.

Eurowall + panels feature an innovative tongue and groove detail on all four sides. This means the panels not only slot together easily, they produce a tight-locking finish that minimises heat loss through thermal bridging and offer increased protection against wind-driven rain, as well as improved airtightness. Available in a range of thicknesses, Eurowall + can achieve a 0.18 U-value with a 90mm-thick panel in a 100mm cavity. To reach the same thermal performance with mineral wool, for example, the project would require a much thicker insulation. Therefore Eurowall + also helps reduce a building’s footprint; a crucial characteristic where plot size is limited.

Design-out bridging issues

Eliminating thermal bridging in wall, window and door junction details is a proven enabler to reducing a property’s carbon load. It is also enhances the health and wellbeing of occupants by mitigating the risk of damp or mould growth caused by cold spots. It’s a performance issue that ought to be addressed at the design and construction phase, but too often it reveals itself once the property is in situ and so the new-build-to-retrofit cycle begins. It’s a failing of standards that comes at a cost to homeowners and the environment and should not be tolerated if future emissions, as per the government’s 2050 pledge, are to be null and voided.

www.reticel.com

Altro flooring will now be fitted as standard in all new-build programmes undertaken by Adra, a leading affordable housing provider in north Wales. The most recent of these projects is a large scheme of mixed housing units in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, where Altro Wood^TM has been fitted in all kitchens and Altro Aquarius^TM in all bathrooms.

Elliw Owen, Senior Development Surveyor at Adra, says: “We have a longstanding and very strong relationship with Altro. Our decision to exclusively use their flooring going forward will ensure consistency and a high level of quality, durability and aesthetics across the homes we have available where we have developmental control.

“We want to offer our residents beautiful, stylish flooring they can be proud of. Adra means ‘home’ in Welsh, and we build quality affordable homes. We are pleased to be working with Altro, their flooring ticks all the boxes for us. We at Adra provide homes, opportunities and jobs locally.”

With proven durability combined with good looks, performance and impressive safety credentials, Altro products have delivered great results for Adra over many years with long-term sustainability of quality and standards.

The scheme in Caernarfon is the first mixed tenure project for Adra, offering 46 properties in total, comprising two- three- and four-bedroomed houses and bungalows available as Market Sales, Rent to Own and Social Rented units.

Altro Wood safety flooring has been fitted in all kitchens, using the colours Vintage Cherry, Bleached Oak, or Washed Oak. Homely and stylish, Altro Wood is a great biophilic safety option — bringing nature indoors — and offers a choice of designs, plank sizes and shades in a roll. It’s suitable for indoor public spaces such as entrances, care homes, school corridors, student accommodation, restaurants and dining areas.

All bathrooms and shower rooms in the scheme have been fitted with Altro Aquarius safety flooring, in the colours Swan, Cygnet, or Tern. This specialist flooring solution is designed for combined wet and dry, shoe and barefoot areas, so is ideal for bathrooms, showers, saunas and spas.

Elliw Owen says: “The first phase at Caer Ysgol, Caernarfon, has been finished for over a year now, and there is a very high satisfaction rate among residents. We have not had one problem with the flooring, and the 12-month assessment reported it looked as good as the day it was fitted.

“Altro are always on hand for excellent flooring advice, and committed to helping us move forward in terms of colour choices, styles and keeping on-trend. Their proactive and forward-thinking attitude means we always have an eye on improvement — like creating a communal lounge, which Altro is showing us samples for.

“Another big plus for us is that our local flooring installers love working with Altro flooring because it’s an easy product to lay and work with. This means we don’t need to bring in expensive specialist flooring contractors, and we can keep it local.”

www.altro.co.uk

Rachel Smith, UFCM Managing Director

An experienced team of HVAC technical specialists is launching a new service to provide design expertise and systems for commercial developments.

UnderFloor Climate Management (UFCM), which is a part of the Polypipe group, will work with architects, developers and contractors to help deliver integrated underfloor heating systems for commercial projects including residential apartment buildings, hotels, student accommodation and office developments.

The service is headed up by Rachel Smith, UFCM managing director, who has a wealth of experience within the built environment sector.  Andrew Coy, who has years of experience in developing heating products and systems for the residential and commercial heating market, joins the team as Commercial Director.

UFCM has been developed as a solution to the fast evolving landscape of the HVAC sector with Net Zero Carbon targets, a move towards more renewable energy sources and a changing building design process drastically affecting the demands on heating design. These elements will impact on the requirements of developers looking to maximise the opportunities of the population growth and fast evolving skylines across the UK’s major city centres.

There is now a concerted move away from legacy heating systems that are offering diminishing performance towards systems compatible with the available smart control technology, renewable heating sources such as ground and air source heat pumps and the design demands of achieving the most living space for sale on increasingly small building footprints.

The UFCM team will work with architects, developers and contractors to advise on project design and specify the best design solution using a comprehensive range of underfloor heating systems for the project brief.

Rachel Smith, managing director, UnderFloor Climate Management:

“UFCM is here to work with architects and consultants to design and deliver sustainable, usable and comfortable heating systems for the new generation of residential tall buildings, and large developments that are transforming how we live, work and socialise in UK cities.

“Our team offers technical expertise unrivalled in the industry, tried and trusted systems and a thorough understanding of commercial construction markets. We are already working with some of the UK’s major developers who see the value and longevity in using new technology and design methods and our team is going to be delivering large building heating systems that are fit for modern living and comfort and the changing face of office work.”

The new website is available at https://www.ufcm.co.uk/ and the team can be contacted on: ufcminfo@polypipe.com

VORTICE Group has announced the purchase of Spanish industrial ventilation company Casals based in Barcelona.  The acquisition continues the VORTICE Group’s strategy to develop its product portfolio across all aspects of ventilation, from domestic to commercial, air handling to industrial.  The products will be sold under Casals brand name and its product portfolio added to the lines that VORTICE Ltd can offer to the UK market.

Casals offers a wide range of products in the commercial and industrial market including a smoke/jet fan range and certified fans that can deal with high temperatures of up to 400 ºC. VORTICE Limited have also employed a new sales team with extensive product knowledge who will be able to assist with technical specification and sales queries.

Vortice Industrial Technical Business Manager Alan Price said: “I look forward to introducing the new product range into the UK.  Our team is delighted that this acquisition will enable us to satisfy even greater specialisms within the ventilation industry, growing our reach well beyond our traditional domestic ventilation range.”

For more information on the Casals range please visit our website at www.vortice.ltd.uk or call us on 01283 492949.