RefurbN16

Tag: Draught Proofing

  • Sustainable Refurbishment – Towards an 80% Reduction in CO2 Emissions

    The UK’s building regulations didn’t start to consider energy consumption until the 1960s, when very basic requirements to conserve energy were placed on house builders. These requirements have slowly been tightened over the decades and the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes has accelerated this in recent years.

    The intention is that new build homes built from 2016 will be zero carbon (although the exact definition of ‘zero carbon’ in this case is still up for grabs). The problem is that the UK’s housing stock is the oldest in the developed world, with 8.5 million properties over 60 years old and an estimated 24 million homes built up to 2016 expected to still exist in 2050.

    Zero carbon new build homes are definitely needed so that new homes don’t add to emissions, but all of the carbon reductions will have to happen in homes that have already been built.

    In the previous post we looked generally at a whole house approach to sustainable refurbishment. The Energy Saving Trust has recently published an interesting new publication which looks at this in more detail and points the way towards an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions in existing homes. This guide is aimed at homeowners as well as housing developers and builders and is clearly written and nicely presented.

    It gives an excellent overview of the energy efficiency measures that can be implemented in the UK’s homes including the different types of wall, roof and floor insulation, improving windows and doors, increasing air tightness as well as efficient heating and hot water systems and lighting and appliances. Also covered are microgeneration, water efficiency, waste and recycling and even climate change adaptation.

    If you want to get a good picture of what needs to be done to our homes, then this is a good starting point. Hopefully it will stimulate you to consider which of these measures can be applied in your home.

    The Energy Saving Trust has lots of interesting technical guidance. More information can be found here.

  • First Stoke Newington Draught Busting Saturday

    This weekend we had our first Draught Busting Saturday in Stoke Newington. This hands-on workshop was pioneered by Hyde Farm CAN and has been picked up by Peckham Power and Transition Belsize amongst others and we thought it was about time we gave it a go.

    Draught Busting workshops are held in a local house in need of improvement. Stoke Newington resident Cath very kindly let us loose with hammers in her home and expertly facilitated the group as we got stuck in to  the job.

    The session focused on fitting draught stripping around the lower half of the sash windows and around doors but we also touched on blocking up chimneys (Cath had gone for a DIY solution of a plastic bag stuffed with material), radiator panels (which are fixed behind radiators mounted on external, heat loss walls), and ensuring that loft hatches are well draught proofed to stop warm air rising up into the loft space.

    Draught proofing the upper half of a sash window requires a ladder so that you can get up to the outside of the window frame (you can’t do the upper half of a window from the inside as you wouldn’t be able to open the window).

    Just doing the lower half of the window will cut out a substantial amount of the air passing through and cutting out those lower level cold draughts will have a noticeable effect on your comfort. The upper half of the windows can be a project for the future – perhaps we could secure a ladder for a weekend and go round all of the houses that have done the work to the inside in one go.

    Draught proofing is a very easy skill to pick up but there isn’t a great deal of practical information out there about the materials and techniques and so it can seem daunting – until you’re shown how easy it is to do, that is. The people who attended the session will now be in a position to share the knowledge with family and friends.

    After the success of the first session, we’ll be looking to roll this out on a larger scale in time for the next heating season, around September and October.

    If you’re interested in participating then please drop us a line. In particular we are after people living in homes in need of draught proofing who would be willing to host a session in Autumn.

    We’ll also be placing a bulk purchase for draught proofing materials so as to make this measure as cheap as possible and so that it pays for itself as quickly as possible.

  • Landlord’s Energy Saving Allowance

    For those of us who rent there are much fewer options open to us when it comes to reducing our CO2 emissions in the home. The no cost and low cost measures are well within our grasp and they can make significant savings, but to make bigger cuts money needs to be invested.

    As a renter, there is little incentive to invest in energy efficiency measures as you may only be living there for another year or two, and your landlord may not be interested in improving the energy efficiency of the homes they own because they don’t pay the bills.

    To help break this Catch 22, there is a nice little incentive to tempt your landlord into making that investment: the Landlord’s Energy Saving Allowance (LESA).

    This is a tax deduction which allows a landlord to reduce their taxable income by the cost of certain energy efficiency measures up to a value of £1,500 per house per year.

    The measures covered by the LESA are:

    • Cavity wall insulation
    • Loft insulation
    • Solid wall insulation
    • Draught proofing
    • Hot water cylinder insulation
    • Floor insulation

    Other measures such as double glazing and boiler replacement may be entited to other tax deductions.

    If your landlord fits loft insulation, floor insulation and draught proofing in your home and it costs, say £1,000 in total, they can deduct £1,000 from their taxable income at the end of the tax year.  If they pay tax at 40%, the insulation will end up costing them £600 rather than £400, if they pay tax at 20%, the insulation will end up costing them £800.

    The LESA is open to both individual and corporate landlords (although it cannot be claimed if the let is under the Rent A Room Scheme or a holiday let) and will run until 1st April 2015.

    As energy prices continue to rise, renters will become increasingly interested in the energy efficiency of prospsective homes. Landlords now have to show an Energy Performance Certificate to potential new renters and by taking steps to fit insulation and other energy efficiency measures, the rating will improve making the home more attractive.

    The LESA coupled with the fact that a wide range of energy efficiency and microgeneration measures qualify for a reduced VAT rate of 5%, makes a strong financial incentive for landlords to improve the energy performance of the homes that they own. So get friendly with your landlord and try and persuade them to takes steps to improve your home.

    For more information see the DirectGov page.

  • Secondary Glazing Pt 1

    Many of the homes in Stoke Newington have single glazed sash windows. These leak heat very readily, both directly through the single pane of glass and through gaps around the frame.

    Double, or even triple glazing is the most effective solution to this problem. The multiple panes of glass are separated by a sealed gap filled with air or a dense gas such as argon. By completely sealing this gas you get very little movement and this reduces heat transfer.

    Air is a very good insulator, as long as it isn’t allowed to move too much, because it is a poor conductor of heat. If it moves, it will transfer heat across a gap through convection. This is exactly how a wooly jumper keeps you warm – the fibres keep pockets of air stationary, keeping the heat in. Argon works even better because it is denser than air and movement is further reduced.

    While multiple glazing is the most effective solution (and one we’ll go into in more detail), it’s also a pricey solution and if you live in a conservation area, it may not be an option open to you.

    A cheaper solution, and one that doesn’t change the outside of your home, is secondary glazing. This is not as effective as multiple glazing but it does make a substantial difference. By fitting an additional pane of glass or perspex on the inside of your window you save energy in two ways: you cut out the draughts coming in around the frame and the additional pane of glass traps a layer of air that acts as an insulator.

    Secondary glazing is often removable, so you can fit it during winter and remove it during the summer. Other types are fixed permanently, opening like the window they are covering.

    In part 2 we’ll take a more detailed look at different types of secondary glazing, but before I go, here’s something I haven’t seen before: DIY magnetic secondary glazing. You get a reel of steel tape and a reel of magnetic tape, each with adhesive on the back. You fix the steel tape to the window and the magnetic tape to some perspex.

    Does anyone have any experience of this? Seems like it might just work… Would the strips look odd? Maybe if they made the strips white they could merge quite nicely with your window frames.

  • Draught Proofing Pt 3 – Easy Draught Proofing

    In part 1 we looked at the difference between ventilation (which we need) and draughts (which we definitely don’t need). Then we looked at the ways air can leak out of your home.  Now we can start looking at doing something about it.

    There are some obvious gaps to block in most homes. The keyhole and letterbox are prime contenders for your first hit. It’s quick and easy and cheap.

    Unused (or rarely used) chimneys should also be blocked as they’re big holes in your home which let the air out easily. You can buy chimney balloons but they’re on the expensive side.  Improvise and let me know what works.

    If you live on the ground floor and you have suspended timber floors, it’s likely that you have cold air from the cellar coming up the cracks between floorboards and around the top and bottom of the skirting boards. These gaps can be blocked using a silicone sealant (mastic) which you can get in different colours. This isn’t a quick job but you can do a bit at a time as and when you have a moment.

    Lastly (for the moment), check out any pipework that passes from the warm interior to a cold space whether it’s outside or to the cellar or loft.

    Your home will have an array of pipes which provide the services that you need (gas pipes, waste water, boiler flues, electricity cabling etc) passing through the structure. These often have holes bigger than the pipes that pass through them and air will leak in and out as a result. You can use either silicone sealant or you can get pipe collars (grommits) that attach to the wall and fit snugly around the pipe. Airtight adhesive tapes might also prove useful.

    So there are some starting points. If you want to read more, check out the Energy Saving Trust’s Improving Air Tightness in Dwellings and the Scottish Ecological Design Association’s Design and Detailing for Airtightness.

    More to come!

    http://www.seda2.org/dfa/dfa.pdfD

  • DIY Chimney Balloons?

    Do you have an open fireplace in your home? Go over to it and see if you can feel a draught going up the chimney.

    If the fire is not in use then a really smart move is to block up the flue. If your fire is in occasional use then please, please, please be careful if you do stick something up there – some sort of reminder in eyeshot might be a good idea.

    During the summer months, make sure you remove the obstruction to let any moisture that might have built up clear away.

    I’ve been investigating chimney balloons but all I can find are ones priced somewhere north of £15 which to my mind is just a tad expensive. So I’m opening it up to see who can come up with the best,  cheapest, most sustainable DIY solution.

    Someone suggested using the foil balloon in a box of wine. Would that work? I think it might on narrower chimneys. Thoughts?

  • Draught Proofing Pt 2 – Air Leakage Routes

    In Part 1, we looked at the difference between desirable ventilation versus undesirable draughts. In this post we will look at the pathways through which warm air can leak out of your home. For every bit of cold air that blows into your home, an equal amount of warm air is escaping so by tackling these weak points, you can cut heat loss from your home substantially.

    The best way to identify where the gaps are is by having a pressure test. We will be looking into the possibility of having some tests done on homes in Stoke Newington and will record exactly what happens so that you can get a  good idea of the process. Even without a pressure test, you can frequently identify sources of draughts simply by feeling for them on a windy day.

    Greenspec, a useful site with all sorts of interesting information on it, has a good diagram and list of the range of pathways by which air can leak out of your home. Fixing many of these routes is a DIY job, in particular draughts found around window and door frames, skirting boards, letter boxes, key holes, pipework and loft hatches.

    Have a look at these parts of your home next time it’s a bit windy to see if there’s a gale blowing through them. You can also see if there is warm air being blown out by getting a joss stick and passing the smoke trail around these points.

    Another useful publication is the Energy Saving Trust’s Improving Air Tightness in Dwellings which has lots of good information on how to reduce unwanted draughts.

  • Draught Proofing Pt 1 – Ventilation Vs Draughts

    Air tightness is a very important part of an efficient, low carbon home. You can have the best insulation in the world, but if the warm air is blowing out through cracks and gaps in the fabric of the building, you’re not going to see those benefits.

    Equally, ventilation is a very important part of a fresh, comfortable home. Good ventilation allows stale air from in the home to be exchanged with fresh, clean air from the outside. It allows odours and gases such as carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds to escape into the atmosphere and it removes moisture from the air. Moisture is created through normal household activities such as cooking, washing and drying and it is critical that it is removed from the home so as to avoid condensation and damp.

    The trick is to achieve the correct amount of controlled, desirable ventilation that allows the air in the home to be exchanged with fresh air from outside, while reducing the uncontrolled and undesirable draughts.

    You can measure the rate at which air leaks from a home by conducting an air permeability test. This involves blocking all of the vents up, closing windows and doors and generally sealing off all of the controlled ventilation routes. A screen fitted with a powerful fan is then placed over the door and the air pressure within the home is increased. By measuring how much power is required to maintain this pressure, you can calculate the air leakage rate.

    Knowing the rate at which the air escapes through gaps and cracks is all well and good, but really you want to know where it’s escaping so that you can do something about it. Often you can tell that there’s a draught in a room but it’s not possible to work out where. During the pressure test someone walks around the home with a smoke generator, checking likely areas to see if there is a draught – the smoke will follow the air through any crack and out of the home.

    Draughts can occur all over the home – gaps between suspended timber floorboards, around skirting boards and electrical fittings, at the join between walls and the join between floors and walls, around pipework penetrating the fabric, around loft hatches, up chimney, through letter boxes and keyholes and of course around doors and windows.

    The next post on draught proofing will cover the quick and easy measures you can take to start improving the air tightness of your home – it’s cheap, easy, DIY and well worth doing.