Traditional Building Retrofit

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Traditional Building Retrofit Health-warning
required?The Midlands HeritageSkillsHUBAn
Information Portal Promoter of Traditional
Craft Skills
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HeritageSkillsHUB

• Connects people, projects initiatives and seeks
  to highlight the importance of traditional
  building skills in a modern, low carbon,
  sustainable environment

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Retrofit What does it mean to you?

• Insulating a building?
• Installing Renewable Energy Systems?

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Old buildings work differently!

• Solid wall construction - Its all about movement
  of moisture ventillation

• Diagram courtesy of Picketts Conservation
• Weblink to article http//www.countrylife.co.uk/p
  roperty/article/529186/Old-houses-The-importance-o
  f-using-the-right-materials.html

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Letter to the Times

• We are seriously concerned that the drive to
  promote the complete thermal upgrade of pre-1919
  buildings, could be storing up expensive future
  problems for both building fabric and human
  health
• Sent by SPAB, with signatories from, English
  Heritage, Historic Scotland National Trust, Kevin
  McCloud, Churches Conservation Trust, The
  Victorian Society others

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Some statistics(courtesy of NHTG 2008 Review)

• 5million pre 1919 buildings in England
• 500, 000 listed buildings
• Repair Maintenance budget worth 4.7billion
  (2008)
• Lack of knowledge among stock-holders encourages
  inappropriate maintenance

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Old Buildings- Breathability, Repair Maintenance

• Rotting, Damp Cold?

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Old Buildings are nothing but trouble!

• Loss of knowledge on how they work
• Lack of repair and maintenance
• Inappropriate materials used for upgrade,
  repair maintenance
• Lack of skilled craftsmen
• Apparent high cost
• Throw-away society
• Red tape (listing etc)

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Assessment First!

• Buildings need to be examined to establish
  whether existing materials and usage are causing
  problems.
• Problems need to be fixed, prior to further
  intervention
• Possibility that more problems, particularly with
  moisture will develop through lack of
  understanding

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A Standardised Approach to Insulation Retrofit?

• Will a standardized approach take into
  consideration the different requirements for old,
  more complex buildings? Current data modelling
  software (eg WUFI) is not able to provide
  accurate information for solid walled buildings
• NOS for Energy Performance Inspectors will
  certain buildings be outside the scope to achieve
  the qualification?
• Who will pick up those areas that standardised
  techniques can not assess and advise?
• Could this offer an opportunity for conservation
  building surveyors?

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One size doesnt fit all

• Are the insulation upgrades we are making or
  plan to make going to render a building either
  more energy efficient or have any other
  sustainable benefit ?
• Will the selection of insulation products include
  natural breathable
• Will Green Deal Funding allow for and ensure the
  most appropriate solution is used?

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Causing Conflict? Retrofit, Conservation
Planning
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Big players (eg BQ) already driving agenda

• http//www.yougen.co.uk/blog-entry/1724/Moneyisn'
  27ttheonlymotivatorforenergyefficiencyretro
  fits/

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Ongoing Research Be Informed
SPAB Technical Day October 18th 2011Newbury,
Berks, 100 http//www.spab.org.uk/builders-profe
ssionals/ Bringing together current research
from SPAB, English Heritage, Historic Scotland,
CAT. Looking at insitu U-values, actual real life
air-tightness, air quality, moisture levels and
energy usage. Modelling of upgraded buildings
will be compared to theoretical modelling
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Beware the Cowboys!

• Are we creating another perfect opportunity for
  disreputable companies to offer services and
  products that will severely damage our pre1919
  building stock?

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Uncomfortable Truths? 4 Main Hurdles

• The vested interests of manufacturers of
  non-appropriate materials and the possible
  toxicity of things like phenolic insulation
• Lifestyle changes required to make less
  intervention a realistic option
• The drive for energy performance at the cost of
  all else. Insulation being the first thing on
  most peoples minds
• Relatively high cost of 'natural' materials (but
  increased use will cut prices)

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So before we really get going

• For thousands of people, regular maintenance has
  proved much cheaper than having to remove
  replace mass-produced unfixable features that
  are supposed to last forever, but merely lowered
  the propertys value after making it ugly for
  thirty or so disappointing years.
• Take Action Early
• Watch Out for Decay
• Keep it Original
• Dr Jonathan Foyle, Chief Executive,
• World Monuments Fund Britain
• www.maintainyourbuilding.org.uk

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Interesting reports, blogs articles

• http//www.spab.org.uk/advice/energy-efficiency/
• http//www.countrylife.co.uk/property/article/5291
  86/Old-houses-The-importance-of-using-the-right-ma
  terials.html
• http//www.homebuilding.co.uk/feature/how-insulate
  -old-houses
• http//huntwriter.com/?p1289
• http//www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/index.ph
  p?id133

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Cathie Clarke HeritageSkillsHUB
Coordinator Cathie.clarke_at_emcbe.com 07590
808060 http//www.emcbe.com/heritage.htm