I have added a new page to my site for those persons who want to reduce the draughts and cold spots in existing homes making them warm and cozy.
http://pressuretests.co.uk/colddraftyhomes.aspx
Monday, 21 December 2009
Christmas 2009
The frightful weather this past few days has forced me to cancel or change my appointment schedule and work out of the office more. I would rather be out and about on the road as I enjoy meeting people and the remarkable homes that they construct.
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
airtight bungalow
Todays bungalow achieved an air test result of 1.5. The owner was a self builder who had beed very careful to seal up all the leaks. This shows what can be done if you are careful.
I did point out to them however that potentially this house could be inadequately ventilated. There wee trickle vents in windows and intermittant fans in the wet rooms.
I did point out to them however that potentially this house could be inadequately ventilated. There wee trickle vents in windows and intermittant fans in the wet rooms.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Glass extensions - Unseparated conservatories
I seem to be getting a reputaton for getting these through building control Part L1B
The person wants an extension to their home usually the living area in the back garden with a substantial amount of glass - only this is not separated from the rest of the dwelling.
In part L the normal amount of glazing allowed is only 25 % of the extension floor area - plus any windows or doors covered up. if the amount exceeds this then Building control ask for energy SAP calculations. The first stage of the process is to identify the shape and size of the extension and the calculate the U values of the surfaces. Then using a weighted U value calculation to see if the heat loss from the extra glass can be offest by increasing the U values elsewhere in the extension fabric. Usually without exception it can not. At this stage I also check the U values against the limits in the tables in L1B. The next stage of the process is to model the rest of the occupants home using SAP.
Being the accurate person that I am I try to get an accurate model as possible and this requires a lot of data - sometimes a visit . Once the SAP model of the whole house is complete I identify improvements that can be made somewhere else in the home so that the additional heat loss identified elsewhere is offset.
Finally the most important stage the report- this takes lot of time to produce as I want it to be very clearly crafted - a compelling case that Building control should pass this design - no tricks no gimmicks - clear evidence. None of the cases that I have presnted have been rejected.
The person wants an extension to their home usually the living area in the back garden with a substantial amount of glass - only this is not separated from the rest of the dwelling.
In part L the normal amount of glazing allowed is only 25 % of the extension floor area - plus any windows or doors covered up. if the amount exceeds this then Building control ask for energy SAP calculations. The first stage of the process is to identify the shape and size of the extension and the calculate the U values of the surfaces. Then using a weighted U value calculation to see if the heat loss from the extra glass can be offest by increasing the U values elsewhere in the extension fabric. Usually without exception it can not. At this stage I also check the U values against the limits in the tables in L1B. The next stage of the process is to model the rest of the occupants home using SAP.
Being the accurate person that I am I try to get an accurate model as possible and this requires a lot of data - sometimes a visit . Once the SAP model of the whole house is complete I identify improvements that can be made somewhere else in the home so that the additional heat loss identified elsewhere is offset.
Finally the most important stage the report- this takes lot of time to produce as I want it to be very clearly crafted - a compelling case that Building control should pass this design - no tricks no gimmicks - clear evidence. None of the cases that I have presnted have been rejected.
Monday, 10 November 2008
air pressure testing in Yorkshire Durham
I am typing this blog from a B and B near Scotch Corner? Why is it called Scotch Corner if it is in England - did we steal a corner from scotland like we did the Rock of Scone or is it scoon? Besides I thought scones were an essential part of an English afternoon tea. I am confused. everyone speaking with a geordie accent! Durham Cold wet windy dark. Bad indian resteraunt warm cheap b and B only £26 !
Drove from Shipley Bradford after testing there I wished I had stayed there longer - I will do so next year when the weather is better. I would like to explore Yorkshire It is 25 years or so since I lived in Leeds. Salts mill and the rocky outcrops awakened something. Drove over a corner of the dales before going up the A1 - what a beautiful place the views were brilliant but this was not good driving as the weather has been foul. This is a problem - can't test on windy days. I hope there is a break tomorrow as I have to test in Bowburn in a rather exposed place.
House achieved excellent result today with a q 50 of 2.09. this is because the builder paid attention to the leakage during construction a sealed everywhere.
Drove from Shipley Bradford after testing there I wished I had stayed there longer - I will do so next year when the weather is better. I would like to explore Yorkshire It is 25 years or so since I lived in Leeds. Salts mill and the rocky outcrops awakened something. Drove over a corner of the dales before going up the A1 - what a beautiful place the views were brilliant but this was not good driving as the weather has been foul. This is a problem - can't test on windy days. I hope there is a break tomorrow as I have to test in Bowburn in a rather exposed place.
House achieved excellent result today with a q 50 of 2.09. this is because the builder paid attention to the leakage during construction a sealed everywhere.
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Credit Crunch / Energy munch
There has never been a better time to invest in energy efficiency, especially in a new home.
Energy bills to heat homes are rising because of a shortage of cheep fossil fuels and due to taxes on fossil fuels - designed to limit CO2 emissions. The best time to invest in any home is on construction this is when the insulation heating system and overall energy requirements are incorporated into the design. Yes it costs a bit more to construct a low energy house ( there are official studies that show the typical costs of compliance to different code for sustainable home levels) however these costs are recuperated in the lower running costs of the home. I feel that it is time that mortgage suppliers took this into account in mortgage assessments when calculating the ability to pay back mortgages.
I also recommend that new buyers read the Energy performance certificate or Predicted Energy Performance notice and consider that energy costs are likely to rise considerably and unpredictably in the future and to consider if the rating is high enough.
Energy bills to heat homes are rising because of a shortage of cheep fossil fuels and due to taxes on fossil fuels - designed to limit CO2 emissions. The best time to invest in any home is on construction this is when the insulation heating system and overall energy requirements are incorporated into the design. Yes it costs a bit more to construct a low energy house ( there are official studies that show the typical costs of compliance to different code for sustainable home levels) however these costs are recuperated in the lower running costs of the home. I feel that it is time that mortgage suppliers took this into account in mortgage assessments when calculating the ability to pay back mortgages.
I also recommend that new buyers read the Energy performance certificate or Predicted Energy Performance notice and consider that energy costs are likely to rise considerably and unpredictably in the future and to consider if the rating is high enough.
Saturday, 27 September 2008
hands free kits - back to the future.
I have been simply using my mobile with a hands free which is built into my sat-nav in my car.
But the sat-nav is too far away on the dashboard so there is a lot of background noise so I have to shout and customers can not hear me that well - That is not very professional. I have bought a blue-tooth earpiece - a version which says that on one AAA battery it will standby for six months - cool. but it is no use: it disconnects at random and does not automatically reconnect again. So when that vital call comes along it could be lost. I will take it back to Argos today and buy a different one.
I don't like those that stick right in the ear : I want to hear as well!
Can anyone explain why Sandra (my sat nav) adds the word colliers after every time she says High street - "A two hundred and eighty four, High Street Coliers" I cant see any coal merchants around!
My Tomtom sat-nav is ridiculous. In an attempt to make it do everything, it is packed with features, some of which are highly annoying and possibly dangerous. It contains lists of police stations and doctors - but only Irish ones. So my nearest doctor is 300 miles away on the irish coast !. It is also possible to dial 999 accidentally with a couple of touches. Because it is touch sensitive, these screens are easily accessed by accident when you are handling it. So on several occasions I have accidentally dialed up Irish police stations and chemists and on 2 occasions the emergency 999. Is there a word for this over-stuffing of features and gadgets ? Worse still it appears impossible to disable this feature alone and disable this feature without disabling the whole blue tooth connection. This thing is out of control! Sooner or later I think my sat-nav will try to take over the entire world ? Does yours ever spout out in an Irish accent "Its yer sat naav , Turn the bloody ting off!" I suppose next time I prog it to get me home, it will say "I noo where yooo live!' And how are we supposed to drive to Ireland from England? - It will be directing me over the cliff edge lemming fashion before briefly alerting me - whilst falling through thin air - that I have exceeded the speed limit, that there is a hazard ahead, and that the nearest undertakers is Kilblarney. "Connecting you now to book an appointment".
But the sat-nav is too far away on the dashboard so there is a lot of background noise so I have to shout and customers can not hear me that well - That is not very professional. I have bought a blue-tooth earpiece - a version which says that on one AAA battery it will standby for six months - cool. but it is no use: it disconnects at random and does not automatically reconnect again. So when that vital call comes along it could be lost. I will take it back to Argos today and buy a different one.
I don't like those that stick right in the ear : I want to hear as well!
Can anyone explain why Sandra (my sat nav) adds the word colliers after every time she says High street - "A two hundred and eighty four, High Street Coliers" I cant see any coal merchants around!
My Tomtom sat-nav is ridiculous. In an attempt to make it do everything, it is packed with features, some of which are highly annoying and possibly dangerous. It contains lists of police stations and doctors - but only Irish ones. So my nearest doctor is 300 miles away on the irish coast !. It is also possible to dial 999 accidentally with a couple of touches. Because it is touch sensitive, these screens are easily accessed by accident when you are handling it. So on several occasions I have accidentally dialed up Irish police stations and chemists and on 2 occasions the emergency 999. Is there a word for this over-stuffing of features and gadgets ? Worse still it appears impossible to disable this feature alone and disable this feature without disabling the whole blue tooth connection. This thing is out of control! Sooner or later I think my sat-nav will try to take over the entire world ? Does yours ever spout out in an Irish accent "Its yer sat naav , Turn the bloody ting off!" I suppose next time I prog it to get me home, it will say "I noo where yooo live!' And how are we supposed to drive to Ireland from England? - It will be directing me over the cliff edge lemming fashion before briefly alerting me - whilst falling through thin air - that I have exceeded the speed limit, that there is a hazard ahead, and that the nearest undertakers is Kilblarney. "Connecting you now to book an appointment".
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