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HeritageSkillsHUB

Traditional Building Retrofit – Health-warning required? The Midlands HeritageSkillsHUB An Information Portal & Promoter of Traditional Craft Skills. HeritageSkillsHUB.

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HeritageSkillsHUB

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  1. Traditional Building Retrofit – Health-warning required?The Midlands HeritageSkillsHUBAn Information Portal & Promoter of Traditional Craft Skills

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

  3. Retrofit – What does it mean to you? • Insulating a building? • Installing Renewable Energy Systems?

  4. Old buildings work differently! • Solid wall construction - It’s all about movement of moisture & ventillation Diagram courtesy of Picketts Conservation Weblink to article: http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/article/529186/Old-houses-The-importance-of-using-the-right-materials.html

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. Old Buildings- Breathability, Repair & Maintenance • Rotting, Damp & Cold?

  8. ‘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)

  9. 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

  10. 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?

  11. One size doesn’t 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?

  12. Causing Conflict? Retrofit, Conservation & Planning

  13. Big players (eg B&Q) already driving agenda • http://www.yougen.co.uk/blog-entry/1724/Money+isn'27t+the+only+motivator+for+energy+efficiency+retrofits/

  14. Ongoing Research – Be Informed SPAB Technical Day – October 18th 2011Newbury, Berks, £100 http://www.spab.org.uk/builders-professionals/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

  15. 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?

  16. 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)

  17. 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 property’s 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

  18. Interesting reports, blogs & articles • http://www.spab.org.uk/advice/energy-efficiency/ • http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/article/529186/Old-houses-The-importance-of-using-the-right-materials.html • http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/feature/how-insulate-old-houses • http://huntwriter.com/?p=1289 • http://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/index.php?id=133

  19. Cathie Clarke HeritageSkillsHUB Coordinator Cathie.clarke@emcbe.com 07590 808060 http://www.emcbe.com/heritage.htm

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