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Want to save money on your heating bills? Transition Malvern Hillsintroduces ENERGY TRACERS, Thermal Imaging Surveys.
Thermal imaging surveys by inspecting the inside of a warmed house and using a blower door, draughts and poor insulation can be seen.
A video with verbal report is left and advice is given on future actions together with installing an energy monitoring and action pack
"We are looking for "Hot Spotters" who will have this service for free provided they organise ideally 3 or 4 friends or neighbours within 10 miles travelling time to have their houses surveyed on the same day".
Householders pay £50 (ex VAT) each for a service worth hundreds of pounds. *In the Malvern AoNB we have been awarded grants so the service is FREE!*
For more information please contact Lynn Jones 07976 617645.
Design, Convert and Build Work
Environmental Preference Schedule Of Construction Elements, page 1
Criteria for selection:
- Design for low energy use (superinsulation etc)
- Minimising new resources (seconds/reclaimed etc)
- Using whole unprocessed materials first (solid timber, natural materials)
- Using low embodied energy materials (locally sourced, unprocessed etc)
- Using materials for a healthy environment (organic paints, no formaldehyde glues etc)
Preferences grades:
- ultimate aim
- good practice
- acceptable solution
- to be avoided
U values to be achieved including all openings bridging etc:
| Roofs | 0.15 W/m2K |
| Walls | 0.25 W/m2K |
| Floors | 0.20 W/m2K |
| Windows/glazed doors | 1.5 W/m2K |
The works carried out in the refurbishment and new construction at The Fold can be broken down into 27 categories and we have assessed each of these to illustrate the environmental decision-making process that affected all parts of the project. Firstly the specific treatment or material that we consider qualifies for each of the grades is identified for each category. The choice of material or treatment we made at The Fold is then presented and the reasons behind that choice are then explained.
A summary of the categories, the grading and choices made in The Fold is provided in tabular format at the end.
Builders Waste
- no export at all from site
- sorted into recyclable rubble/timber/metals etc
- burn waste
- indiscriminate use of skips
Choice: 2. Most of our waste material was eventually sorted but not without some confrontation.
Reason: The building trade are used to having skips to throw all their waste into without consideration and getting builders to sort the waste required the development of a new mind set.
Foundations
- Local stone foundations with land drains around perimeter. Reduce thermal bridging to a minimum
- Reused brick or block with recycled aggregate on minimal strip footing
- new conc. block or new bricks on strip footing
- Trench fill or reinforced slab/raft foundation with new aggregate.
Choice: 4. Trench footing
Reason: The considerable additional cost of labour and material in a strip footing.
DRAINAGE
- earthenware
- spun concrete
- -
- UPVC
Choice: 1. Principally earthenware drain pipes with PU manholes. Also PU pipe on a long 150mm run for surface water.
Reason: Best choice and whilst more expensive than UPVC still affordable.
Next >> Environmental Preference Schedule Of Construction Elements, page 2
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