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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 Contd.
Environmental Preference Schedule Summary Adopted at The Fold – Shaded Grade Solutions were adopted at The Fold.
| Grade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Ultimate Aim | Good Practice | Acceptable Solution | To Be Avoided |
| Builders Waste | no export at all from site | sorted into recyclable rubble /timber/metals etc | burn waste | indiscriminate use of skips |
| 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. |
| Drainage | earthenware | spun concrete | – | UPVC |
| Roof Insulation | cellulose, sheep's wool or hemp/cotton with thermal broken timber I beams | reused insulation boards | mineral wool and expanded polystyrene | PUR, foam insulation, extruded polystyrene |
| Floor Insulation | Mineral wool,(glass wool & rockwool) Expanded polystyrene | Foamed glass | Perlite | Extruded polystyrene PUR |
| Wall Insulation | cellulose, cork, wood fibre boards or hemp/recycled cotton | Mineral wool or EPS, | Foamed glass | PUR, extruded polystyrene |
| Walls (new) External | Cob or earth, durable wood | reused brick or stone | new brick or concrete blocks made with recycled aggregate | concrete blocks, aerated autoclaved concrete blocks, strong cement mortars, tropical wood, preserved wood |
| Walls (new) Internal | Timber frame, clay block, cob or earth | Sand lime blocks, flue-gas gypsum blocks | Cellular Concrete blocks, natural gypsum blocks | Concrete, strong cement mortars |
| Timber Frame External Wall Finishes | Rain screen of durable timber from sustainable source | Lime sand render on lightweight lath | Fibre /cement sheet rain screen | hard cement render/new brickwork screen |
| Internal Wall Finishes | Local timber finish or lime-washed earth walls | Lime or clay plaster on masonry, timber lath or wood wool slab | Gypsum (natural or flue gas derived) plasterboard and plaster skim | MDF, plastic boards |
| External Window Frames and Doors | Sustainable European durable wood (oak) - Preferably English | European sustainable softwood (certified), Boron treated & finished with environmentally friendly microporous finish ie Osmo or Auro | Sustainable plywood & preserved wood | UPVC & tropical wood |
| Internal Windows and Doors | Durable home grown timber | European sustainable softwood | Sustainable plywood & preserved wood | UPVC & tropical wood |
| Ground Floors | Utilise existing concrete floor/suspended well insulated home grown wooden floor | Where thermal mass required, solid concrete with recycled aggregate and stabilised earth screed | Pre-cast concrete joists with concrete infill, reinforced in situ concrete slab | floating chipboard floor above concrete slab |
| Upper Floors | home grown timber joists with T & G timber floor boards on fibre board & plasterboard for sound deadening | as above with plywood floor | as above with strand board decking | as above with chipboard floor or concrete |
| Roof Structure | Cut roof | trussed rafters | flat roof | concrete roof |
| Roof Finishes | reused tile or shingles | timber battens/shingles (larch or oak) | new clay or concrete tiles | fibre cement tiles, Canadian cedar shingles, copper sheet |
| Rainwater Goods | bitumen lined timber guttering with recycled aluminium/cast iron down pipes | new aluminium, zinc, galvanised steel or cast iron | copper | PVC |
| Plumbing | Polybutylene pipes (Hep2O) above ground and polyethylene below ground. Internal wastes in polypropylene or polyethylene | Stainless steel | copper | PVC internal wastes and lead |
| Timber | Reused where possible | home-grown FSC certified | imported certified | pre-treated unsourced |
| Hard Landscaping | woodchip/bark or reused stone/brick/ concrete flags – no pointing | concrete paviours made from recycled aggregate set in sand with no pointing, gravel | new concrete or brick paviours with cement pointing, clay tiles | tarmac |
| Fencing | nativel broad leafed sp. or willow hedging | timber fence/drystone wall or reused brick walls with lime mortar | new brick/block wall | concrete or treated timber |
| Preservative Treatments | Avoid if unnecessary | Local treatment with Borates where required | Overall treatment | Pre - Treated timber |
| Paint Finishes/Decorations | untreated surface | lime wash or water based mineral paints for walls and ceilings and wax and oil finishes | Water based acrylic paints | Paints with organic solvents and lead based etc |
| Sealants | Coconut fibre, felt, sisal, lime. | Mineral wool, PE tape, EPDM seals | Elastomeric sealant with base filler | PUR foam, sealant or tape |
| Lighting | Design for natural light with reflective surfaces | Low energy and LED | Low voltage halogen | Tungsten |
| Heating | Super insulated and designed such that no heating system required | Carbon neutral heating system | Condenser boiler | Electrical heating |
