Air Tightness and Ventilation in UK Dwellings - A sensitive balance!

In the near future it will be interesting to see how our buildings are reacting to increased air tightness, together with ventilation.  In truth only time will tell if this is working when these buildings have been occupied and used for a number of years

Source: Source: http://www.brookvent.co.uk/

In order to tackle climate change the UK government have made commitments under the Climate Change Act 2008 to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% (from the 1990 baseline) by 2050.  Buildings in particular have been identified as a means making significant reductions to meeting these targets: According to BBC News (2006), ‘Transport consistently grabs the headlines on climate change emissions but buildings pour out about half of the UK's CO2 - 30% from homes, 20% from commercial buildings’.  The Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) completed an assessment of a variety of impacts of various sectors may need to prepare, which included the Built Environment: ‘The UK’s built environment includes: 27 million homes, commercial and industrial properties, hospitals, schools, other buildings and the wider urban environment. At the current replacement rate, around 70% of buildings that will be in use in the 2050s already exist.

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within buildings, particularly carbon dioxide, can be achieved in two broad categories, the first is the way in which we create energy and the second is the way in which we can conserve or limit waste of energy.  In an earlier article, why should we both with renewable technologies? (Link) I considered the former and emphasised the importance of installing and utilising renewable technologies within buildings, which will significantly reduce our dependency of burning fossil fuels and subsequently reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  For the purposes of this article however I want to briefly focus on conserving energy in buildings and in particular the important balance between air tightness and ventilation.

Source: Source: http://www.airtightbuilding.com/

In order to try to make buildings more energy efficient UK Building Regulation, particularly Approved Document L has evolved beyond all recognition of the last 15 to 20 years.  Those like myself who were in practice prior to this will remember a much shorter, single Approved Document (now there are four parts, L1A, L1B, L2A & L2B), where the most complex issue was how to navigate your way through a SAP calculation.   Nowadays the focus on external envelope is only part of the story and there is now a requirement to consider carbon dioxide emissions for example: under Approved Document L1A , all dwellings must be designed and built in a manner that their Dwelling Carbon Dioxide Emission Rate (DER) measured in kg of CO² produced annually per m² floor area is no worse than a defined Target Carbon Dioxide Emission Rate (TER), as well as air permeability (or air leakage).

Since 2006, Building Regulations in England & Wales and Northern Ireland have required mandatory air leakage testing of new homes. These regulations were further revised in England and Wales in October 2010. ‘Air leakage, air permeability and air tightness are all terms that refer to the uncontrolled loss of air from inside a building to the outside and the infiltration of air coming from outside to inside. This loss or gain of air through cracks, holes or gaps in the fabric of the building is often felt to us as draughts.

Achieving a good level of air tightness is important for the energy efficiency of the building. The benefits of improved insulation and more energy efficient heating systems are lost if warm air can leak out of the building and cold air can leak in. Poor air tightness can be responsible for up to 40% of heat loss from buildings’ Source: http://www.nhbc.co.uk/

The above statement makes a good point in relation to heat loss in those buildings with poor air tightness and that by ‘plugging the gaps’, so to speak, we can ensure that our buildings remain warmer for longer.  This in turn will mean that we will not need as much heating in our buildings and consequently reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the process.  The added other benefit should be a reduction in our energy bills.  Constructing or upgrading a building to meet these air tightness standards is all well and good but we must also consider a balance with ventilating a building.

Ventilation is an important consideration in buildings as it helps to control the internal environment in respect of health & comfort, control of condensation and humidity, discharge of emissions from fuel burning appliances and removal of any airborne pollutants.  Building Regulations Approved Document F provides requirements for ventilation rates in various rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms etc as well as rates for whole house ventilation. The Approved Document also provides examples of different forms of ventilation such as mechanical, background, passive stack etc.  Consideration of the Approved Documents will be crucial in firstly complying with Building Regulations and secondly ensuring that there is an adequate balance between air tightness and ventilation. It would be a mistake to consider each of these in isolation.  It is important to realise that the level of air tightness achieved within a building will have an important influence on the overall ventilation rates that will be achieved (higher levels of air tightness, lower ventilation rates) and the type of ventilation strategy that should be adopted.

In the near future it will be interesting to see how our buildings are reacting to increased air tightness together with ventilation.  In truth only time will tell if this is working when these buildings have been occupied and used for a number of years.  As an example; with the increased use of construction methods such as timber frame which is nicely concealed within a highly air tight environment it is easy to foresee problems in the future with timber decay and other common defects if the balance between air tightness, ventilation and indeed detailing is not adequately considered.  This is also the case for control of both surface and interstitial condensation (condensation that occurs within the fabric of a building), which are both influenced by air tightness and ventilation in conjunction with other factors. We will no doubt find out within the near future if we have got this balance right.

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Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.

Statutory Approvals - Why ignorance is no excuse for non-compliance

By their very nature Statutory Approvals are mandatory, they are not a choice.  This is something worth thinking about if you are thinking about buildings works now or in the future

Source: http://www.architectsbelfast.com/

Earlier this year an interesting article appeared in the Telegraph with the rather bold headline ‘One in 10 British homeowners have broken planning and building restrictions'. The article suggests that this is largely due to confusing information and guidelines and lack of or misunderstanding of recent changes, particularly to planning laws.  The article then goes onto state:

‘More than 176,000 homeowners have been ordered by council officials to take down or rectify building work carried out on their properties in the past five years, leaving them considerably out of pocket. Some homeowners have been caught out by mistakenly believing it would be easier to obtain planning permission after they have carried out work rather than before’

The above confirms my general experience of dealing with members of the public, over many years, in that there is a general lack of awareness, sometimes complete ignorance of which statutory approvals (permissions) may apply to any works they are proposing to undertake. For the person proposing (or in many cases starting the works without statutory approvals) the implications of not attaining the requisite permissions can be extremely costly, in addition to creating the potential of committing criminal offences and being subject to fines or possible imprisonment.  This is a serious issue and unfortunately for those who decide to proceed without the required permissions they will find that ignorance is no defence.

Source: http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/

Statutory approvals are required for a variety of reasons and these will inevitably create a difference of opinion between those who propose to have works carried and those who are likely to be impacted by them.  Before being too critical of statutory approvals it is first worth taking a moment to think what the World and indeed your local environment would be like without them.  For example, if there were no planning controls your neighbour may decide to construct an extension or new building as big and as high as their land will permit, which could block your view to the nice rural landscape that you currently enjoy, significantly reduce the amount of natural light into your own building, and affect access to your own land, and so on.... Without Building Regulations approval there would be no control on the quality, standard or safety requirements in which your neighbour should build their extension.  Also, what happens if during the construction your neighbour damages your property? Statutory Approvals such as the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, if applicable, would provide a way of dealing with this.  Therefore, although many may see statutory approvals as an expensive hindrance you can see that the World we live in would be a very different place without some level of control.

 

Source: http://www.abcsolutions.co.uk/our-services/statutory-approvals-cdm/

Prior to undertaking any form of building works it is important to establish if, and if so which statutory approvals apply.  Many Local Authority websites provide a good level of information and guidance to help you to decide if you need to obtain various permissions, however it is always worth getting a professional opinion to answer any of your questions and to advise you more accurately.   This is important because the requirements for statutory approvals is very much dependent of the type/size/scale/location of proposed works and will vary from project to project.  Take planning permission for instance.  There are certain types of works/developments that are classified as ‘permitted development’ and therefore do not require formal planning approval.  I will be discussing this in more detail in next week’s article where you will see that although a formal planning application is not required it is still necessary to obtain something called a Certificate of Lawfulness from the Local Authority to confirm that the proposed works are classified as permitted development.

Members of the public may be surprised by the scope of statutory approvals that may apply and may not think twice about lopping or removing a tree, knocking a wall down in an old building or painting the outside of their house in a bright colour.  Each of these could be in breach of a Tree Preservation Order, Listed Building Consent or Conservation Area Consent respectively.  This provides just three examples where Statutory Approval could quite easily be breached or ignored, however as stated previously, the offending party could end up with a hefty bill for rectification or repair work, alongside a fine or in extreme cases imprisonment.

Consideration of Statutory Approvals for the vast majority of householders in the UK will primarily relate to Planning Permission, Building Regulations Approval and whether the provisions of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 apply.  The process can be further complicated if you propose works to a Listed Building (usually a heritage building), or want to carry out external works or alterations to a building in a Conservation Area. If any works to, or removal of trees is proposed then enquires need to be made with the Local Authority to establish if Tree Preservation Orders are in place.   A whole host of other statutory considerations are required for developments of a larger or more complex nature, such as consideration of Environmental Impact, Ecological issues such as, Protected Species, Water Courses and Japanese Knotweed, then there are Traffic Assessments, Noise Impact Assessments and so on.

The Statutory Approvals discussed above provide an example of the common types of approvals that are required in the UK, however the list is far from exhaustive.  It would be extremely unwise to proceed too quickly with any proposed works/development until the full scope of Statutory Approvals has been established.  Obtaining Statutory Approvals can prove to be a costly exercise particularly when the Local Authority place conditions on the approval, or an application is refused and an applicant decides to appeal.  It is however sensible to find out any conditions that the Local Authority may impose as early as possible, as these can be factored into financial calculations.  This could mean that a scheme becomes financially unviable, possibly due to budget restraints, however, it is far better to find this out before works begin.

As stated earlier it is always advisable to obtain professional advice in respect of Statutory Approvals as early as possible. If this happens then perhaps we will see a reduction in Local Authority enforcement action as detailed in the news article at the beginning of this post.  There will always be those who want to cut corners and ‘do things under the radar’, however, always beware of taking this approach, as the consequences of enforcement action, is a risk just not worth taking.  Also, during the conveyance process Solicitors will request confirmation and copies of Statutory Approvals.  If you have not got them or cannot find then it is likely that perspective purchasers will be put off. By their very nature Statutory Approvals are mandatory, they are not a choice.  This is something worth thinking about if you are proposing any buildings works now or in the future

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Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.

Building Regulations v Planning Permission – The Silent Conflict!

If we try to impose modern alterations and additions to all listed buildings then surely we are taking away the very thing that legislation such as the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is trying to protect?  

Source: http://www.stroudopenhomes.org.uk

In an age where we are already seeing the significant impact of climate change on our planet, there is a real urgency to find alternative ways of creating and saving energy in ways that will not only provide the capacity we need, but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings has been a major focus of the UK Government over recent years who have primarily used Building Regulations Approved Document L as a vehicle for imposing change.  Recent revisions to Approved Document L have introduced much stricter criteria in respect of reducing thermal heat loss, improved air tightness, space heating controls, low energy fittings, to name but a few examples.  Meeting these regulations in new buildings is achievable, as the requirements can form part of the design, however, this poses a whole new set of challenges for works to existing buildings and in particular those that are Listed (protected). 

 

Over the years I have worked on numerous projects which were either Listed Buildings or those within Conservation Areas, or sometimes both.  Anyone who has been involved in such project will understand the often sensitive and sometimes complex issues that arise, particularly when there is a conflict of opinion between the Building Control Officer and the Planning/Conservation Officer.  It is important to understand that each of them have a very different agenda and it is hardly surprising that on occasions that their views will collide.  The Building Control Officer wants to ensure that the works are undertaken in a safe manner to comply with Building Regulations, whereas the Conservation Officer will be looking to maintain the appearance and characteristics of a Listed Building or within a Conservation Area.

Source: http://www.sunday-bnb.com

I remember one project in particular where I was Project Manager for the refurbishment of a grade II listed Georgian Town House on the outskirts of Birmingham City Centre.  After I had prepared and submitted  applications for Building Regulations and Listed Building Consent, there was a difference of opinion between the Building Control Officer and the Conservation Officer in respect of balustrade on a first floor landing.  The Conservation Officer wanted to maintain the existing detail, which was 800mm high and a gap of approximately 150mm between the spindles.  The Building Control Officer insisted that this did not comply with Approved Document K of Building Regulations (Minimum height of 900mm with a maximum 100mm gap between the spindles) and therefore needed to be replaced. The Conservation Officer insisted that this was an original feature of the building and therefore must not be removed!  After unsuccessfully trying to resolve this over numerous telephone conversations,  I arranged for both of them to meet me on site to discuss the matter.  I wondered whether they would bring their own boxing gloves, but either way I was looking forward to the meeting.  After much discussion a compromise was reached which meant that we would keep the existing balustrade detail, however we would also install a new balustrade in front of the existing to comply with Building Regulations.  This satisfied the Building Control Officer and the Conservation Officer who was happy to add this new feature as it was ‘reversible’ and in her words ‘did not detract from the original character of the building’.  The end result was necessary in order to obtain both statutory approvals, however it looked awful, and in my words, ‘made the landing look like a dog’s breakfast’!

The above scenario demonstrates the constant conflict between maintaining the character of a Listed Building or maybe within a Conservation Area and also achieving the various requirements of Building Regulations.  This is actually not that surprising when you think that the Conservation Officer and the Building Control Officer are trying to achieve completely different outcomes.  The problem however is that both of them could insist that their individual requirements are met, so if an impasse is reached, how is this resolved?  You would hope that commonsense would prevail, however sometimes it is difficult enough getting a response let alone contemplating a solution that would satisfy both!

Now, let us consider adding enhancements to a Listed Building and also trying to achieve the requirements of Building Regulations at the same time.  How is it possible to achieve both in every circumstance?  In fact should we really want to achieve both when you think that the majority of modern additions/enhancements to a Listed Building are likely to take away or affect it’s character. Think about insulating the walls of a listed building.  The chances are that you won’t be permitted to do this externally, because that would cover and hide the original structure and/or features of the building.  The same could also be said of insulating internally, if for example a dry lining system is proposed.  Therefore unless the Building Control Officer and the Conservation Officer are both open to compromise it is likely that the requirements of both statutory consents will be difficult to meet.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1298244

I would therefore suggest that if we are serious about preserving our heritage in the UK, then surely, we should not try to force significant alterations/enhancements when works are proposed to Listed Building and also those within Conservation Areas, even if that means there may be occasions when certain parts of Building Regulations may not be met.  When these buildings were originally constructed they would have been no consideration or requirement for them to meet any future standards, and in fact in most cases it is this lack of modern detail and requirements that often gives these buildings their unique charm and character.  If we try to impose modern alterations and additions to these buildings then surely we are taking away the very thing that legislation such as the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is trying to protect?  I am not suggesting that all works to Listed Buildings or those within Conservation Areas should be exempt from Building Regulations approval; however, I am suggesting that we take a more pragmatic approach and in some circumstances accept these types of buildings for what they are, which are examples of our historic past.  If we try to impose too many ‘modern’ requirements onto these types of buildings then we what is the point in trying to protect them in the first place?

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Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.

Why should we bother with Renewable Technologies?

If you are hoping that in the future fuel costs will reach a peak and then start to reduce then I am afraid you are going to be bitterly disappointed.  There may well be short term reductions, however  it is inevitable that fuel cost will not only continue to rise, but rise significantly.

Source: http://www.kilmacenergy.co.uk/Environmental+Impact+Assessment/

There is no shortage of media coverage in respect of the impact of global warming, climate change, energy conservation, sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions an so on... An individual’s understanding and concern about these issues will vary significantly from those who have a genuine concern about protecting our planet for future generations to those who’s work may be directly related to these issues, right through to those who know very little and even those who make a conscious choice to ignore them!   The problem is however that even if you are one of those who fall into the latter categories, it does not change the fact that you are effected in exactly the same way as everyone else.  This is no more starkly demonstrated than in the increased cost of energy over recent years, which have soared to record levels.

Over the last two hundred years we have become dependent on fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal, which have allowed us to develop our world at a staggering pace.  All of this development in terms of infrastructure, buildings and the like requires large amount of energy, to heat, cool, ventilate, provide light and power etc.  If we are to maintain or more than likely going to increase the rate of development around the world then we also need to consider alternative ways of creating this energy.  The problem with fossil fuels is that it is a depleting resource and at some point in the future it will run out.  Now this is unlikely to be in our generation or possibly even a number of generations in the future, but one thing is for certain in that it will actually run out.  If you are under the impression that we should not be concerned about this now, as it will not have any major impact on us in our lifetime then think again!

The problem with anything that is in short supply is that basic economical principles come into play.  Fossil fuels are a prime example of this.  Remember they are a depleting resource and therefore a commodity in short supply.  The impact of this is that when demand is high (which it always is) and supply is limited (which it is), then market conditions allow energy providers to increase costs as they know that they are providing something that people actually need.  The market then adjusts to these increased costs.  The graph below demonstrates the cost increase of oil, gas and electricity over the next twenty years:

Source: http://www.castlecover.co.uk/historic-home-utility-prices/

‘Rather unsurprisingly, all four demonstrate price hikes over the period, though some are more dramatic than others. Electricity and gas - the two most-used household energies - have nearly doubled over the last seven years of the index, owing to their ties with oil prices, as well as a number of other factors. The industrialisation of foreign nations, plus growing international prices for the commodity, has forced coal costs higher for UK citizen’.

If you are hoping that in the future fuel costs will reach a peak and then start to reduce then I am afraid you are going to be bitterly disappointed.  There may well be short term reductions, however due to the economical principles described above it is inevitable that fuel cost will not only continue to rise, but rise significantly. Of course, the majority of articles that you will see in the media focus on the damage to the environment caused by greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon, from the burning of fossil fuels.  This is something that we need to deal with immediately, however I would suggest that if you were to talk to most people on the high street they would be more concerned about the increase in fuel cost rather than concerns about climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The positive thing however, is that if we can create energy by using alternative renewable technologies then we can deal with both issues at the same time!

Source: http://www.link2portal.com/no-more-pv-subsidy-energy-inefficient-buildings-greg-barker

In my next article I will discuss some of the difficulties in making energy efficient enhancements to our heritage buildings, however for the remainder of this article I will continue to discuss the financial effect of creating and using energy from fossil fuels, which is happening and impacting on us all right now!  The Fuel Property Advisory Group’s 2011-12 annual report, in its executive summary states (link): ‘The average domestic dual fuel bill is now at a record high of £1,365 per annum creating severe additional hardship for some six million UK fuel poor households. The problem is even more acute for many living off the gas grid using Oil or LPG, where average fuel bills are circa £2,100 per annum. The reference to ‘fuel poor’ is more widely described as fuel poverty, which is defined by Poverty.org.uk (Link) as: ‘Households are considered by the Government to be in 'fuel poverty' if they would have to spend more than 10% of their household income on fuel to keep their home in a 'satisfactory' condition.  It is thus a measure which compares income with what the fuel costs 'should be' rather than what they actually are.  Whether a household is in fuel poverty or not is determined by the interaction of a number of factors, but the three obvious ones are: The cost of energy, The energy efficiency of the property (and therefore, the energy required to heat and power the home) and Household income’

It is abundantly clear that many in the UK are already suffering financial hardship as a result of increasing energy costs, and unless we can find alternative ways of creating our energy, then this situation is likely to become critical.  Increased demand of a depleting resource is a recipe for disaster.  We therefore have to introduce alternatives, which is now a necessity not a choice.  If you are in one of those categories described at the beginning of this article who have not really paid much attention to these global issues, perhaps it is now time to think very carefully about how you individually and all of us collectively can save energy and also be open to new technologies. This will not only provide benefits from a financial viewpoint, which may not be immediate (although costs associated with enhancements is an article in its own right!), but also from an environmental viewpoint, where we can start to have a real impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In next week's article I will focus discuss the difficulties in making energy efficient enhancements to heritage buildings.

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.