Ruth Shepherd

• Solid wall insulation: wood fibre boards 80mm thick fixed direct to wall with concrete screws and plastic washers, u-value 0.36 W/m²K.

• Loft insulation: two thickness of 320mm and 300mm used with u-value of 0.127 W/m²K and 0.134 W/m²K.

• Floor insulation: setting up of 20mm of extruded polystyrene (Marmox) directly on tile grout of the solid floor, followed by underlay and 8mm laminate, average u-value 1.062 W/m² This solution was a compromise to avoid digging up the existing floor.

• Airtightness: vapour-permeable Intello membrane was used on insulated internal walls, and bathroom & bedroom ceilings. Tescon 1 tape was used to join sheets, and Orcon F was used to fix membranes to ground floor and party walls. Tescon Primer RP was used to prime solid surfaces prior to tapes or Orcon F being used. All service penetrations (e.g. wires, ducts, boiler flue, etc) had to be dealt with using grommets or tapes.

• Mechanical ventilation heat recovery system: Brink Renovent Sky 300 unit installed on bathroom ceiling and boxed out: 85% effective dry heat recovery rate (as per Passivhaus test criteria); Frost pre-heater installed on intake duct; 180mm insulated ductwork connects the unit to external wall cowls. Condensate is connected to sink waste, with Hepworth valve installed as trap.

• Condensing boiler: replaced old boiler with Remeha Avanta Plus Exclusive 28C condensing boiler.

• Low energy lighting throughout.

• New water devices: Toilet replaced by dual flush 6l/4l model; Installation of a Hansrohe Croma 100 Vario/Ecostat shower.

For further information on works carried out, see the case study here.