TSB retrofit

[fran Bradshaw]

Would it be useful/interesting to start a group of members doing TSB retrofits? I bet lots of the projects are being done by AECB members? We are doing one with Metropolitan Housing and one with North Staffordshire Sanctuary HA - Fran Bradshaw at Anne Thorne Architects

[Chris Herring]

The AECB has also been advising the TSB, and assisting in judging applications.

[Geoff Stow]

Fran
I agree that it would be good to share info. You could consider putting something in Network maybe with a short bit about the TSB Initiative.

[Paul jennings]

I did my first TSB Phase 1 air leakage test yesterday, with Pete Warm and GSK Architects.  A Housing Association property, end terrace, in Plymouth.  We ran a sweepstake on the result - and the tenant won - his guess of 17 was closest to the measured result.  Good politics, but just by luck.  And when we taped up the very poor back door we reduced the air permeability by 1.

Since the TSB scheme positively said that it would pay for Phase 1 air permeability tests, I'd be interested to know how many AECB members involved in schemes put in air leakage testing?  I know I haven't done many specific quotes for TSB schemes.  If there were 400-odd applications and something like 130 Phase 1 appointed, how many included testing? Surely we know by now that trying to retrofit to good levels of airtightness, AECB Silver or better, is next to impossible without the detailed knowledge that a preliminary test provides?  Also, if the EST is keen on before and after comparisons, surely a pre-test is essential?

[Matthew Rhodes]

We are involved with two TSB projects. We already have air tightness testing planned which should be done in the next week or two. We are now looking for a surveyor who can draw up some plans for our properties (4 in rural Warwickshire and 1 in Birmingham). We need someone who is familiar with PHPP so that the plans are detailed enough for input into this software. Can anyone help with this?

[Paul Teather]

PHPP is a very detailed procedure and does require a high degree of understanding to use it correctly. The documentation (that is available in English) does not fully cover all of the requirements needed to model a PH home.

I would suggest that you get somebody who is trained/knowledgable in PH to inspect the site with a surveyor so that their combined skills deliver all of the information required.

A word of warning - PHPP is very good and is now my prefered method even in comparison to Simulations. but it is not perfect and is based on assumptions about the built environment that are based on typical german build methods, sizes and occupancies. (As a building physicist there are even some details that I disagree with).

Any generalisations that are made in the model may not work correctly in a small UK home; A particular concern should be analysis overheating risk in individual rooms as PH only considers the whole building. I have had this problem already on a proposed PH  home that will have certain rooms overheating in spite of PHPP predictions.

(It is worth reminding ourselves that the current SAP is a disaster by comparison)

[Matthew Rhodes]

We have in house working knowledge of PHPP so yes we could potentially help a surveyor/architect to capture the relevant information on their plans. We do not have people "in house" who are trained at measuring up buildings and drawing plans so this is where help is needed.

[Alan Clarke]

To reply to Paul Jennings, as I understood it, "before" airtests would be provided for in phase 2, and phase 1 is more of a feasibility stage, than a hands-on renovation. Also "my" housing associations haven't decided which actual houses we can do yet!

Although overall I can see the merit of a "before" test I'm not so sure of the value of the first test strategically for an individual renovation - knowing we want to go from a test figure in the range 10-30 down to less than a tenth of that means we are expecting to deal with big holes like chimneys and sash windows, and doors that don't shut. It is probably more useful to be thinking about budgeting for an additional "first-fix" test during construction instead.

Alan