A Victorian Semi in South Manchester
Street view
A semi-detached house built around 1901 with a near bottom of the class EPC rating of F (28), solid walls, 25mm of loft insulation, no floor insulation, and single glazed windows. Transforming the house into a low energy home was going to be a retrofit challenge.
A new system boiler was added in 2016 by the previous owner leaving the old and barely insulated hot water cylinder. The first challenge was to decide whether to add a new hot water cylinder. The factors were that the orientation of the house was far from optimal for solar thermal and PV, and with much reduced government support financial returns were very long term. The cost of the cylinder was also a factor and a decision was made to change the boiler to a Vaillant combi with advanced weather compensating vSmart controls.
An assessment followed by Red which gave the house an EPC rating of E (55) with a projected rating of B (87); the rating had improved with the change of boiler and low energy lighting. Measures included wall insulation to the side and rear, new triple glazed windows, secondary glazing to some existing windows, loft and room in the roof insulation, and air tightness measures with a new whole house ventilation system. Our energy advisor called it the best example of a pre-retrofit house that he had seen.
In the original EPC a rating of E (40) rating was projected. This can surely be bettered!
Update 7 July 2017
A new system boiler was added in 2016 by the previous owner leaving the old and barely insulated hot water cylinder. The first challenge was to decide whether to add a new hot water cylinder. The factors were that the orientation of the house was far from optimal for solar thermal and PV, and with much reduced government support financial returns were very long term. The cost of the cylinder was also a factor and a decision was made to change the boiler to a Vaillant combi with advanced weather compensating vSmart controls.
An assessment followed by Red which gave the house an EPC rating of E (55) with a projected rating of B (87); the rating had improved with the change of boiler and low energy lighting. Measures included wall insulation to the side and rear, new triple glazed windows, secondary glazing to some existing windows, loft and room in the roof insulation, and air tightness measures with a new whole house ventilation system. Our energy advisor called it the best example of a pre-retrofit house that he had seen.
In the original EPC a rating of E (40) rating was projected. This can surely be bettered!
Update 7 July 2017
- The sash windows to the first and second floors have been replaced by new triple glazed sash windows from Green Building Store.
- Two new triple glazed Velux roof windows have been installed, one over the stairs, the other in the 2nd floor ensuite.
- A replacement bay window has been fitted in the front living room, with the stained glass releaded and set behind double glazed units; the fixed and opening casements are triple glazed. In the front door the stained glass panels have been backed by laminated glass reducing draughts and improving security.
- Insulation is being added with air tightness measures: Phenolic insulation to the room in the roof for the roof and eaves; 100mm of Udi IN RECO wood fibre internal wall insulation to external walls, with 25mm of Udi 2INCM to return walls; 170mm of mineral wool under the floor of the lounge and hall; fitting up to 370mm of mineral wool will be completed in the attic spaces.
- Radiators are being replaced with smaller, more efficient models with TRVs.
- Options for a new ventilation system were examined including MEV and MVHR. An air tightness test was carried out after the works to the first and second floor and the front living room work were completed but with the current kitchen, rear living room and basement still to be tackled. The figure of 10.6 m3/hour/m2 indicated future difficulty in achieving adequate air tightness for MVHR so an MEV system from Aereco is under consideration. This has a single fan with inlets from the five wet rooms and a basement room. Natural leakage will provide most of the incoming air although there is provision for a number of humidity controlled wall vents.
- A small extension to the rear designed by Gibson Architects is planned to create a new kitchen/diner, with the conversion of the current kitchen to a study. It is hoped to start work on this in the Autumn.
The original water tank just under the uninsulated and unlined slate roof
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Bringing in the new triple glazed sash windows
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Installing the new sash windows
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New bay window with releaded stained glass. The internal wall insulation is shown before treatment to surrounds and plastering
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The 'room in the roof'/ Bedroom 4 after the ceiling was removed and before 150mm of insulation was added
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Loft insulation, 1960s style?, 25mm deep
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Pipework routes in attic after 'thinning out' redundant pipework - showing scope for sealing up for air tightness
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Insulation and membrane under the hall floor, sealed at the edges
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