What type of insulation and why? We recently had a client with a large house that was being built on a small budget. We suggested full fill cavity PIR insulation for the walls. This has become more common in recent
Building Your Own Home
Many people like to build their own houses. This is very attractive financially as the cost of land and materials can be a lot less than the cost of a finished house. Self building has become more difficult due to
Thermal Bridging
I remember seeing a ladies’ sheepskin coat that had no buttons on the front. The sheepskin coat is one of the warmest winter coats, but only if it is buttoned up. If it is left unbuttoned then it is not
Spray Foam Insulation
The advantages of spray foam insulation. Icynene is a form of spray foam insulation. The thermal conductivity of the insulation is about the same as mineral wool. It has the advantage of making the building very air tight. Because of
Sheep’s Wool Insulation
What are the pros and cons of Sheep’s wool insulation? Sheep’s wool insulation is made into rolls and slabs very similar to those made from fibreglass and mineral wool insulation. Rolls of insulation are generally used above flat ceilings
SAP 2012 No Solar PV or Heat Pumps
SAPS4U believe in getting the job done within your budget. Not everyone building a house can afford to pay for solar panels and heat pumps and not everyone buying a house is used to such things. If you really want
What is Passivhaus?
Passivhaus is a German word for passive house. The literal meaning of the word is a house that is unheated. Imagine having so much insulation in your house and such good triple glazing that heating was completely unnecessary. The sun
Sunpipes
One of the major sources of heat loss is through windows and doors. A typical window or door has a U value of 1.60 (a good quality modern type) and that’s 5 times as much heat loss as a wall
Vacuum Insulation
Vacuum insulation works in the same way as a thermos flask. The thermos flask uses a vacuum between two glass walls in order to prevent heat travelling by conduction and silver on the walls to reflect radiant heat travelling as
Ventilation – Why is it Important?
Modern construction techniques produce housing that is particularly airtight. Old houses have an air pressure of Q = 15 so you didn’t need to worry about it. Modern construction produces an air pressure of Q = 5, sometimes achieving Q