I had a great trip down to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) last month to lecture to the MSc Architecture student and MSc Sustainability & Adaptation. I spent two days with the students covering the basics of thermal imaging and carrying out an air tightness testing practical – to demonstrate the benefits of air tightness testing existing buildings!

A few weeks ago, I tested the most amazing holiday accommodation – Riverside Terrace at Stepping Stones – it is between Ambleside and Rydal in the Central Lake District. The building (3 separate units) is part circular, beautifully designed and has the most amazing views – as well as stunning environmental credentials.  I would love to stay there!!!

If you are a private landlord and have older, solid-walled stock, you are probably concerned about being unable to rent F or G band properties on new tenancies from April 2018. Please bear in mind there has been a change to the software behind EPCs for existing buildings in Nov 2017, which has improved the…

I had great session with students from Kendal College this week – helping the Level 3 Carpentry & Joinery students understand the importance of air tightness and insulation in buildings, how to measure airtightness and how to fault find using a thermal imaging camera.

I carried out an intermediate air pressure test last week on a house aiming to have a much lower air permeability than Building Regs requires and has heaps of insulation in the walls. A local window supplier had put in very high spec triple glazed windows, but unfortunately there were some issues with the way…

One of the air tightness tests I carried out last week was an on-completion air permeability test on a home in the Eden Valley / Penrith area built to Passivhaus standards. The only heating installed in the 70 sq m footprint building is electric underfloor heating in the bathroom and a multi-fuel stove in the living…

There is hope! Great video from the UN on tackling climate change in the US using Passive House:

I have yet another new build house to air tightness test for defects this week. The householder moved in earlier this year, has noticed severe draughts in the last couple of weeks and has called me in to get to the bottom of the problem – I’m going to be doing an air tightness test and thermal…

In Cumbria there are a high percentage of solid wall properties, so the change in RdSAP that improves the U-values assumed for solid walls has been looked forward to, particularly by private landlords that are going to be affected by the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). These regulations apply from April 2018 and prohibit new rentals…

On Friday, I carried out an intermediate air pressure test on Daisy Bank Cottage near Kendal. The self-builder, Alex Burn of 4site has taken a pragmatic approach to his build – keeping the design as simple as possible and primarily using standard materials available through local builders merchants. The building is masonry construction and Alex has applied basic Passivhaus principles…