Location
Tennyson Street
Swindon
SWINDON
SN1 5DT
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Opening times
Please get in touch to arrange a time for a visit, chat or video call
This event has now finished.
Book ahead Please contact julian.p.jones@gmail.com or call 07809 122474 for information and booking
This is a terraced 2-bed with external wall insulation. Solar panels are being installed and other measures such as draughtproofing, ventilation and floor insulation in planning. All windows are double glazed, some with secondary glazing, and hot water and heating are provided by a condensing gas boiler which at some stage will be replaced by a heat pump.
Please contact julian.p.jones@gmail.com or call 07809 122474 for information and booking.
Further information
The external wall insulation (EWS) was done 9 years ago when a 'green deal home improvement fund' grant was briefly available to a limited number of households. It consists of 100cm of EPS (expanded polystyrene) covered with a hard weatherproof and fire resistant render layer. It greatly improved the look of the property and kept the solidish brick walls dryer and has proved durable so far.
The principle learning point from the EWS installation was to ensure that polystyrene blocks are fitted to spec (some of mine did not have mortar all round the edge to avoid air flow behind the blocks) and that all edges of the overall insulation layer are properly sealed (in my case the edge adjacent to a garden fence was not sealed properly). Also ensure that any holes such as for extractor fans slope downwards towards the outside to avoid condensation running back into the house. Another is to choose a supplier who is likely to continue operating for long enough to fix any issues, to avoid falling back on the insurance-backed guarantee.
Other measures, firstly floor repairs and some insulation and thorough draught-proofing, need to be completed to feel the full effect and substantially reduce the heating demand on cold windy days. Heat recovery from waste shower water would also reduce the hot water demand.
A Futureproof survey from CSE, which is still currently advertised as available with a discount from the councils in Swindon and Wiltshire, was done last December to help assess the relative benefit of additional measures. This is still in the process of evaluation and finding suppliers.
