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U-value targets for retrofit are often treated as a straightforward regulatory question, but the reality is considerably more nuanced. Building control generally steers projects towards 0.3 W/m²K, with a threshold value of 0.7 — and Part L does allow for…
Continuity of insulation is one of the most important — and most frequently compromised — principles in both retrofit and new build. A common scenario on site is a 170mm joist or rafter cavity filled with 160mm of insulation, with…
Brick creams — siloxane-based water repellent treatments applied to masonry surfaces — are a genuinely useful tool in retrofit, though one that attracts more debate than it perhaps deserves. The controversy is largely historical: earlier formulations tended to block pores…
Insulation and airtightness are two distinct but inseparable parts of a well-performing building fabric, and a common misconception is that one can substitute for the other. Airtightness in this context means fabric airtightness — eliminating the uncontrolled infiltration of air…
PIR and wood fibre are both widely used insulation materials, but they differ in almost every meaningful respect beyond their basic function of reducing heat loss. On acoustics, the contrast is stark: PIR is lightweight and rigid, which makes it…
Silicone render is a polymer-based finish coat applied over a lime basecoat that combines two properties which are difficult to achieve simultaneously in traditional materials: strong water repellency and good vapour permeability. It keeps liquid water from penetrating the surface…
Wood fibre is a timber-based material and it does burn — that much is straightforward. What’s less well understood is how it burns and what that means in practice. In complete combustion, wood fibre produces very few harmful by-products and…
The question of whether an approved installer is necessary is one that comes up regularly, and the honest answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Many manufacturers run their own training schemes and approved installer programmes, but…
Natural ventilation is intuitively appealing — fresh air coming in through open windows and trickle vents, no mechanical systems, no noise, nothing to maintain. The reality of relying on it as a serious strategy is considerably less comfortable. In practice,…
Partially insulating a building is technically possible, and for projects that need to be phased over time a staged approach can be made to work — but it comes with genuine risks that are worth understanding before committing to it.…
Airtightness, breathability, and vapour control are three concepts that get conflated and confused in equal measure, and understanding how they interact is fundamental to designing a building fabric that performs well and doesn’t accumulate moisture damage over time. Airtightness means…
The question of why we insulate is rarely one that reaches BTE directly — most people have already decided they want to by the time they make contact — but the full picture is worth laying out clearly because the…