At last! The EcoBungalow is underway with the demolition and strip out phase proceeding at a very fast pace indeed. To make things as smooth as possible for the builder, there were a few jobs that could be done in advance before the works started. The main ones were:
Getting an asbestos survey done
Ordering the new windows
Cutting off the gas supply
Installing new cavity wall insulation
Asbestos Survey: My home was built in 1973, a time when asbestos was widely used in construction. I already had a strong suspicion that the garage ceiling was asbestos board, and there could be more lurking in the building. To protect my builder, I commissioned an asbestos survey. This wasn’t expensive (£336 including VAT) but it was through, with samples sent off to a laboratory for analysis and a detailed report produced. The report identified the garage ceiling as Amosite / Chrysotile (Brown / White Asbestos): nasty stuff if you start drilling holes in it.
If you have asbestos in your home, you don’t necessarily need to remove it. If you’re not planning on any building works that would affect it, it can be safest to leave it in place, undisturbed. However, we’re planning extensive alterations to the garage and so the ceiling needed to be removed by specialists. This was done a few months ahead of the start on site, involving full safety measures of a tent along with a decontamination unit on my very helpful neighbours’ driveway. Removal only took two days, but there was a long lead-in period of several weeks.
New windows: The project replaces all of the ancient ‘Everest’ double glazed windows with new Aluclad Triple Glazing (aluminium clad timber frames on the outside, timber on the inside). The architect, Russel Hayden, took the lead in obtaining quotes from three suppliers a good six months before our original expected start on site of May 2023. We narrowed this down to one supplier: Ecospheric, agents for Viking Windows. Russel has used their windows on other projects, and has been very happy with quality and service. I’ve been impressed by Ecospheric’s patience and attention to detail as the design changed in response to getting the budget back under control.
The lead-in time for windows can be long, so it’s well worth pushing ahead with quotes and orders as early as possible.
Cutting off the gas supply: My energy supplier – Octopus – promises to remove your gas meter for free if you want to go all electric. However, what the website doesn’t say is that you need the gas network operator to cut off the gas supply first (‘de-energise’ to use my newly acquired jargon!). I was very lucky: my network operator Cadent was busy renewing the gas pipes in my street this summer. So it was a pretty simple job to ask them to cut me off as I moved out of my house. Great timing!
The meter has not yet been removed so – for the time being – I’m still paying the Standing Charge despite using no gas. I’m looking forward to a reduction in my bill soon once the meter’s been handed back to Octopus.
Cavity Wall Insulation: The baseline thermal imaging survey showed that the existing Cavity Wall Insulation (CWI) was patchy at best. Our proposed strategy at that time was external insulation. Cold air circulating in the cavity wouldn’t allow the insulation to do its job
properly, so we decided to improve the insulation. All the old mineral wool insulation was
sucked out (strangely compelling to watch) and new bonded beads injected into the cavity. This isn’t the most sustainable choice of material, but the challenges of retrofitting an existing building meant that it was the best choice in terms of ease of installation.
Although cold air circulating in the cavity is less critical with internal insulation, replacing the CWI had an unexpected benefit.The Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) provides a grant of £5000 towards replacing an old boiler with an Air Source Heat Pump. A key requirement of the scheme is that the property has an up-to-date Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) that shows no outstanding recommendations for cavity wall or loft insulation. I bought my home three years ago and – although there was visual evidence that CWI had been installed – this had been missed on the EPC done for the sale. The EPC assumed no CWI and – as such – would have invalidated any application for the BUS grant. Fortunately, I checked this before the building works started and got a new EPC carried out.
Cups of tea and biscuits definitely go a long way!
Hi Sue. There seems to be some confusion about the process for getting gas meters removed. I went through the same process when I had my heat pump fitted. Disconnection is complicated and expensive. Removal is relatively easy. For a meter removal the supply doesn't need to be de-energised first, Octopus can cap at the meter and remove it. It will take about a week from removal for the system to be updated but you shouldn't be charged standing charge from the day of the meter removal. After about six months the occupier is then contacted by the gas distributor to see if gas is still required at the property. If it's not then they will cap upstream at the…