No.6 is a Late-Victorian semi-detached dwelling built in 1890, located within a Conservation Area. It has 2.5 bedrooms. The owner is an architect specialising in green, renewable and eco-friendly architectural design. She has adopted a Fabric-First approach to retrofitting her house, which is a work in progress.

EXISTING CONSTRUCTION:

The external walls are of stretcher brickwork, possibly one of the earliest local cavity construction, and has bitumen dipped iron wall ties. It has a full attic floor to the eaves, and Welsh slate roof of 40 degree pitch.

THERMAL UPGRADE WORKS & 30YR REFIT UNDERTAKEN IN 2022:

• Removed timber ground floor & replaced with limecrete eco slab
• Ground floor underfloor heating from air source heat pump
• Reused existing Electric Boiler as winter back-up to ASHP
• Array of 10no. in-roof PV panels on south roof with battery located in attic
• 300mm hemp batts to attic floor
• Internal insulation: Ground – Hemp Lime Plaster – nom 20mm
• Internal insulation: First Floor – Lime, 40 Woodwool, Hemp Lime – 70mm
• New front door, without integral letter box opening
• New ground floor wc & shower off conservatory (for elderly access)
• New replacement conservatory
• Retain original single glazed sash & case windows, new internal shutters

WORKS CURRENTLY BEING UNDERTAKEN / TO BE DONE:

• Arch repairs to front bay window & complete re-point (ASHP currently switched off)
• Organise regular maintenance to keep cavities clean
• Complete refurbishment of windows
• Form additional window & door in the gable to kitchen / dining area
• Formalising garden with Victorian era plants & raised vegetable beds

SELF-CRITICAL VERDICT:

• Ground floor shower is lovely. WC downstairs so useful.
• First floor internal insulation is wonderful in winter – (it “hugs” you) - but not sure how effective a “heat sink” it is during really hot periods early this summer?
• Had our first negative electricity bills this summer!
• Finding ASHP noisy when running all night – being investigated.
• Solar installer was different to Heating Engineer to Electrician – still fine tuning all – recommend all systems installed under single banner.
• Location of wall thermostats – an issue in a small property – no “best locations”.