Really enjoyed that! Bringing good building practices more into the public realm, with a very relatable house, a 1930's semi at the core of the programme being retrofitted to a PassiveHouse standard (#EnerPHit I assume, I forget if that was mentioned).

We got not one but two(!) examples of blower door tests; first on Guy's house and the other on the retrofit house. Love it when the big red door comes out.

An amusing experiment with cups of tea, insulation and a ziplock bag to demonstrate how air tightness can help, but also the problem that comes when you forget ventilation.

MVHR did get a mention but sadly not nearly long enough. They aren't just a tool for managing high humidity but also very good for #AirQuality

Would have liked to have seen more natural materials used. They visited a factory building modern prefab homes, out of light steel and glued on brick slips. Would have been nice to see the likes of EcoCocon or PH15 instead.

Also got a look into how a heat pump works and a trip to the Vaillent factory in Derby where they have been assembling this "controversial" technology.

Odd mention at the end that the ASHP is ran on a morning and then again on the evening, generally how you /shouldn't/ run these things.

Worth a watch if you're even vaugely interested in how buildings work, or why (some) new builds are a bit shite. But more importantly why and how we can make things better.

@coldclimate I've been reading plenty on this topic for a good few years now but non of my notes are quite organised.

Firstly, I'd recommend this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0993077234 even if you know most of it, I feel like it cements things, but if you don't it gives you the words and generally how the different measures work together.

There are many retrofit co-op which have already been referenced, but I'm still not aware of any which operate in the north east.

You mention #PassiveHouse, their lesser standard #EnerPHit is a good term for searching, then there's #AECB which have more attainable standards while still taking a holistic approach.

This whole podcast is a treasure trove but this episode in particular: https://www.houseplanninghelp.com/hph383-a-beginners-guide-to-creating-a-comfortable-home/

Understand the current building fabric, the materials used, and the effects of using non-"breathable" materials on buildings which are. I'm generally for woodfibre or similar first, and then PIR (or similar) when others aren't so suitable. Trades seem to opt for PIR for everything.

I like the guides on this site: https://www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com/post/best-practice-approach-insulating-suspended-timber-floors (it will look strangely familiar to the wall I'm working on)

Insulation is one big part, it has to be continuous, but air tightness (not just "draught proofing") as such an impact on both comfort and heat retention. Ventilation is another, can't seal up without letting that moisture escape, for that I'm looking into #MVHR, also helps keep down CO2 levels.

And finally, have a plan, with deep(er)-retrofit, everything relates to something else so the sequence is critical.

We're renovating an Edwardian house and the study above cheers me. A heat pump, solar, and battery are planned for this home, plus crazy levels of insulation are going to wrap this building in quite the blanket. A massive rainwater harvesting tank is also buried in the back garden.

#PassivHaus #EnerPhit #HomeReno #renovation #energy #homes #Eco #Edwardian #home #BuildToLast #build #HeatPump #solar