stairs, balustrades & balconies
Levelling the playing field
Adrian Pargeter, head of technical and product development at Kingspan Insulation Limited, says that thinner insulation can enable effective design of balconies or terraces for a wide range of properties.
T
he 2015 Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics Report from the Department of Energy & Climate Change estimated that 2.35 million households in England were in fuel poverty in 2013. The majority of these were
in rented accommodation. Meanwhile, the row over the proposed cuts to Personal Independence Payments for people who have a disability has highlighted how vulnerable this section of our society is, both financially and in terms of being able to maintain their independence. Social housing providers are uniquely positioned to provide help on both counts, simply through how they choose to insulate their property portfolios. It has never been more important to provide support to these most
vulnerable members of our society, whether by reducing the burden of heating bills for those at risk of fuel poverty, or by improving accessibility for the 10 million plus people who are limited in their daily activities because of disability. However, achieving both of these goals can pose a number of challenges, as the greater thicknesses of insulation required to achieve the best possible thermal performance can be difficult to accommodate in areas of the building where construction space is at a premium, especially if accessibility is also an issue. Take, for example, a balcony or terrace with living space below. The options here are to insulate either above or below the balcony deck. Even
“The greater thicknesses of insulation required to achieve the best possible thermal performance can be difficult to accommodate in areas of the building where construction space is at a premium”
with high performance insulation products, insulating above the deck can create a significant step up from the room inside. This can spoil the aesthetics of the balcony and may contravene Approved Document M in England and Wales, or Section 4 (Safety) in Scotland, which govern access to and use of buildings. Reducing the insulation thickness should allow compliance to be
achieved; however, this will increase heat loss and may mean the balcony then fails to meet the requirements of Approved Document L in England
48 | HMM May 2016 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
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