SUSTAINABILITY HOW TO PREPARE FOR PART L
Major changes to Approved Document L come into force in England next year, as Paul Barrett, Head of Product Management at ROCKWOOL, explains.
A
series of changes to Approved Document L (ADL) in England are due to come into force
during 2022, acting as a stepping stone to the Future Homes Standard and as part of the journey to achieving net zero carbon by 2050. Following the publication of the consultation version of the guidance, some headline changes are known within the construction industry and if moved into law, will have a significant impact on how the industry designs and constructs buildings.
One of the big changes that merchants can expect to impact their customers is a focus on closing the gap between specified and as-built performance with a greater scrutiny of build quality. In England, this will manifest itself as the introduction of Building Regulations Part L (BREL) and Buildings Regulations UK Part L (BRUKL) reports for dwellings and non-dwellings respectively. While dwellings will require photographic evidence of compliance under the BREL report, the new guidance for non-dwellings takes a different form which those working on commercial and public sector buildings, for example, will need to be aware of.
Two BRUKL reports will be created during a building’s development, a pre-construction report which indicates planned performance, and a post- construction report which shows as-built performance. The reports are generated and analysed by a specific software package which highlights inconsistencies between specified targets and built results, and produces a schedule of changes. These results must be countersigned by an energy assessor.
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Impact on insulation Whether working on a home, hotel or hospital, in the future, installer customers will need to achieve greater thermal continuity of insulation at foundations/structures, external walls, roofs and openings, pipes and ducts to show it is fitted tightly and without gaps. The pressure for a tighter, continuous fit will be an added challenge for installers and could require additional cutting on-site and/or taping at board joints with foil tape. For the already busy fitter, this means extra time on jobs and a greater burden to ensure building control sign off. Fortunately, there are ways to achieve the as-designed performance, without impacting on the fitter’s time and workload. By stocking stone wool insulation that is highly pliable, merchants can make the installer’s job easier, while still delivering the all-important requirements of Part L and providing a better build for occupants. As it’s more flexible, stone wool insulation is easier for the installer to closely friction fit to frames, without the need for impractical levels of precision cutting when on site. As well as minimising the margin for error, this capability supports reliable and
effective thermal performance that reduces thermal bridging. The pliability of stone wool also benefits the installer when it comes to the abutments between insulation boards, another area that can be prone to thermal leakage. The composition of stone wool insulation allows individual slabs to knit together to create a seamless fit and the workable nature of stone wool insulation supports the delivery of designed U-values. Stone wool insulation not only makes it easier to achieve thermal continuity at build stage but helps installers provide ongoing performance too.
Building materials do naturally expand and contract, and over time can lead to the formation of gaps and voids. Stone wool, however, boasts strong dimensional stability and when fitted under compression, has the resilience to accommodate building movement. In fact, it has a proven ability to provide consistent performance – shown by tests even after 55 years in use – without a drop in its thermal properties.
Ahead of the changes to Part L in 2022, merchants can support their customers by ensuring they offer an insulation range that makes it
easier to achieve thermal continuity when installed and beyond. In good news for merchants, leading stone wool solutions provide several benefits in a single product, meaning fewer solutions need to be stocked to address a wide range of applications. Suitable for installation across floors, walls, ceilings, lofts and roofs, stone wool insulation allows merchants to streamline their range and inventory by stocking as few as six products to simultaneously meet many performance needs for domestic buildings.
Merchant support To help merchants help their customers, and especially ahead of these legislative changes, manufacturers of stone wool insulation can also provide in-depth product training. Such training can be in-branch for counter staff and customer support teams, or as demonstrations for installers either in-branch or out on-site. These sessions can explore building regulations and best practice installation, as well as how to choose the right solution for the job, and be delivered in a way that drives customer engagement and footfall as appropriate. Ahead of new Part L coming into effect, what’s critical is that merchants work in partnership with manufacturers to ensure their insulation range helps customers achieve the new requirements with ease.
By working together and building added value support for installers, whether through on-site training, in-branch events or simply accurate, practical advice when they trade, merchants can support customers adapt to the changes and deliver better quality buildings that perform now and in the long term. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net January 2022
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