Fixing Detail In Suspended Floor Applications Superfloor Foil is rolled out with the foil facing upwards, over the joists The pipework is then clipped through into the insulation layer using the specially designed YBS Pipe Clips to maintain required air gap - 5 per M² The horizontal joints are overlapped by 50mm and are left open to allow for any moisture accumulation to dissipate Superfloor Foil must then be brought up (behind the skirting board) to 75mm The pipework is then laid starting from the manifold and then into the required room (see drawing). The pipe is then laid at uniform centres of approximately 200mm centres, notching where necessary. The decking is then fixed with screws (at 200mm centres) into battens/joists providing 25mm penetration into the 50mm wide battens/joists Fixing Detail In Solid Ground Floor Applications The screeded system comprises: The Superfloor edge strip - to be laid against all external and internal walls, providing edge insulation and an expansion zone for the screed. Superfloor insulation board is laid on top of the concrete slab. (YBS provide a wide range of thicknesses and types of insulation to ensure the required insulating properties are achieved.) Using the grid pattern - lay down the heating pipes as planned, using clips to fix position. Most situations will require 65-85mm thickness of screed. Reinforcing mesh can be used where required. Expansion profiles are to be used where pipework passes through an expansion joint.

http://www.ybsinsulation.com/superfloori.htm

Does insulating your walls have to be an expensive process only professionals can do?

Not if this NASA based paint product has anything to do with it. Simple apply it to your paint and it will create an insulated layer between the paint and the wall enabling up to 25% reduction in your energy bills.

Sounds easier than other options like plaster boarding, anyway only just stumbled upon it myself so not sure how great it really is but below is what the company say about there own product..

——————————————–

Thermilate is made up of Insulating microspheres - What are these?

Insulating microspheres were developed by NASA to combat the high temperatures encountered by the space shuttle on re-entry.

Each microsphere is a tiny hollow ceramic ball no longer than a piece of sand. They reflect and refract heat like the tiles on the space shuttle. The centre of the ball is not only hollow but has all the air removed and is a vacuum.

It is a known fact that NOTHING can travel via conduction through a vacuum, not even heat. The resulting microsphere is, in effect, a mini thermos flask.

On internal walls and ceilings this reduces heat loss, creating a warmer room.

On external walls and roofs, this reflects the heat from the sun, creating a cooler internal room.

How do they work when mixed in paint?

Conventional insulation products only work by slowing down the rate of heat loss through the actual wall.
However, the microspheres in Thermilate work by helping to prevent the heat getting through the wall in the first place, by reflecting the heat when it touches the wall.
Thermilate even gives excellent energy savings, even when used on well insulated walls.

Thermilate has ceramic micro-spheres which create a thermal barrier. They refract, reflect and dissipate heat.

SAVING ENERGY, SAVING MONEY & SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT.

http://www.thermilate.co.uk/

———————————————–

Here’s some chat from people who have used it

http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/forum

Much of Britain’s new housing stock is being made more environmentally friendly but what about older properties?

	Russell Smith outside his Victorian eco-house in Sutton, Surrey

Can similar high standards and specifications be applied when renovating existing and older houses and flats?

The trouble is not many people have the know how or the inclination to take such projects on.

But turning a 19th Century end of terrace £200,000 house into an ecohome of the future was a labour of love for Russell Smith.

As Director of Parity Projects, which specialises in delivering sustainable development in the home, Russell a qualified engineer, set about purchasing and renovating his dream house.

In January, he deliberately chose a house in Carshalton Grove, Sutton, Surrey that he knew would be difficult to convert.

No south facing roofs to easily harness solar power and no cavity walls to easily insulate.

The result? He has proven beyond doubt the renovation can be done and eco-friendly does not have to be that expensive either.

It boasts solar thermal panels on a flat roof, extensive insulation, special windows, under floor heating, no central heating, rainwater recycling and unique thermocouple monitoring for each room to test the effectiveness of the environmental measures.

The extensive renovation, cost £80,000 but the environmentally friendly features cost between 15 -20 per cent of that sum. Hundreds of visitors descended on his house when he decided to hold Open Days recently. It was possible to see the bare walls and floors as the job won’t be finished until Christmas.

Among the interested visitors, Mr Chit Chong from Camden Council’s Housing section, who said after his tour:

“Russell Smith has shown that converting old houses into low energy, environmentally friendly homes can be done. It is not so much household appliances that matter but the structure and fabric of the building itself.

“Energy prices are going up so his experiment will be a real eye opener to see how much it costs to heat his home in the coming months. I was particularly interested in the recycled newspaper, wool and other materials he used for insulation and draught proofing.

“The fact is old and existing housing stock needs to be upgraded to safeguard the heritage for future generations. What may seem expensive now will in fact prove money well spent for the future.

	Top and Middle: the different stages of wall-insulation and, bottom: a cross section of materials

“We hope to engage on a similar project in Camden. If houses are not renovated like this we risk hanging on to 60 year old environmental burdens. Of course every council has its budget constraints but money needs to be found for this sort of venture.”

Similarly, Andrew Beedham, Head of Urban Design at Croydon Council’s Planning and Transport Department says all councils could do with having a role model like Russell’s house to use as a blueprint for the future.

He said: ” We have 120,000 dwellings in Croydon and it was fascinating to see this house. I did wonder how much floor space is lost because of insulation but guess that will depend on the kind of property renovated. The key thing for me is how to go about retro-fitting existing and older housing stock at an affordable price.”

Russell said: ” There are probably no other houses like this in the country and to be honest there should be. Why can’t people see that existing houses need to be brought up to date with environmental features?

“This property is a single-skinned (non cavity-walled) house built in 1870 and was in need of renovation throughout. Due to its ubiquitous design and decorative standard it was a prime candidate for applying and testing eco-principles for future reproduction.

“Clearly, if we can achieve significant reductions in energy consumption with this house, we can do it anywhere. I am expecting the insulations for example to pay for themselves between 5 and 8 years.

There is underfloor heating in every room. This requires hot water at a lower temperature than a radiator system and therefore can reduce heating energy by up to 60 per cent. Supplied by Invisible Heating Systems, this will pay for itself in around 8 years from energy savings.

“Insulation is such that we believe that in mid-winter when it is -4 degrees outside, we will only need around 1.5kW to heat the house. i.e. by going downstairs in the morning I can heat the whole of the downstairs by turning the kettle on!”

So what is the detailed breakdown of this Surrey ecohouse?

Energy efficiency - Insulation

Walls - can lose 35 per cent of all heat without treatment
All insulations are internally applied. All have varied speed of install and varied cost of materials, but total costs are expected to be relatively similar.
Living room - 175mm modern blown plastic materials (Celotex and Kingspan) on a metal stud framework - installed by a dry-lining contractor - very quick.
Dining room - 200mm sheep wool insulation (Thermafleece) on timber stud framework - carpenter installed.
Kitchen and extension - to be insulated externally with wood-fibre board then rendered with timber - DIY.
Bedroom 2 - 150mm Blown plastic materials (Celotex) fixed hard up against the wall - 2 hours for installation of the whole wall.
Office - 175mm Recycled news paper insulation (Warmcel) sprayed wet into a timber framework by specialist contractor.
Bathroom - recycled cotton and hemp insulation on timber stud framework - DIY installed.
Loft - Mineral Wool insulation (Rockwool) within a timber framework - DIY.
Multi-foil insulation (Tri-Iso Super 10) on a loft party wall.
Ground Floors - can lose 15 per cent of all heat without treatment.
Dining Room - 150mm recycled newspaper insulation (Warmcel) on suspended under timber flooring.
Living Room - 200mm Expanded Polystyrene insulation (Vencil Resil) under and to the side of a 125mm concrete slab. Underfloor heating is inside the slab. The slab will act as a large night storage heater. Concrete has recycled glass instead of sand and this will be polished to save on any further flooring materials.
Kitchen -Screed floor over the underfloor heating.
Roofs - can lose 15 per cent of all heat without treatment
Office - 300mm recycled news paper insulation (Warmcel) pumped into a timber framework by specialist contractor
Loft -400mm recycled news paper insulation (Warmcel) pumped into a flat roof by specialist contractor. This was done with a ‘complete’ roof, holes drilled, and repaired afterwards to prove that this is possible for all roofs.

Hot Water System

Solar Thermal systems manufactured by Solaron and supplied by Capital Solar warm to heat approximately 70 per cent of water through the year. These panels lie totally flat on new flat roof.

Lighting

Low energy bulbs throughout, in particular, direct replacements for conventional halogen bulbs with mini fluorescents. All energy saving bulbs pay for themselves in approximately one year.

Water Efficiency

Low flow toilet - 4 and 2 litre flush as opposed to the 6 and 3 in regular toilets.
Taps - Retrofit spray nozzles on taps to reduce water use.
Shower - High spray shower head.

Water Recycling

This system has the capability to store 1200 litres of rainwater collected from the various roofs of the house.

The system has been built from fittings bought from local hardware stores and some more inventive thinking to provide a system that will provide approximately 50 per cent of the home’s water needs for a total cost of £250. This pays for itself in 5 years. Rainwater is used to flush the toilets and for washing machine.

By William Mach -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/06/18/nosplit/eahouse17.xml

http://www.transitiontownbrixton.org/

——————————————————————————————-

Fantastic article, which may go along way in helping me and Anne if we’re lucky enough to get our flat!

Pity I never saw this early as he had a show day there today! Doh!!

Not seen this yet might be a bit negative, but still maybe its worth a watch

Guide me to my purpose; I will use the passion of my soul

Lead me to the gifts in my heart; I will unveil them

Help me share what causes my heart to sing and my joy to flow

Give me strength to overcome this obstacle course I have created

In return I will free awareness and share beauty

Send me courage to love in a world that value’s fear and control

Help me overcome my ego and keep my heart open through the challenges ahead

Lead me through my journey and guide me as I share these gifts with all I meet

Lending and borrowing

Guide me to your purpose; I will use the passion of my soul

Lead me to your gifts in your heart; I will unveil them

Help me share what causes your heart to sing and your joy to flow

Give me strength to overcome this obstacle course I have created

In return we can free awareness and share beauty

lets have courage to love in a world that sometimes value’s fear and control

challenges ahead we can conquer

Lead us through our journeys and guide us as we share these gifts with all we meet

A hamster behind bars can see the wide open world and it longs to be part of it. It desires so much to be free from the isolation its cage enforces. Although it keeps attempting to escape, every time it manages to break free, I come to its cage and place it back inside. Its little heart beats and I sense its desperation. As it scratches my hands in fear, I cry uncontrollably with shame I feel as it scrambles for freedom. Its not that I want it to be unhappy, I know that it’s suffering. For so long now I’ve been a witness to the lonely creature. Its wide, beady eyes pop through the cold metal bars of its safe home. It pleads with me to listen to it, in the hope that it may be released. If I could just get in touch somehow and tell it that I care, it may not be so afraid and so lonely. I’ve seen what the hamster needs to give it life again. I know what it wants me to do, I know that all I have to do is open the door and keep it open, but I’m so afraid. I fear it won’t be seen and it will get hurt, so I’d rather keep it locked away than to have it trodden on. We need so much to communicate, if only I could tell it I understand and it could tell me a way to let it go.

“A world that lives by complexity and difference cannot escape uncertainty and it demands from individuals the capacity to “change form (metamorphosis) while still continuing to be the same person.”

“The Playing Self” A, Melluci

It’s amazing what I can learn if I can hang on to the reality of my dreams. I can take them apart one by one and realise that the force of my imagination can help me to focus on what is real. I seem to forget the events which enabled the hamster to free itself. All I can picture is the beautiful transformation it began to take when it opened up and begun to change into a butterfly. The hamster starts to disappear and I don’t know what happened to the cage. All I can see is the growing wings of the butterfly as it expressively states “I am”. Although the joy of this vision is immense, I’m in a different space. It’s not quite clear and it’s difficult to communicate. I woke up when the butterfly was still growing and I haven’t yet dreamt of what happens next. I’ve grown tired of imagining an end to my dream. What I want to focus on is now; sharing in the beauty of life with all the other butterflies in the world.