The Building Inspector Is Coming

This Cutting Edge film joins the inspectors as they investigate anonymous tip-offs, uncover dangerous building practices and enforce the law against reluctant homeowners and dodgy builders, even presiding over demolitions if the rules and regulations are persistently ignored. Particularly contentious jobs are passed on to Mark Harding, nicknamed The Sheriff. He tried to join the police force, but failed the entrance test, and now he approaches each case 'in the manner of a criminal investigation'. The programme also meets the homeowners trying to improve their homes while satisfying the regulations - from the pregnant mother whose builder has left her with a new roof that the building inspectors say 'can't be saved', to the pre-op transsexual who has spent 15 years gutting his terraced house without applying for building regulation approval, and leaving all but one room uninhabitable, because he wants a palace 'fit for a princess'. With the recession making moving house more difficult, more people are extending, converting, digging and drilling - striving to improve their current homes. Although the nation's home improvers may not know it, every change they make has to please the building inspector. Without approval, they won't get the certificate they need when they want to sell...

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/diy-self-build/

Why Timber Frame...?

In Europe the building sector is responsible for half of all energy use and therefore half of all carbon consumption. According to Corrim (Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials) timber frame houses are better for the enviornment because wood uses less energy and that, results in fewer greenhouse gases than alternative materials. In a life-cycle assessment it found that timber-framing consumes less total energy during its 'lifetime'.The embodied energy of a building is the energy of a building that has been required to extract, process and manufacture it then to transport it to the building site. The highest embodied energy is found in metals. The middle range of materials such as bricks and blocks also require a lot of energy in their manufacture. The lowest embodied energy is in materials, such as building timber, that require only simple processing. Salvaged materials and local materials (straw bales rush matting and mud bricks) require virtually no energy.

What is the difference between timber frame walling and partial fill cavity walling?
The standard timber frame system consists of a waterproof membrane, sheathing board, structural timber frame, vapour barrier and inner lining of plasterboard. The insulation is placed between the timber frame uprights, and the thickness matches the size of the frame.Cavity walling consists of two masonry leafs side by side, a set distance apart but carefully tied together. The bottom of the cavity can drain and the inner leaf should remain entirely dry.However, Joseph Little, Project Architect with Bolton Construction writes in 'Construction Ireland' (Vol. 8, Issue 2) that we are reaching the limits of partial fill cavity walling. Wider and wider insulation batts are pushing the masonry leafs further apart and making wall ties longer, which has implications for the structure.Partial fill cavity walling is not a 'traditional' building method. On the contary, cavity walls have only being promoted in the Post-War era as a technollogical answer to problems posed with the externally rendered (un-insulated) 215mm solid block walls of the Inter-War years. Partial fill cavity walling belongs to a different era, an era when heating fuel was less expensive and the negative inpact of high CO2 emissions was unknown.Little goes on to write that since 1998, 250,000 new homes have been built to the older and less efficent building standards with inherently high CO2 emissions. Studies show that 8 out of 15 houses with partial fill cavity walling are under-performing and since there are too many variables influencing the effectiveness of partial fill cavity blocks, wet walls become a serious problem.8 out of 9 timber frame houses exceed the design requirement, because with timber frame systems, builders are able to compress quilt insulation, raising the insulation levels beyond what is legally required.Unstable rising oil and gas prices mean that energy efficent homes will be much sought after. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that houses built with interior methodologies and/or materials may, in the future, become worthless.

see link above for rest of article

House prices at auction continue to fall

The prices paid for property at auction still have a long way to fall, but the outlook for the housing market is not quite as dire as a few months ago.
New research suggests that in recent weeks prices of residential properties sold at auction were 25 per cent lower than the same home could have achieved had it been sold through an estate agent.

By Chris Giles, Economics Editor
Published: May 12 2009 00:02 Last updated: May 12 2009 00:02

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

Tips for eco-friendly computing

Tips for eco-friendly computing
The average PC takes 1.8 tonnes of chemicals, fossil fuel and water to manufacture and causes the emission of 100 kg carbon dioxide each year, but most of us simply couldn't live without one. Unfortunately, computers are becoming more power-hungry as we expect them to perform increasingly complex tasks for us.

Power drain
Desktop PCs that are plugged in all day are especially power-hungry. Unless you flick the switch on the wall or take the plug out of the wall a PC that is apparently turned off will still be using power. If you leave your computer monitor on all night you'll waste enough energy to microwave six dinners. A PC left running 24 hours per day would use £59 worth of electricity over a 12-month period and create 716 kg of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

Small is beautiful
Laptops need to be as energy-efficient as possible so that they can go anywhere. The processors are designed to run on less power, the screens use as little energy as possible, all of which adds up to significant energy savings compared to a desktop PC.

Energy-saving tips
Unplug your PC when not in use, and don't forget the scanner, monitor, printer, broadband box and audio speakers all need turning off too. Use your computer's energy-saving mode: you should be able to turn the brightness of the screen down, or set it to turn off if you haven't used it for 5-10 minutes.

Information provided by Friends of the Earth.

Remember if you buy a cheap laptop, there is a reason! its not sustainable or recyclable and toxic! Choose right.

Environmental status report

The new 13-inch MacBook embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

• Arsenic-free glass
• Brominated flame retardant-free
• Mercury-free

• PVC-free
• 41% smaller packaging
• Highly recyclable aluminium and glass enclosures

Apple is most proud of what isn't in MacBook.

What’s common in other notebooks is conspicuously missing in the new MacBook. Take for example, mercury used in CCFL backlights and arsenic contained in the glass of traditional LCD displays. Apple engineers have said no to both of these substances. They’ve chosen LED technology and arsenic-free glass. They’ve also said no to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in logic boards, and PVC in cables and connectors. In fact, Apple has done more than remove these toxins from the new MacBook. They’ve done the same thing for the rest of the new MacBook family, the LED Cinema Display, every single iPod and the iPhone. Sometimes saying no is a good thing.

http://www.apple.com/uk/macbook/environment.html

Save Energy, Cut Carbon, Save Cash!

We've found this week's great list from BigGreenSwitch.co.uk

Oh dear... we are amongst the most energy wasteful people in Europe according to a recent survey by the EST. 71% of us regularly leave appliances on standby unnecessarily while 67% boil more water than needed in the kettle. In total, the energy we waste as a nation each year is now growing close to the equivalent of powering an additional 7 million non-existent homes! If everyone were to take just a few simple steps to curb our energy wastage, we could have a dramatic effect on cutting the UK's carbon emissions while, at the same time, all saving ourselves a small fortune in energy bills. Do a little, save a lot!

• Don't leave appliances on standby

• Keep your fridge and freezer full

• Only boil as much water as you need

• Turn your thermostat down by 1oC

• Wash your laundry at lower temperatures

• Switch off lights when a room is not in use

• Use the washing line instead of the tumble dryer

• Unplug chargers and power supplies when not in use

• Shower instead of bathing

• Only use the washing machine when you have a full load to wash

• Defrost your freezer regularly to keep it running at top performance

If we can do just a number of the above, it will make a big difference! Many of the ideas above you'll see in Birchway's Green Charter. More information to follow soon.

Finding your perfect architect

If you've put off using an architect because of the cost, or fear you'll be ridiculed, check out our guide to affordable, approachable professionals.

Why go to an architect?
Architects cut stress and mistakes by:

Finding the right builders for the job – don't underestimate the valu

e of this!

Suggesting materials you or your builder wouldn't know about or have considered.

Translating your ideas and anxieties into practical solutions, often finding space and light where you didn't think possible.

Guiding you th

rough the dull bits like the regulations and contractual obligations you need to deal with.

New build house in East Dulwich progress

New build house in East Dulwich progress

03 Dec 2008 - Timber frame construction well placed for 2009

What does 2009 hold for the housebuilding industry and for the timber frame
sector, one of the UK's most glittering manufacturing success stories of recent
years?

Geoff Arnold, the incoming chairman of the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA),
says:

“Despite the depressed housing market, we are continuing to see relatively strong
demand for timber frame across all market sectors. We expect that the continue
next year. Obviously it will be sometime before we return to previous demand
levels; however, what is already clear is that the Code for Sustainable Homes
is still on everyone’s mind, and timber frame will be the build technology of
choice to deliver energy efficient homes both cost effectively and quickly.

"In 2009, the key for all developers will be market responsiveness. As funding
becomes available on a given scheme, whether in the public or private sector,
what will be critical is a developer’s ability to respond and build out the site.
Timber frame has proven time and time again that where build speed, performance
and energy efficiency are required, it can offer significant advantages over other
methods of build.

“We therefore see the percentage of timber frame homes increasing from 22.1%
in 2007 to well over 25% in 2009 even possibly achieving 30%. Furthermore, these
figures could be pushed higher as the Code for Sustainable Homes requirements
become better understood by developers. It is far easier to attain higher levels
of Code using timber frame than other build methods. Consumers then benefit from
a very comfortable home with small fuel bills.”

The UKTFA offers these top 10 tips to future-focused housebuilders and social
housing developers with an eye on the bottom line in 2009:

hit title above to view tips...

Download Article

Timber Frame Will Triumph

"These economic advantages come at the same time as regulatory changes that will hit masonry construction hard, but that are negligible to us. New energy efficiency regulations for the construction of new homes being introduced from 1 April 2006 can be achieved with a simple, highly insulated timber frame solution that is already standard across our industry. This means more timber frame homes that use less energy to run, which is a benefit to home buyers that will continue to increase in importance as domestic fuel bills rise.

"We are nowhere near as dependent upon expensive fossil fuels. In fact, 77% of the energy used in the production of wood products in the UK comes from wood residues and recovered wood. Through recycling our own waste we help to keep our manufacturing costs and environmental impact as low as possible.

- Open panel timber frame construction in England and Wales currently costs GBP798 per square metre, compared to GBP799 per square metre for traditional brick and block construction;

- Timber frame construction (both open and closed panel systems) requires 20% fewer on-site labour days than masonry construction, and ensures a significantly faster construction period overall;

- Timber frame homes are weathertight in almost half the time, leading to important quality, efficiency and health and safety benefits;

- The cost of snagging timber frame homes is a third less than for brick and block homes;

- There are no high risks associated with open panel timber frame, compared to traditional construction which is perceived to be at high risk of price fluctuations, delays due to bad weather, lack of key trade skills, service installation faults, health and safety hazards, construction errors and other defects at handover;

- Multi-storey buildings favour modern methods of construction like timber frame because the costs of complying with stringent building regulations for high-rise buildings increase faster for brick and block construction than for off-site manufactured elements;

- Timber frame systems are also particularly suited to brownfield sites with poor soil conditions (sites that favour lighter buildings), and sites with restricted access.

Tender prices drop as competition for work rises

Tender price index reveals price of new work fell 2%, with BCIS predicting further 8% fallse 7.7% and wages 4.8%

Rising competition for work has lead to a fall in tender prices, data published today has revealed.
The latest tender price index, complied by the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) of the RICS, showed new orders for construction work fell by 8% between the third and fourth quarter of 2008, and 28% from the previous year. In line with this, the price of new construction work fell by 2% in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with the previous quarter. The BCIS has predicted a further 8% fall over the course of the year.
Meanwhile, costs are going against the falling inflation trend, with an annual rise of 7.7% for materials and 4.8% for wage rates.

27 April, 2009
By Sophie Griffiths