What is Retrofit?
A homeowner’s Introduction
Retrofit: to provide a machine with a part, or a place with equipment, that it did not originally have when it was built (Cambridge Dictionary).
Retrofit is gaining currency as many homeowners are increasingly aware of the effects of climate change on the world and the comfort of their homes. Homeowners are also finding the rising costs of energy, somewhat alarming.
One of our client’s home energy costs from December 2021 to January 2023 rising at an alarming rate in spite of turning down the heating, using the oven less, turning down the water heating temperature etc.
RIBA accredited architect, Lindsay Mattinson, principal architect at Mattinson Associates says; “Good Retrofit is fabric first. Energy demand needs to be reduced in order to maximise your comfort, enjoyment and running costs of your home before turning to renewable sources of energy.”
While installing solar and air/ground source heat pumps might be seen as quick and appealing, if the fabric of your house is deficient in some way, you’ll be no better off and in fact might be worse off.
As a professional architecture practice on the Isle of Wight, Mattinson Associates suggests that clients start with a whole house assessment so they know what’s working and what’s not:
· how good is the airtightness, insulation, air quality in your home?
· does your home have any cold spots or draughts,
· is there mould or condensation on the inside surfaces of windows?
· are there any maintenance issues that need to be taken care of – leaking gutters, structural issues, historical works that have not worked?
There are various ways to thoroughly undertake such an assessment (see later blog) but simply answering these questions by evaluating a home (or a property a client is contemplating purchasing), room by room, would be a great start on the journey to better comfort, enjoyment and lower running costs.
We advocate that clients work from ‘the list’ to create a plan. There is no need to undertake a deep retrofit all in one go. As Lindsay went on to say, “By prioritising works, retrofit projects can be combined with maintenance such as scheduled decorating or planned extensions, so that facilitating costs, for example, scaffolding, are only incurred once.” If the ‘next step’ is clear, then works from part one can be set up to accommodate follow-on works. This is particularly important when trying to achieve airtightness or fit insulation, where gaps can create a failure to achieve desired performance.
Assessing first allows a homeowner to set goals for what they want to achieve. Knowing the numbers helps: u values, lamda value, kW and kWhours…. All figures one may encounter, and which could do with some explanation. (see next blog)
Failing to assess at the outset is risky because installing the wrong types of insulation, for example, for the structure of a building, can lead to further issues and make later work more expensive to address.
As a professional architecture practice, we would be able to advise and provide not only the appropriate drawings, detailing and specification, but also the peace of mind that there is an achievable and coherent plan in place.
The Mattinson Associates architecture team is made up of designers and architects and a range of experienced, expert collaboration partners. In this way, we can help our clients undertake their retrofit projects in a systematic way and help create both increased enjoyment and comfort as well as lower running costs. Speak to us if you’d like to know more.
