INCA Case Study: Ferryhill, Durham

Background to the project

alsecco was engaged by the Mears group to provide external wall insulation to upgrade the thermal insulation of 103 homes in Ferryhill, Durham as part of its social housing management and repair programme, with work funded by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The aim was to make the homes PAS2035 compliant – a requirement for any publicly funded retrofit projects.

As social housing properties, improving the insulation to support lower fuel costs and to protect the properties from the adverse effects of weather was essential. This was carried out in line with the requirements of the Government-led funding to lower carbon emissions in the public housing sector.

The refresh was also intended to lift the appearance of the properties to help to enhance the quality of living.

The solution and specification

 The upgrade needed to achieve an uplift in U-values to 0.18W/m²K, along with protecting the exterior of the property from the weather, including moisture.

To this end, Ecomin 300 was specified to be used in tandem with the Basic 1 external wall insulation system. The system has all the required testing certifications for fire as well as BBA approval.

Various finishes were used on the scheme from dash to silicone (1.5mm) to achieve a visually pleasing aesthetic across the bungalow units in Ferryhill. These finishes are highly weather resistant, vapour permeable and UV stable, helping to protect the building fabric, reducing the need for maintenance and improving durability.

The installation and challenges on site

The main challenge within the project was achieving the thermal uplift and completing the project in the allotted time, and on budget. Within this the retrofit team wanted to upgrade the aesthetics of the homes within budget.

Thermal bridging was identified as an issue in achieving the required U-value, with installers working alongside the management and site team to ensure this was accommodated by incorporating extended rooflines into the project and adding insulated gas boxes to address areas identified as causing heat loss.

Problems overcome

The project to upgrade the homes at Ferryhill in Durham benefitted from complete buy-in of all stakeholders to accomplish the objectives of upgrading the thermal performance of the properties to support reduced carbon emissions through less reliance on fuel to maintain a comfortable living environment.

 As above, extra measures were introduced to address thermal bridging issues while all those involved in the process – residents, homeowners, architects, retrofit co-ordinators, the site team and management, and the installers worked together to achieve the objectives of the project to the highest standards, on budget and to the time scale.

The end result

 All 103 Units were finished in line with PAS2035 ahead of schedule, achieving a U-Value of 0.18w/m2k while achieving a smart, visually pleasing aesthetic upgrade.

The project is an example of best practice in the deployment of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, showing what can be achieved through genuine, close collaboration across all stakeholders.