tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73918348287768896732024-03-13T00:02:32.179+00:00E17 ecoThe story of an earth-friendly London loft conversion on a budgetUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-75756384115200883142010-09-21T13:24:00.009+01:002010-10-04T21:36:05.169+01:00Welcome to our green loft<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJii_cvwpgI/AAAAAAAAAI8/xAr6j9f5dJc/s1600/Eco+loft+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJii_cvwpgI/AAAAAAAAAI8/xAr6j9f5dJc/s400/Eco+loft+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The LED lights, triple-glazed dormer window and mega-insulating blind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Yes, this is a "blog" – that means you need scroll down for earlier stories about the building work and initial design. The pretty pictures of the finished space are up here.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So... was it all worth it? Unequivocally yes. The disruption was awful at times – especially because as a parent and a home-worker I couldn’t just walk out of the house and go to work somewhere else for the day. But now that it’s finished, it’s a truly lovely space to work or relax in. It will make an excellent home office over the coming years and ultimately who knows which member(s) of the family may co-opt it as a bedroom. There’s a great sense of peace up here, with only rooftops and clouds for company. And it's wonderful knowing that, despite the huge airy room, it won't add loads to our heating bills or help destroy the planet.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Want to know more about the final result? Click on read more…</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJijO04pFrI/AAAAAAAAAJE/vbdhMSibKSU/s1600/Eco+loft+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJijO04pFrI/AAAAAAAAAJE/vbdhMSibKSU/s320/Eco+loft+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The triple-glazed roof window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It was very important to us that the eco-friendly elements weren’t just "greenwash". The insulation and energy saving features are excellent. And the end result is that the space remains a lovely and stable temperature, unlike any other loft I have been in. And we'll save money on heating, electricity and water bills. Unless the government’s planned Renewable Heat Incentive scheme is abandoned we will even make money in the long run, thanks to the solar panels.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJijYyg0oYI/AAAAAAAAAJs/5wFP3KTqykU/s1600/Eco+Loft+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJijYyg0oYI/AAAAAAAAAJs/5wFP3KTqykU/s320/Eco+Loft+15.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The air source heat pump (top)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>All photos copyright MGN Ltd (Sunday Mirror Homes & Holidays, styled by Angela Macfarlane). To reuse pictures please contact the Sunday Mirror picture desk. To reuse words or quote me please <a href="mailto:caramel@gadgetgirl.co.uk">email me</a>. And please feel free to leave comments and questions at the bottom of the stories. Enjoy!<br />
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJilK8Lq1dI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/s2W2nN_SMQ0/s1600/Eco+Loft+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJilK8Lq1dI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/s2W2nN_SMQ0/s320/Eco+Loft+13.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJilPf0KDOI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/rfRvkNGxVKs/s1600/Eco+loft+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJilPf0KDOI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/rfRvkNGxVKs/s320/Eco+loft+4.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-75148495017537876282010-09-21T13:08:00.005+01:002010-12-09T18:17:28.522+00:00Going solar at last<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJigEj47alI/AAAAAAAAAI0/OVBmnt0-0CI/s1600/loft+12+solar+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJigEj47alI/AAAAAAAAAI0/OVBmnt0-0CI/s320/loft+12+solar+crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The discreet solar panels on the roof, reflecting the sky</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The loft conversion's new flat roof was the perfect time to fit solar panels. We don’t have a south-facing roof (for maximum sun), so popping panels on the flat roof and tilting them up to face south was the way to go. The big decision was between photovoltaic (PV) panels for generating electricity and solar thermal panels for heating water.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Want to find out which we chose, how it went and how much money we’ll save? Click on read more…</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Experts advised that our roof wasn’t ideal for PV panels. There wasn’t enough space and they’re best suited to south-facing, sloping roofs. This is a shame because PV panels are a good deal right now. The government’s Feed In Tariffs (FITs) mean homeowners are guaranteed generous payments for the electricity that they generate. So much so that you could easily double your money over the 25-year lifespan of PV panels.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But solar thermal was well suited to our small roof. Two linked panels would heat all our hot water for free in the summer and take the edge off gas bills in the winter. Installation would be simple, although we would need a new hot water storage tank. But again, this was good timing because rejigging the house for the loft conversion meant that we needed a new water tank anyway. It felt like a plan coming together!</div><br />
We found a very affordable system from <a href="http://www.myplanetuk.com/solar-thermal-overview/">MyPlanet</a> (around £3,000 for a two-panel installation including the new cylinder). Fitting took just a couple of days and the installers worked well with our builders to ensure that we weren’t disrupted or without hot water for long. We did have teething troubles with pressure being lost on a daily basis, and were terrified that we had a leak in the system, but it turned out to be a failsafe being overzealous. A bit of fiddling around (with a bike pump, believe it or not) and the installer had it all behaving again.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When shopping around for affordable solar panels, beware because not all systems and installers are equal. Crucially, if you want to apply for FITs, or the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI, the equivalent government payback scheme for solar thermal panels), they must be registered with an industry body called MCS.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Thankfully <a href="http://www.myplanetuk.com/solar-thermal-overview/">MyPlanet</a> panels and installers are MCS registered. That means that when the RHI starts in April 2011 we should receive payments. No-one knows exactly how much these payments will be because the government hasn't announced the full details yet. But I’ve had expert estimates that we will save around £70 a year on our gas bill and then receive around £380 a year under the RHI. A tidy saving of £450 a year in total then. Because solar thermal panels are relatively cheap, this means we will recoup their cost in around seven years… and then start making a profit on them!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-31551149627216543092010-09-20T17:00:00.005+01:002010-10-04T21:25:02.756+01:00No, it’s not air conditioned!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJeE_3crgiI/AAAAAAAAAIk/HVKtS6Giwcg/s1600/loft+11+Worcester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJeE_3crgiI/AAAAAAAAAIk/HVKtS6Giwcg/s320/loft+11+Worcester.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OK, it does look a bit like an air con unit...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One of the first things people say when they enter the new loft is “Ooh, it’s got air con!” Wrong, but it’s an understandable mistake, because our air source heat pump uses the same technology in reverse to warm the room.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Want to know more about this incredibly energy-efficient way to heat your home? Click on read more...</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">There is a tiny radiator in the corner of the new loft room, but we doubt we'll need to use it. The space is heated in an eco-friendly way using the new <a href="http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/homeowner/products/air-source-heat-pumps">Worcester Bosch Air to Air Heat Pump</a> (from around £1,500 including installation). This hangs on the wall, with pipes connecting it to a unit outside, just like an air conditioning unit.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We were befuddled by installation. This is no DIY job. It involves laying special pipes, charging them with refrigerant, vacuum pumping them to remove air locks and more. No wonder our builder was scratching his head after he read the instructions! Thankfully help came along in the form of <a href="mailto:ea-services@hotmail.com">Esas Ali</a>, a specialist who covers the south east, whose team made light work of the installation.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The pump works like air con in reverse. It gathers heat energy from the air outside (even if that air’s cold, it still contains plenty of energy), carries it inside via refrigerant and then circulates it as warm air. The unit has a Coefficient of Performance of 4.5, which means that for every unit of electricity it uses to do the pumping it generates 4.5 units of heating power. That’s very efficient indeed, compared with an old-fashioned heating system.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>It's perfect for the loft because the new room is sealed and well insulated. Shut the door on a cold day, turn on the pump and within minutes the room is nice and toasty without the expense of heating the rest of the house. It’s ideal for a home office because we used to waste a lot of money and energy heating the whole house with central heating on workdays, even though we were only using one room. The energy savings will be huge.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-1042321862049297282010-09-20T16:12:00.003+01:002010-10-05T10:00:18.458+01:00Splashing out less<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJd5l49-dfI/AAAAAAAAAIc/SDrUVg7S-hQ/s1600/loft+10+taps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJd5l49-dfI/AAAAAAAAAIc/SDrUVg7S-hQ/s320/loft+10+taps.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clever click - a mixer tap that saves 50% water</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">An eco shower was one thing, but how else could we save water in the wetroom? According to research by <a href="http://www.ideal-standard.co.uk/">Ideal Standard</a>, we each use around 150 litres of water a day, mostly in the bathroom, and nearly a third of it runs straight into the drain without even being used.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>We were committed to turning the tap off while brushing our teeth. But what else could we do? Click on read more…<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I couldn’t find any especially green bathroom suites. Getting one from Freecycle was an option. But a modern WC has the advantage of a dual flush, so instead of wasting up to 11 litres of water with every flush it uses less than 4 litres for number ones and less than 6 litres for number twos.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We plumped for a compact water-saving WC and basin from the <a href="http://www.ideal-standard.co.uk/">Ideal Standard</a> Space range and then found they also offered an excellent eco accessory. The <a href="http://www.ideal-standard.co.uk/ceramix/washbasin-mixer-tap-taps-a5410aa.aspx">Ceramix washbasin mixer</a> (£128 including pop-up waste) is a contemporary mixer tap with a trick up its sleeve. It helps you save water by restricting the flow to 50%. Push the handle up further, until it clicks, and you get 100% flow. But truth be told, whether you’re washing your hands or brushing your teeth, 50% is usually enough.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We’ve found that the tap has changed our family’s water use already. The tap only gets pushed past the click if we’re filling a glass of water. It’s even making us think more about how we use other taps in the house. A good start when it comes to trying to cut down that 150-litre a day water habit…</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-23599400067635420992010-09-20T13:14:00.004+01:002010-10-04T21:13:27.476+01:00The guilt-free shower<div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJdsOPhP6gI/AAAAAAAAAIU/FBd4GOlZlKg/s1600/Visage+Digital+Concealed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJdsOPhP6gI/AAAAAAAAAIU/FBd4GOlZlKg/s320/Visage+Digital+Concealed.JPG" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water-saving Visage Digital</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The wetroom in our loft conversion raised an interesting question. Aren’t wetrooms naturally eco-unfriendly? Traditionally they involve massive shower heads and body jets that use an obscene amount of water. This was not for us – we just wanted a shower room in a small space. It was a wetroom simply because we didn’t have enough room for a shower enclosure!<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Want to know more about the water-saving shower we found? Click on read more...</div><a name='more'></a><br />
Various showers claim to be eco-friendly. The one we settled on was the <a href="http://www.aqualisa.co.uk/Our-products/Browse-showers-by-range/Visage-Digital/">Aqualisa Visage Digital</a> (from around £400). It’s just like any other digital shower mixer, but with the added option of an eco setting, which limits water use to a modest 8 litres per minute. We’ve consciously never tried the shower in the non-eco mode, so we don’t know what we’re missing! But there’s certainly plenty of water for a good shower in eco mode, so who cares?<br />
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Fitting it was very simple. Hot and cold feeds go to a shower mixer hidden away in a cupboard, then a single pipe and a wire run from the controller to the shower itself.<br />
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Being a digital shower mixer, it’s accurate to control. Temperature sensors intelligently mix hot and cold water to give you the desired temperature, so even on a cold day it's quick to warm up. And as a bit of a gadget addict I love the optional wired remote control (around £60) – we’ve positioned ours just outside the wetroom. Press it to turn the shower on to warm up before you enter the room. Although do hop in the shower pronto, otherwise you’ve undermined the whole point of a water-saving shower…Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-21768712407601429452010-09-20T12:46:00.009+01:002010-10-05T10:04:45.215+01:00Yes, even the tiles are recycled<div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJdKcUC4DWI/AAAAAAAAAIE/FFF_zuoB0dI/s1600/loft+8+tiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJdKcUC4DWI/AAAAAAAAAIE/FFF_zuoB0dI/s320/loft+8+tiles.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tiles, complete with neat diagonals!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When I looked for ideas to make the loft conversion greener, I didn't know there was such a thing as eco-friendly tiles. But, it turns out some tiles are greener than others. We found ones that are made in the UK, in a very environmentally conscious factory, partly from recycled ceramic materials.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Want know where to source eco-friendly tiles? Click on read more...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="http://www.geccointeriors.co.uk/index.php/">Gecco Interiors</a> creative director and eco interiors consultant Angie Kraft directed us towards its range of dozens of different tiles with excellent green credentials. We looked at a few free samples and then chose the <a href="http://www.geccointeriors.co.uk/index.php/floor-coverings/ceramic-tile/bathroom/sahara-floor-tile.html">Sahara tiles</a> for both wall and floor (around £30 per square metre, but it's such a small wetroom that the bill didn't come to much!). They have a lovely matte finish, and although they're not officially wetroom tiles they're not in the least bit slippery underfoot.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Visit the <a href="http://www.geccointeriors.co.uk/wpress/category/ceramic-tiles/">Gecco Interiors blog</a> to get the full story of the tiles' eco credentials from Angie’s factory visit. But put simply, they're made in England, 30% from ceramics recycled from local potteries, using a process that has been improved to save water and energy as well as materials. Packaging is recycled, palates are reused. The whole process saves an impressive amount of landfill and CO2.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">As for laying the wetroom tiles, our builder had to first build a plywood floor in four sections, with “envelope” falls sloping towards a drain in the middle of the room. He clad the walls in waterproof panels and then sealed the floor using a tanking membrane – making it (hopefully) 100% waterproof. Only then could he start tiling! The large format tiles were easy to work with and came up beautifully. Our only teething trouble was getting a smooth diagonal cut across some floor tiles for the lines where the falls meet each other. They kept coming out too rough until we persuaded our builder that his wet tile cutter would do an even smoother job if he used the water bath with it! Bingo, a smooth cut and a very professional job.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-90030209562105848382010-09-20T12:37:00.008+01:002010-10-05T10:08:48.041+01:00At last, decent eco lightbulbs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJiePh1w6_I/AAAAAAAAAIs/raWMi0DTdZQ/s1600/megaman2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJiePh1w6_I/AAAAAAAAAIs/raWMi0DTdZQ/s320/megaman2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our fab new lights will last years and use just 7 watts each</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Like everyone, I've been frustrated in the past with eco-friendly lightbulbs that splutter into life and then take minutes to brighten up. So I was looking for something different.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Want to find out which new technology genuinely rivals conventional lights without using much power? Click on read more...</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Traditionally, energy-saving bulbs are made using compact fluorescent (CFL) tubes, but the new technology on the block is light emitting diodes (LEDs). And LEDs are finally good enough to replace halogen recessed spotlights.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Our <a href="http://www.megamanuk.com/megaman-products/lamps/?series_name=led-reflector-series">Megaman LED PAR16 GU10</a> bulbs (around £30 each) use 7W (watts) of power each, so all nine of them in the main room will only use around as much as one old 60W bulb. But that would be overkill most of the time anyway – each produces the same amount of light as a 35W halogen bulb. Installation is exactly the same as conventional bulbs but LED bulbs aren't dimmable, so the Megaman expert made the excellent suggestion of wiring them on two circuits, so we can switch just some of them on – this works perfectly and saves even more energy.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In the main loft space, we fitted the bulbs in very plain Megaman Vog fittings (around £5 each). We also added a couple of budget “wall washer” lights on the sloped ceiling, just to make sure there were no dark corners. Regulations (and common sense) say that bathroom light fittings must be special waterproof ones, so we used <a href="http://www.megamanuk.com/megaman-products/luminaires/fozz-downlights.php">Fozz Opera IP64 fittings</a> (around £10 each) that are completely sealed so they won't be affected by water vapour from the shower.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>The fittings are affordable but the bulbs are pricey. But they should last years, probably decades. For example, ours have an official life of 25,000 hours of use, but may well last much longer. And they use 20% as much energy as traditional halogen spots, saving us an impressive 80% on electricity bills and 80% on carbon emissions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-67074028442365425062010-09-17T16:35:00.004+01:002010-10-05T10:11:10.542+01:00The big blind<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJOKsGJuCpI/AAAAAAAAAH0/S0zQr9R6o-Y/s1600/loft+6+Luxaflex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TJOKsGJuCpI/AAAAAAAAAH0/S0zQr9R6o-Y/s320/loft+6+Luxaflex.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A PR picture showing off the Luxaflex Duette Shades</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You need a really good quality blind if you want a single one to cover a nearly 3m x 2m window and work day in, day out. So we were pleased to discover <a href="http://www.luxaflex.com/gb/en/exploring-our-products/duette-shades/duette-shades/sb.cn">Luxaflex Duette Shades</a> (from £64). They’re made from a double pleat of lightweight fabric, stuck together to form a honeycomb structure that traps a layer of air to insulate the window.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Want to know how much money you can save with an eco-friendly blind? Click on read more...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
With conventional single-glazed windows, these clever <a href="http://www.luxaflex.com/gb/en/exploring-our-products/duette-shades/duette-shades/sb.cn">Luxaflex</a> blinds are said to save around 20% on household heating bills. Of course, with our triple-glazed windows they’ll only make a slight improvement, but every little helps!<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Our blind is literally green. The local showroom had a huge array of colour options, even for the blackout option that we wanted, so we found one that matched our décor beautifully. The cord seems over-long when the blind is open, but otherwise it’s hard to fault – it was made to measure precisely, easy to fit, works well and then practically disappears when we’re not using it. Despite having a drop of nearly 2m, it only takes up a couple of inches when open, blocking none of the glass. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-1094345622794883082010-09-13T21:28:00.004+01:002010-10-05T10:14:14.030+01:00The window that fell off the back of a lorry<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI6ISTrQ-AI/AAAAAAAAAHk/l2MVK9VhVD4/s1600/Loft+5+Rationel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI6ISTrQ-AI/AAAAAAAAAHk/l2MVK9VhVD4/s320/Loft+5+Rationel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After: the repaired window, all's well that ends well</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We naturally wanted the large dormer window to be triple glazed too. It wouldn't cost much more than double glazing. And as well as the insulation benefits, a big window like this (nearly 3m by 2m) would shut out even more road noise thanks to the extra layer of glass.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We settled on <a href="http://www.rationel.co.uk/">Rationel</a>, a Danish company with over 50 years experience in making windows. But the time crunch was on: we had to order it urgently because being triple glazed, it would take 13 weeks to arrive. We didn't want to delay the build and we knew (from friends and from watching too many episodes of Grand Designs) that window problems always delay builds.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Our story was no different. Want to find out how disaster stuck with our window? Click on read more...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI6IU8XN0jI/AAAAAAAAAHs/_dWZWF21mqY/s1600/Loft+5+broken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI6IU8XN0jI/AAAAAAAAAHs/_dWZWF21mqY/s320/Loft+5+broken.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before: the shattered central window pane</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">On the day the window was due to be delivered, I rang to check on it, only to be told that it had been dropped off a fork-lift truck! Seriously, the previous afternoon it had toppled over, smashing one of the big panes and damaging the frame in countless places. They even emailed us stomach-churning photos. This sounded disastrous: it could mean a delay of weeks if not months.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We arranged to have the window delivered anyway and for a <a href="http://www.rationel.co.uk/">Rationel</a> expert to inspect it to see if it was salvageable. To cut a long story short, it was. The window frame was fitted, a double-glazed unit temporarily filling the gap while a new triple was built, and finally the damaged aluminium cladding on the outside replaced.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>This all took several weeks, but because the frame was fitted our builders could crack on with finishing the room. We ended up with a window almost as good as new, with just a few scuffs on the timber inside – nothing compared with the wear and tear our family would soon wreak on it. And with a reasonable £500 discount on our £2,000 window, all was well that ended well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-71474610441738418572010-09-13T16:37:00.005+01:002010-10-05T10:21:39.529+01:00Triple, no trouble<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI5DcXz4-BI/AAAAAAAAAHc/8BtUTNAGrlc/s1600/Rotation+of+Loft+4+Fakro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI5DcXz4-BI/AAAAAAAAAHc/8BtUTNAGrlc/s320/Rotation+of+Loft+4+Fakro.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The smaller Fakro window, in our wetroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Triple glazing reduces energy loss and massively reduces noise, even compared with double glazing. So if we really wanted to match our excellent insulation (and defeat the noise from a nearby main road) then triple it had to be!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We plumped for a couple of roof windows from <a href="http://www.fakro.co.uk/htmle/220.php">Fakro</a>. This German brand is less well known than a rival who will not be named (but begins with V), but it has a good pedigree for making timber loft windows, loft ladders and more. I especially like its new balcony window design, but it wouldn't have worked in our space.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Want to know how the installation went? Click on read more...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The <a href="http://www.fakro.co.uk/htmle/220.php">Fakro FTT U5 Thermo</a> triple-glazed windows we plumped for (from £315) have a U value of 0.94 W/m2K (which is very good, the lower the U-value the more insulated the window; single glazing has a U-value of 5.4 W/m2K and standard double glazing 2.6 W/m2K).<br />
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</div>They come in a range of standard sizes. And while we'd heard scare stories about windows going wrong, the process of ordering, receiving and fitting our two roof windows went incredibly smoothly (unlike our dormer window; be sure to read “The window that fell off the back of a lorry”!). The builders and roofer left holes precisely the right size for them to slot into and it all worked perfectly.<br />
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One the interior décor was complete, we also added a <a href="http://www.fakro.co.uk/htmle/141.php">Fakro blackout blind</a> (from £82) to the window in the main space, leaving our options open if we wanted to use the space as a bedroom in years to come. Again it was a complete doddle to fit and is very discreet – when open you just see two aluminium runners down the sides, taking up very little space.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-18674453694318696872010-09-13T11:16:00.005+01:002010-10-05T10:21:17.161+01:00The “Weetabix” insulation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI339Uh1QII/AAAAAAAAAHE/YqQEdvNTtfQ/s1600/loft+3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI339Uh1QII/AAAAAAAAAHE/YqQEdvNTtfQ/s320/loft+3a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jigsaw of wood fibre insulation on the loft wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Insulation is an important part of any eco-friendly build. Done right, it saves on energy bills in the winter and also prevents overheating on hot summer days. We were looking to do two things: insulate heavily with a material with a high “thermal mass” (so it’s slow to heat up or cool down) and create a space that was airtight but breathable (a bit like Goretex but for houses, breathable membrane lets you conserve heat but avoid condensation).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Want to know more about the innovative, eco-friendly insulation we used? Click on read more...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Our architect found two products from <a href="http://www.natural-building.co.uk/natural_insulations.htm">Natural Building Technologies (NBT)</a> called Pavatherm and Pavaflex (from £11.80 per square metre) that fitted the bill perfectly. The insulation is made from waste wood fibre, so it’s using material that would have otherwise been destined for landfill. It has a high thermal mass and isn’t full of nasty chemicals.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When the delivery came, there was literally a lorry-load of insulation boards and batts with our name on. The large-but-light batts looked like something a giant would breakfast on and were soon nicknamed “Weetabix” by our builders, who enjoyed having a laugh at our choice of hippy materials. I’m sure they called them a few other things too, because they were a pain to retrofit to an old Victorian house. On a new build it would be a doddle, but they weren't quite the right size to fit in the gaps between our rafters, studs and joists, so every piece had to be cut to fit. There wasn't much waste, but it was a giant jigsaw puzzle.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You can see the resulting jigsaw in the picture above. Each piece was cut to fit and carefully numbered so the builders knew where to put them. Then they took them off and literally buttered them with special lime plaster before sticking them back on again.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI345EMS_-I/AAAAAAAAAHU/S7fpnGOjvAg/s1600/Rotation+of+loft+3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TI345EMS_-I/AAAAAAAAAHU/S7fpnGOjvAg/s320/Rotation+of+loft+3b.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pete the plasterer 'butters' the insulation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Once the insulation was in, there was no more cursing it. The builders, slaving away in the loft through the summer, appreciated it immediately. Even on a hot summer's day, the space didn't heat up the way you'd expect in any other loft. The pleasant working temperature meant that they soon forgot the hassle of installing it and swore by the Weetabix, so much that they said they'd be keen to use it on other jobs.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The loft sits on top of a not-terribly-well-insulated Victorian house (we do our best, but we can’t afford the cost or disruption of insulating our solid walls or replacing our century-old single-glazed windows) but the loft has been designed as a standalone space. This is ideal because we're planning to use it as an office. On work days, we can close the door to the rest of the house and use the heat pump (see “No it's not air con”) to heat just the loft very efficiently. This will save us a fortune on winter central heating bills, compared with heating the whole house just so that it's warm in the office.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-3126364935693959042010-09-07T17:09:00.010+01:002010-10-05T10:28:00.167+01:00The paperwork mountain<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TIZlHNKJzxI/AAAAAAAAAG8/YTXbNAcY594/s1600/loft+2+drawing.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514205968227487506" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TIZlHNKJzxI/AAAAAAAAAG8/YTXbNAcY594/s320/loft+2+drawing.jpg" style="float: right; height: 266px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A plan view showing loft room, stairs and wetroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>If you manage a project like this yourself, there's a lot of paperwork. Our architect drew up initial plans and passed them to our builder for a quote. Meanwhile we needed planning permission. Or did we? If your house hasn't already been extended and you don't live in a conservation area, a loft conversion usually counts as “permitted development” - follow some straightforward rules and you won't need planning permission at all, although you can apply to the council for a certificate that proves that it's legal, reassuring future housebuyers.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Want to know more about the paperwork you need for a loft conversion? Click on read more...</div><a name='more'></a><br />
If you live in a terrace or semi, you will need to get neighbours to sign “party wall agreements”. You can pay an expert to organise this, pick up a booklet from the council or <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/partywall">download it here</a> and do it yourself for free. A party wall agreement alerts your neighbours to the work you're doing on your shared wall and promises that you'll repair any damage. It's a good idea to also take some photos of the walls, so you know if you've caused a new crack or not. Neighbours, by the way, include freeholders, leaseholders and tenants who've lived there for more than a year, so you might need to get forms signed by three sets of people for a single property! My advice: if you want the forms signing promptly, take them round and explain them in person.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You will also need to apply for building regulations permission, because any loft conversion involves serious structural work. Again this is a matter of filling in some forms and paying the council a fat fee. The buildings inspectors who visit are very knowledgeable and are there to make sure the work is structurally sound – giving piece of mind to you and future inhabitants. Treat them nicely and they'll be really helpful.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Finally there's the drawings from the architect and structural engineer. We joked that for an eco-friendly loft conversion we killed a lot of trees. It really was a paperwork mountain, with endless revisions of drawings and page after page specifying every last detail, right down to which screws to use. We moaned, we struggled to keep on top of the changes to the drawings, but ultimately the result was a build with excellent attention to detail, so it's hard to grumble. Still, I wish someone would invent a way to insulate your loft by recycling the paperwork used to design it – we'd have saved a fortune!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391834828776889673.post-11577059669317914972010-09-07T16:43:00.011+01:002010-10-05T10:30:15.963+01:00The only way is up!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TIZeFk_5KHI/AAAAAAAAAG0/8HrcWVnUpTI/s1600/loft+1+getting+started.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514198243685771378" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_08QS_DcGbf8/TIZeFk_5KHI/AAAAAAAAAG0/8HrcWVnUpTI/s320/loft+1+getting+started.JPG" style="float: right; height: 213px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The empty loft space before starting building work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Like most Londoners with a young family, we needed a bigger house. Two babies in quick succession meant that our house was no longer big enough for both of us work from home and still give everyone a bedroom. We needed more space, fast, without the expense or stress of moving house. The only way was up!<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But why go green? And wouldn't it cost a fortune? To find out, click on read more...</div><a name='more'></a><br />
Being eco-minded, we wanted our new loft conversion to be as environmentally friendly as possible... within reason. We didn't have enough money to use green products if they cost a fortune, they would have to either not cost much more than conventional materials or save enough energy that they'd pay for themselves within years, not decades.<br />
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The eco brief received a mixed reception. Mick, the builder who we'd worked with for years and built a firm friendship, pulled a face that said “sounds complicated, and expensive”. But architect Roland's eyes lit up at the idea of a challenge, not another humdrum conversion.<br />
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We set Roland and Mick to work on designs and budgets. Meanwhile, we set about arguably the hardest job of all – clearing out the mountains of boxes that had built up in the loft in the 13 years we'd lived here. Pictured is the resulting empty space – fairly big but with beams all over the place, and impossible to visualise what it would be like as a room.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0