With several changes made to Building Regulations in England and Wales last year, including additions to ‘Approved Document L: Conservation of fuel and power’ and ‘Approved Document F: Ventilation’, housebuilders have been looking for products that take the headache out of compliance by ensuring they meet current requirements.
The purpose of Part L is to ensure energy efficiency in buildings, with new and existing homes in England now being subject to higher building performance targets in an interim step towards the Future Homes Standard and Future Buildings Standard that will arrive in 2025.
When it comes to heat loss, one of the biggest issues for housebuilders is thermal bridging, which is an area of a building construction which has a significantly higher heat transfer (loss) than the surrounding materials. One example of where this would occur is with junctions around windows, including roof windows.
If this area is not insulated it can lead to cold bridging on roof windows; this is where the gap between the roof and window creates a cold section all around the frame due to the temperature differentiation between the outside and inside, which contributes toward heat loss and can eventually lead to condensation and mould.
Keylite has taken the lead in ensuring it removes the possibility of this occurring, ensuring its products are designed in such a way that housebuilders don’t have to consider the ‘gap’. These built-in features help eliminate thermal bridging, which reduces the risk of non-compliance and delivers a build that is closer to the expected energy performance.
Lee Squelch, Regional Sales Director (GB) for Keylite, comments: “One such feature is Keylite’s patented Integrated Expanding Thermal Collar, which ensures the thermal integrity of the window and roof is as designed, thus removing the reliance on an additional thermal collar and helping achieve Approved Document L requirements. It also improves airtightness and Psi Values for SAP, helping housebuilders meet new regulations.
“Part F requirements for background ventilation are also supported through Keylite’s cleverly designed top handle, allowing for controlled trickled ventilation when the window is fully closed and securely locked. National House-Building Council (NHBC) will not accept other window types that provide background ventilation by being latched in the partially opened position.”
Keylite Roof Windows is helping its many housebuilder customers meet current regulations throughout the UK and Ireland. To learn more, please get in touch today.
