Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Fit solar panels and formation for lounge floor. Solar panels were a dream to fit, flashing kits were just like a velux window. The next day, complete fitting of solar panels.

Hardcore going down for new slab

Existing front roof ready to take solar panel

Solar thermal panels being installed

Solar panel being flashed into roof tiles

Complete solar panel to front roof!

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Started to support existing chimneys above ceiling level and fit pad stones.

Insert steels to chimneys, this was able to be done by removing the roof tiles and sliding the steel out then back in again. Insert rear steel and joint together.

Chimney breast propped in loft for removal below

Concrete padstone for beam on external wall

(Note: The chimney stacks are being removed as they are a major route for draughts and heat loss, and we will gain additional floor space that has been lost when we internally insulate the external walls).

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Mass fill to cellar complete we now have to reduce level of existing floor to allow concrete slab to be poured.

Front room ground floor removed ready for new insulated slab 

Rear ground floor room removed ready for new insulated slab

Site Manager Ian Davenport's Site Progress Diary

Mass filled cellar with concrete, first pours were ok but latter pours had to have a extra hole in the existing floor to allow concrete to be filled into all corners.

Existing Ground Floor

Cellar / Coal-Hole discovered - filled with mass concrete

Site Meeting 01 - Stripping out in Progress

Jigsaw of brickwork to extension

Rear extension demolished 

Ground floor front room

First floor rear bedroom

 First site meeting in Hanley with the on-site contractors team, Sanctuary Housing client, contract manager, clerk of works, and myself, the project architect.

The stripping out of the existing house is almost complete. Plaster from the bottom half of the walls has been removed so that DPC works can be applied.

The rear extension has been demolished also.

Issues discussed at the site meeting included confirming the contractor had all the information needed, such as electrical socket locations, door undercut heights for the whole-house heat recovery ventilation to work properly, and drainage locations, etc.

We also talked through the air-tight strategy for the retrofit, and I handed round some samples of the special tapes and membranes that would be used, as well as a sample of the sheepswool and woodfibre insulation boards.

Existing Water Main & Cellar

As with doing any works to existing houses, you're bound to discover a few unknowns are you start to peel back the layers of the existing house.

The rear extension has now been demolished, and the contractor has discovered an old water main pipe that comes under next doors rear extension / outrigger, branches off to supply our house, then continues to supply the neighbour on the other side as well.

As our re-built rear extension steps down in level from the existing, in order to allow insulation to the floor and roof, we will have to re-route this pipe on site.
There is also an existing small cellar below the front ground floor room, which was assumed to be there as neighbouring properties have unused cellar/coal holes.
As we are lowering the floor in order to insulate, the structural engineer has designed for the coal hole to be mass filled with concrete, to prevent the neighbouring party walls being unsupported as the new floor is excavated.

Retrofit Works Starts on Site!

The building contract has been signed, and the contractor has now taken possession of the house at St Lukes St, and will start the demolition of the existing rear extension that houses the bathroom, and begin the stripping out works.

The new 'Ecopassiv' triple-glazed windows have been ordered, as they have a long lead-in period as they are currently manufactured in Poland for the UK supplier, The Green Building Store. It is hoped that projects such as this retrofit will stimulate UK manufacturing of high-quality triple-glazed windows.

Anne Thorne Architect's have issued the final set of construction detailed drawings and specification.

Retrofit for the Future Blog Online!

This blog is intended to at as a project diary to record the progress of the build on site, as well as to record the experiences of all those involved in this pioneering project to deliver a low-carbon retrofit of our existing housing stock, including the client, the design team, contractor and tenant.

The blog will contain written diary entries, site photos, tenant videos, and document the early aspirations of the project team, exploring the design and engagement process of the retrofit from conception to completion and beyond.

So watch this space......