Merlin Housing Society own around 1500 of non-traditional homes in the Bristol Suburb which were built after the Second World War as a quick solution to the shortage of housing. Unfortunately many of them now suffer from structural problems, have poor insulation and are grossly expensive to heat.
The aim to improve the energy efficiency of homes began in Cadbury Heath and saw 66 homes benefit from external wall insulation provided by Wetherby Building Systems.
An extensive mix of brick effect render, dry dash, silicone and Wetherby’s new Epsicoat Mineral Render PLUS were then applied to Wetherby’s EpsiTherm insulation to ensure the properties remained in keeping with the existing street scenes. It was important for the housing association to ensure that the refurbishment works did not disrupt the appearance of the neighbouring private houses, so each street cluster was treated individually and the most appropriate finish selected to complement the homes in that particular area.
The refurbishment programme has made a significant difference to tenants, who are not only benefitting from warmer, more comfortable homes but will now be saving an average of £500 per year on their energy bills. The upgraded properties are now classed as being ‘thermally efficient’ after their U-values were successfully reduced from 2.1 W/m2K to 0.30 W/m2K, bringing them in line with the current building regulations. Carbon emissions have reduced on average by 40% from roughly 3.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide to 2.1 tonnes year on year.
Project Manager Richard Hopkins of Merlin Housing Society said:
“These homes are the first of 1000 we will be improving in the next few years. The work has made a huge difference to the people living in them who now have warmer homes that are cheaper to heat. This work is bringing these homes into the 21st century, making them energy efficient and extending their life by up to 30 years.