The introduction of amended Building Regs in April 2006 was targeted at fuel and energy conservation to cut emissions and reduce heating bills. It places a legal responsibility on homeowners carrying out any form of renovation, renewal or alteration work on external walls in particular.

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The regulations state that where the U value of a wall is higher than 0.7 then insulation must be added to the wall to lower the current U value down to a target of 0.35 ie equivalent to a new build standard property. The regulations also state there must be total coverage of the full height and width of the wall to prevent any cold bridging and therefore damp issues.

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On solid walled properties this usually means external wall insulation will have to be fitted when rendering or re-rendering an outside wall. To meet the target figure of a 0.35 U value will usually mean an insulation depth of around 80mm plus the render.

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On a lot of properties however this depth of insulation is technically not feasible due to size of roof soffit, soil pipes or window cill depths. In such instances the regulations allow for a thinner insulation depth so long as the homeowner has done the best possible within the constraints of the building.

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The other stipulation is that the system used must be technically approved as a certified insulation system by the likes of the British Board of Agrement testing authority otherwise the Council Building Officer will not issue a satisfactory completion certificate.

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Multiguard offer a range of systems that all meet the Building Regs and we can offer you free unbiased advice as to which system will best suit your home and meet all the regulations as well as a possible grant towards the costs. Crucially, a correctly installed system that is compliant with the regulations will also increase your HIP Energy score and your home’s value when and if you decide to sell.

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