Making older homes warmer, dryer and more comfortable, yet retaining their character
What is, and why consider retrofitting your existing property?
Retrofit is simply the process of making changes to existing buildings so that energy consumption and emissions are reduced. These changes should also provide the benefit of a more comfortable and healthier home with lower fuel bills.
Fabric First approach: “Fabric First” is a simple, straightforward approach aimed at upgrading the fabric (e.g. walls, lofts, floors) of the building first, together with making sure there is the right amount of ventilation, before tackling more complex things such as heating, hot water, or lighting systems. This can be done by improving insulation around the building and reducing heat loss through any ‘leaky’ parts of the house, for example, windows, doors and other gaps. However, care still has to be taken not to cause damp or mould which can be caused due to lack of ventilation, so plugging every nook and cranny isn’t necessarily the right thing to do.
Whole House approach: “Whole House” is where an assessment is carried out by a qualified Retrofit Professional on the whole house – the fabric (e.g. walls, lofts), services and systems (heating, hot water and lighting) and the energy used. Recognising that every home is different, it also takes into account how the occupants live in and use their home and if there any special circumstances affecting the dwelling. A plan is then produced which is usually split into phases. Each phase includes estimated costs of work that can be undertaken, estimated energy savings for each set of measures and the amount of carbon reduction that can be made in each phase. It’s then up to the homeowner to decide which measures are undertaken and when. The plan is developed and managed by a qualified and accredited Retrofit Professional. Improving the building fabric to minimise heat losses and maximise air tightness is sensible because insulation has a relatively low cost, a long-life and should only be required once before 2050 for most properties. Services and systems, by contrast, have a shorter lifespan and will almost certainly need to be replaced every 10-15 years.
Exceptional service
Why Choose Glebe For New Builds?
As one of the leading new build specialists in South Yorkshire, our aim is to always provide professional services and go the extra mile for our clients, offering a turnkey operation. We understand that any building work can be stressful, so we aim to make the entire process as simple and stress-free as possible for you.
Fully Broken Down Quotation
To make the process as simple as possible, we will provide you with a fully broken down quote. This includes detailed explanations of the project, timelines that we will work towards and the overall cost. We feel this really helps separate us from other building companies, as it allows you to see exactly what you are getting and in what timescale and helps you better understand your project.
Minimal Disruption
Because we are uber communicative, we’ll keep you up to date with your project between site meetings to keep you in the loop. We can do this via phone, email or with a video call walk around. Plus, you’ll have a single point of contact throughout the works to ensure you always have an open line straight to somebody who will always be on hand to help.
New Builds Finished On Time And To Budget
Because we work closely with you and professionally project manage all of our works, there won’t be any nasty surprises. We can project the time things will take and any variations are dealt with openly and directly making sure things keek ticking along nicely on site.
Fully Certified, Trained And Insured
Glebe Construction is a member of the Federation of Master Builders, Trust Mark and CHAS. Our team are experts in new builds and will take care of the whole project for you, from the initial discussions and planning stages, through to the high quality finishing touches.
