Saturday 4 December 2010

Week 4 ends

Windows finally ordered on Wednesday. I managed to get the window spec selectively trimmed using PHPP to test what effect this would have on the building's performance. The PHPP paid for itself many times over just in this one week of 'optimising' the spec.

Getting to grips with Therm (also after a long struggle). The model of the external floor-wall junction I created, has produced a provisional psi value of 0.15W/mK, lower than the 0.2W/mK estimate I had previously. Putting that more accurate figure has trimmed another 0.5kWh/m2.a off our Annual Heat Demand. Helpful, as it allowed me to trim a bit more off the window spec.

I have a sense of having achieved quite a bit this week.

Meanwhile, the scaffolders have been busy by this time next week, the whole house will be shrouded in a tarp and tin weather shield that will protect the existing structure from the rain and provide a working environment for the site operatives more conducive to accurate and quality work. It also much reduces the risk of weather-related project delays. We have been lucky in that we have missed most of the bad weather affecting the rest of the country, although night time temps have dropped to as low as -10C. Even though we have not had much snow, it has not been nice weather to be working outdoors.