Norwich City Council manages approximately 15,000 homes for the provision of social and leasehold housing.
A large proportion of this housing stock is made up of pre and post war properties of traditional 2 storey housing and also non-traditional low, medium and high properties built to satisfy the post war housing shortage.
Project Overview
We were appointed as building surveyors to initially review properties which had been previously improved with external wall insulation (EWI).
Following this we were appointed as project managers to coordinate and manage a phase of external wall insulation to several properties.
The properties we surveyed and reviewed had been previously fitted with EWI to improve the thermal performance of the properties and to assist in the elimination of condensation and toxic mould growth within the properties.
The design and oversight of the EWI programme had previously been contractor led by one of the City Council’s appointed measured term contractors.
During our review and survey of the properties many design defects were discovered which included:
- Continued damp penetration to the interior of the properties by failure to lower raised ground levels and footpaths.
- Use of incorrect cover trims to weather the head of the EWI at eaves and soffit line, causing saturation of masonry at high level, damp ingress and a reduction in insulation performance.
- Cold bridging defects at DPC level and around windows, door reveals and flat roofs.
- Incorrect flashing details to valleys, and chimneys and poor consideration of appropriate storm water discharge
We provided design and specification services to enable the City Council to ensure all subsequent EWI programmes going forward were designed and budgeted for correctly.
As a result of our design recommendations and extensive experience with defects in traditional housing we were appointed as project managers to coordinate and monitor the full external refurbishment required to properties on George Borrow Road.
The refurbishment works package, so the properties could fully benefit from the installation of EWI, included:
extending the roofs and eaves detail to correctly weather the head of the EWI, improvement of rainwater discharge, correct flashing details, lowering of ground and footpath levels, replacement of doors and windows, elimination of cold bridging defects, increased insulation within loft spaces, review of internal ventilation and existing condensation issues.
Post completion and in use review, after a winter season, demonstrated considerable reduction in individual residents’ energy use requirements and elimination of internal condensation and historical damp ingress problems.
How we differ from our competitors
As a chartered building surveying and project management practice, we are clearly differentiated from the rest of the market by our enhanced technical knowledge and professional standards.
We are regulated by the RICS, the world’s leading professional body for qualifications and professional standards in construction, property, land and infrastructure.
