Love a real fire?

Image from Burley Stoves

Wood burning stoves are gaining in popularity. Good thing too. However, you need to know more than just that you want to have a carbon neutral energy source.

Efficiency. The efficiencies of wood stoves vary tremendously. The design of stoves go from the simplest grates to the more complex second burn options. Most are now rated and so look out for those that give the better rates.

Cleanliness. Hand in hand with efficiencies go the amount of soot produced. More efficient burns create less soot, so again if you don't want to be emptying out large amounts of waste, look for high efficiency stoves.

Drying wood. Wood needs to be dry before being burned and so you may well need to store wood so that it can air dry. This requires space and some sort of system so that you can have a stack of wood drying and another ready to burn.

Source of wood. Great if you have a source of natural wood, but if you are going to be burning waste wood you need to be aware that there is a bit of work required to get it ready for burning (removing nails etc). Also different woods burn at different temperatures. Wood like oak, blackthorn are great for burning, but birch, lime and pine are not so great. Check out: http://www.firewood.co.uk/heating-qualities/

Location of stove. Ideally the stove will be away from a wall and air will be able to circulate around it freely. This will allow the maximum amount of heat to be transferred to the room.

Air for burning. If you have stove that takes air from the room you will be encouraging colder fresh air into the house (in fact you will need to have external ventilation into the room). Also if you are using the stove as secondary heating you will be drawing your heated air into the stove and straight up the flue! So it is much better to draw fresh air into the stove directly from outside using a dedicated air inlet. Many new stoves have this capacity for a direct air inlet, but the older ones do not. By using fresh air from outside you will make your stove much more efficient.

Stove fans. If you have your stove set into the chimney breast then you may wish to look at a stove fan. These are powered by the heat of the stove itself and help to circulate the warm air around the room. They are expensive, but do work well.

Sizing. Think about what you will use the stove for. If it is just secondary heating then you will only need a small kW stove, but if you are to use it for heating the whole house then you will need to think about circulation of air as well as sizing. Too big a stove can overpower a room and make it unusable (unless you are into swimwear in the winter!) It may be better to have two smaller stoves in separate rooms etc. So care is needed here as it can be a bit of a balancing act.

Flue liners. There are two main grades of liners. Personally I would go for the higher grade as you will be peace of mind and a longer guarantee.

Installers. Always use a HETAS installer.

Carbon monoxide sensor. All stoves should be monitored by a working carbon monoxide alarm. No point having a lower carbon future if you are not here to enjoy it.

Sweeping. Check with you installer that the stove can be swept easily. This will need to be done annually on average.

Chimney pot. The pot should reduce the amount of water able to enter the system, so ensure that you have a cowl of some description. Do not fit cowls with fine grating as they can be blocked more easily. Again your installer should be able to advise.

So, have a think about these factors before you buy and fit a stove. Good luck!

What constitutes a 'healthy' home?

Health is really important to all of us, yet many of us live in houses with poor internal environments. Some of this is our own fault - we clean using dangerous chemicals; we allow properties to get into a poor state and hence introduce damp from rain; we don't ventilate properly; etc. However, some of it down to the structure of the building. So I thought that it might be worth investigating the idea that using health as opposed to pure energy efficiency could be a way forward for improvements in the housing sector.

So what are the key health factors that could be used to drive new specifications for home improvements?

Allergies

People seem to be getting more sensitive to substances, many of which are airborne. So there is a need for better Internal Air Quality (IAQ) in our homes. Having filters in ventilation systems is an obvious way of improving the situation for cleaning any air coming into our homes, however most properties do not have whole house ventilation systems, but there is a trend towards positive pressure ventilation in retrofits. These units can have filters fitted, but it does mean that they have to be cleaned / maintained on a regular basis and so this means that we have to have a system in place to ensure that this actually happens (otherwise it is waste of money and resources).

Many materials continue to off gas substances throughout their lives, so it usually better to use natural materials that have been treated with natural preservatives / protecting coats.

The main source of allergies, though comes through from our foods and the effects of our lifestyle choices. This could be the type of cleaning materials that we use, whether we smoke in the house etc.

However we can reduce dust circulation by using radiant wall heating rather than conventional radiators or underfloor heating.

Respiratory diseases

Respiratory problems are caused by a range of root causes many of which can be tackled during refurbishment. Issues like high / low humidity, mould and dust can all be effected by what we do to our homes.

It is really important that we manage ventilation in our homes as this helps to control humidity, but it is equally important that we allow any breathing walls to continue to do so. Sealing up older 'moist' walls can introduce damp and hence mould etc. Having a relative humidity of between 50 and 60 per cent minimises the risks associated with dust mites etc and this range can be maintained by the use breathable solid walls. We must also be careful when installing insulation, as poor fitting / specification can introduce cold spots and this in turn can easily create damp / mould issues.

Automatic ventilation control systems that run off information like relative humidity and CO2 levels can really assist with maintaining a good internal air quality. These can be installed where there is a good airtightness in the building and ideally systems would also have heat recovery built in.

Temperature related troubles

Overheating and underheating can cause or exacerbate serious medical conditions, so again we must ensure that properties do not get too hot, or too cold. So design is really important to make sure that properties can cope with the projected changes in climate which suggest that our weather will get more extreme in the future, especially with hot conditions. Unless of course the Atlantic Conveyor gives in and we might then become much, much colder in the winter.

So must ensure that properties are designed for both. Using high thermal capacity insulations like woodfibre boards and batts can assist with this. Being able to create homes that can easily and cheaply maintain a comfortable 19 degrees C in both summer and winter is important.

Highly efficient heating systems need to be used that are appropriate for the type of house, so care is required to specify the best type of system. Some houses only served by oil and electricity, others gas etc, so the most efficient systems need to be specified and this might involve additional works. For example ground source heat pumps (GSHP) only work well at low temperatures and so a well insulated house with managed ventilation is required here. A very efficient GSHP in a poorly insulated and draughty home will be very inefficient.

Mental health

Now this is a real bag of worms. Issues like stress can come from a wide range of factors that can be designed out (or into) our buildings. Common factors that effect stress at home include:

Money worries - making our homes cheap to run is really important (as long as we don't cause lots of 'unintended consequences' at the same time). So installing systems that improve energy efficiency, reduce water consumption, minimise maintenance costs, prolong maintenance intervals etc. is really important. Renewable energy systems that attract support can also help to relieve financial pressures by providing some free energy, but also a small income. However, it should be remembered that people make choices when it comes to spending their money and it may be that the best ones are not always taken.

Families - families don't always get along and having separate spaces can be useful. Knocking through reception rooms to make large spaces may not be the best solution. Sound proofing between rooms is also important to create more private space. Having bedrooms that are acoustically isolated can make sleep better and this can be really important.

Neighbours - again neighbours can be a source of comfort or stress. Whichever it is, having good acoustic barriers between the two houses is important. It is also important that any thermal improvements to one house do not cause problems with any adjoining property. So care needs to be taken here.

Natural light - a lack of natural light effects many people, especially those suffering from SAD and so it is important to ensure that light is maximised. This might mean using sun tubes, roof windows etc.

Worries about safety and security - using good quality doors, windows and fixings, combined with clever design can create homes that both feel, and are, more secure. 

Alleviation of niggles - of course there are no end of these, but some are avoidable: Alleviating pressure drops in hot water when more than two outlets are being used; use of long life bulbs to reduce need for replacement; easy access to water stop-cocks if there is a major leak; isolation valves on water outlets for easy routine maintenance; use of siphon toilets rather than valve to stop constant leaks; use of metal rainwater goods to reduce water damage from leaking or damaged plastic ones; use of breathable paints on breathable walls to reduce re-painting requirements; no drylining allowed to reduce issues associated with just hiding problems etc etc.

Conclusion

When we start to think about our homes in more detail one realises that we need homes that feature:

• Good, well controlled, ventilation (e.g using CO2 and RH controls)
• Appropriately insulated both against heat loss but also heat gain (e.g  use of wood fibre insulation)
• Minimised the use of water (e.g pulse shower heads, variable siphon flushes etc.)
• Take advantage of any appropriate renewable energy generation potential (e.g FiT and RHI measures)
• Minimised use of energy (e.g LED lights)
• Have good acoustic insulation both between houses and within them (especially bedrooms)
• Have a mix of private and public space 
• Have sufficient natural light (e.g using sun tubes etc.)
• Are free from risk of damp and mould (using correct breathable materials)
• Use natural materials that are less likely to off gas toxic substances (e.g wood)
• Use materials cleverly to minimise maintenance requirements (check compatibility of materials)
• Use good quality materials that provide long term solutions to safety and security (good quality doors, windows and locks)

Now all of that is a tad more involved than indiscriminately slapping on EPS external wall insulation and changing a boiler, however if we start to think more about maintaining a good, healthy internal environment then maybe we can reduce costs on the health service as well as providing better housing for the great British public.

The British Thoractic Society estimates overall costs to the country of £6.6 billion due to respiratory disease (or which Gov. says £1 billion is spent annually by the NHS on chronic obstructive Pulmonary Diseases)

The NHS has figures of around 31,000 cold related deaths in 2012-13.

The NHS also has a plan in place for heat related illnesses. (pdf format)

The NHS also spends around £16 billion on stress and anxiety related illnesses annually (pdf file).

So improving our homes will not eradicate these costs, but it will have some effect. So we can either look to continue doing 'improvements' that only tackle a small fraction of the issues facing our stock (and even this we are doing badly in many cases - and this causes more stress and more long term financial costs to the country) or we can start to create a nation of healthy homes.

The importance of preparation for wood floors

Preparing floors can be time consuming and dusty task

Wooden floors are glorious things. They have beautiful feel that shows the history of the wood used and reflect the wonders of their individual growth and characteristics. However, if you are using a treatment (like the wonderful Osmo Polyx Oil) it is really important to get a consistent finish on the floor first. A typical application requires a final sand of around 120 grit.

If you don't get a consistent finish then the oil will not be absorbed evenly and this can lead to a number of problems. Recently a customer used new timber on their floor that had not been sanded over after laying. The timber had been put through a planer that had created different finishes on the planks. In some areas the timber had effectively been polished by the planer and in other areas the timber was still quite rough. The new Raw Polyx Oil was then applied.

The Raw product has a minimal amount of white pigment in it to counteract the honey effect associated with oil treatment. It is also designed to have no visible finish, thus making the wood appear to be untreated - raw, if you like.

What happened was that the rough areas allowed the product to 'pool'. This has led to these areas appearing to be milky as the pigment was concentrated in here. Also the polished areas retained their polished appearance as the oil could not be easily absorbed into the wood in these areas. The outcome has been a patchy mix of sheens and colours. Obviously not ideal on a lovely new oak floor.

So it is really important to ensure that the floor has been sanded consistently across the whole surface. Any product will then be absorbed into the timber in a regular manner and hence give an excellent and predictable finish. This is really important where you have a pigment / colour involved in the process.

So time spent in getting this right will bring rewards in the longer term, so build in the time and expense into your equations to allow for good preparation when renovating or installing a new wooden floor.

Osmo White on White

Getting a lovely white finish to a floor can be a bit tricky and so here is a little tip that I gleamed from Osmo last week.

If you are wanting to get a 'pure' white finish on a floor it is better to use 'White on White' rather than 'Clear on White'. What this means is that it is better to use a white base colour and then top it with a white tinted top coat. If you put a clear on a white base then it can turn it slightly yellowy due to the oils in the clear.

So the recommended type of formula would be:

Osmo 3111 White Wood Wax  - Base Coat

Osmo 3040 White Tinted Polyx Oil - Top Coat

Note that it would be one coat of each maximum!

This combination will produce a lovely clean white finish and also quite a whitened effect.

New fascia for gutter

The guttering at the front of the house is aluminium and so is well worth keeping, so I am planning to rub them down and repaint. However, the last set of workers managed to dislodge all the brackets on it. This means that re-attaching the gutter to the house is a little trickier than might be expected.

The new lime render will be 'soft' for a while. The curing process where it carbonates takes quite a while and during this it lacks the sort of strength associated with the old cement render. Being in Wales I cannot really afford to go without gutters, especially with winter approaching!

So the answer will be to attach a new fascia board and then fix the gutter to this. So I dashed out and bought some 5 x 1 PSE timbers. Now PSE is not treated, so I have spent a few minutes over the last couple of evening putting on the following:

For the ends I have pre-treated the boards using Osmo 4005 Wood Protector. This will act as an anti-fungal treatment to the weakest point in the wood and also help to stabilise it. I have then applied Osmo's Opaque White Wood Stain over the top using two thin coats. This is Osmo's specialist treatment for high exposure areas (particularly doors and windows). This should last a good number of years, especially since the wall is east facing. My philosophy is to use products that work with the wood in a sympathetic manner and so will last much longer - less maintenance to worry about in the long term!

Cement render = Rotten wood

Removing render exposes timber issues under cracks

One of the other issues that the removal of the cement render exposed was the condition of the wood in the structure.

Admittedly the house has a strange array of wood that has appeared in the most unusual places - joists that go all the way through the house from external surface to external surface. The trouble is that this change in underlying surface meant that the cement render was more likely to crack here. Of course, being cement, it did and this in turn allowed water to get behind the render. This concentration in damp behind the cement of course then fed into the wood.

This is one of the big concerns with cement rendering old houses as it it not obvious until it eventually gives way. One of the many problems that we are storing up for the future generations, by not understanding older properties well enough.

So, if you do have a solid walled house make sure that you maintain any render really well - remove cracks when they form etc. If you do get around to needing to re-render, then do so using a lime based render but also expect to un-earth a range of problems.

I feel that this is a similar situation to the climate change arguments. It is out of sight and so out of mind. It is also largely controlled by large companies with vested interests and so they will not lead the way for change as their industry is profitable as it stands, so why rock the boat, even if you know what you are supplying is ruining the environment (the built one that is rather than the natural one).

Ventilation - Its an IAQ issue!

IAQ = Internal Air Quality

Shame that she has her mask upside down, but nevertheless she is asking a question that many of us are just not fully appreciative of.

Internal Air Quality is becoming an area of study that gaining in prominence. The main factor driving this is that houses are becoming more airtight and hence reliant on controlled ventilation more. The massive improvements in levels of airtightness in housing that is being experienced by high efficiency designs like Passive House and Code for Sustainable Homes Levels 5 and 6 means that we are more susceptible to all the toxins and gases in these homes. Furniture, plywoods / MDF, cleaning products etc can all of-gas chemicals into the air. When airtightness is increased it also means that ventilation is reduced dramatically. Ventilation systems can then be managed to provide the air that we need in the house to breathe etc, but nevertheless the number of air changes per hour are still reduced significantly.

Research is now underway across Europe to look at the potential effects of these airtight homes on our health. Of course it is not the actual airtightness which is an problem, it is the things that off-gas or that we use in these homes that can cause the issues. So there will probably be a series of guidelines with high performing homes to ensure that people use them appropriately and also use healthy materials and products in them. The ventilation systems in these new homes also need to be capable of easily removing any harmful air borne contaminants. This research can be followed at the ECO-SEE project.

Ventilation is also a really important element of refurbishment of older buildings. This though tends to affect buildings and their inhabitants in a different way.

Solid walled buildings when they are in their original pristine condition allow moisture to flow through them. This means that moisture is given off into the internal environment as well as the external. Our modern 'improvements' and drive for energy efficiency means that people have been sealing up their homes. We are installing windows with no trickle vents, removing chimneys, replacing sash windows with casements, fitting draught excluding products etc. So on one hand we are making our homes more energy efficient (which is great), but we are also making them more airtightness. This reduces airflow, hence trapping in staler air and also moisture.

Getting the balance right is not a science that is easily applied, we are only just getting to grips with moisture in solid walls, let alone air movements. It really is a 'suck it and see' approach that is needed, even if you did an Air Pressure test this will only give you part of the picture. It is also down to how the building is used (windows left open, exposed location, internal doors open or shut etc.) However there are some elements that one can control easily, these include:

Use zero VOC paints (Auro, earthborn etc)
Use solid wood rather than MDF, ply etc
Use natural cleaners around the house
Use natural fabrics whenever possible
Be aware of IAQ and take appropriate actions when required (open trickle vents etc)
Minimise use of sprays and aerosols
Get a spider plant - many plants absorb toxins and impurities from the air

If you do have a problem with IAQ then it might also be worth looking at the Auro Airfresh Wall Paint product as this has a catalyst in it to help remove certain elements from the air. Note that we can supply all Auro and earthborn products.

Osmo solve 'oil treatment' problem

As you may be aware there is a major choice to make when treating wood with a natural protector. An oil based or a water based solution?

Oil based treatments are harder wearing and last longer, BUT they do change the colour of the wood and enhance the grain (see above)

Water based treatments do not change the colour as much, but they do tend to lift the grain of the wood.

So what if you want to keep the colour of your wood, but want the longer lasting protection etc? Well up until now it has been a problem, but those clever people at Osmo have now produced Osmo Polyx RAW. This is a new product that has some white tint in the mix to counteract the enriching effects of the oil, plus they have done away with the matting / satin agents that produce the finish, so that the wood is left looking as close to its original state as possible. (Note that 'Red' woods will be enhanced with the reddiness of the wood and so the white pigment in the RAW might turn this pink.)

So if you love the look of your untreated floor / worktop / furniture etc and want to give it the all the protection you associate with oil treated products then there is now an answer!

Eco Home Centre is selling this new product and you can find it in our Osmo Tints product range

Ultra Insulating Windows and Doors

Eco Home Centre has a great relationship with ARU Joinery in Estonia. Now the lovely people at ARU have developed a brand new ultra insulating range of doors and windows for the Passive House / Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5 and 6 market.

The Nordic Range is made from solid wood so there is no chance of the frames de-laminating. (De-lamination has been a cause for concern on insulated windows and doors as there is an inherent weak point in the structure.) These frames are chunky at 92mm thick, but this is required to house the 52mm deep triple glazed units. The frames, though, do not look over heavy (despite being very heavy!)

The U values achieved are very impressive. The glazing itself gives a Ug of 0.47 and a standard window gives an overall Uw of 0.78. Compare this to the Building Regulations standard of around Uw of 2 and we start to see how well these windows and doors perform.

The Nordic series of products is wide ranging and includes:

• Inward and outward opening doors and windows;
• Sliding patio doors; and
• Folding patio doors

All are also available in aluminium cladding for extra weather protection for those hard to service areas.

So if you are looking for some great high performance, high specification windows or doors then have a look at http://www.arugrupp.ee/window-and-door-production/products/facades-and-conservatories or give us a call.

Osmo Powergel tested

As I am a believer in trying out all the products that we sell (I always want to be sure that the products work as expected to) and this summer I had a chance to try out Osmo Powergel on my parents oak bench.

I was a little nervous as it does appear to be too good to be true. Just put the Power Gel on, leave it and then wash and brush off using a stiff scrubbing brush. I was unsure as to the effectiveness of the Gel and was expecting the brushing off to do most of the work.

So I was very pleased to see that after a few minutes the old colour of the wood started to show through. After half an hour I could clearly see that the oxalic acid (from rhubarb) was working its magic. The brushing off was easy enough and the wood looked great.

The process does get the wood very wet and so you need to do this on a good sunny day so that it can dry out quickly again.

I then used an Auro product to refresh the bench with a new coat of teak oil. However I was surprised a bit as the Auro product has a tint in it (to give it a UV protection value). I was expecting a clear Teak Oil, but the colour that it gave has proved to be a hit with the parents. This also means that the colour and finish should last a bit longer than using a clear oil.

So, all in all, a successful trial that has proved to be as easy and effective as billed on the tin. So thanks to Osmo and Auro for your well designed products for wood.

Rotting wooden beam

Not my rot, but it looks quite similar!

Whilst the family are away on holidays I have been practising what I preach. Sleeves have been rolled up and the 1890's Cardiff end terrace is getting a bit of a once over. I will tell you a couple of tales of the coming weeks about my experiences - there are a few already!!

I will start with the unexpected one.

The house has a history and part of that was a council funded make-over in the seventies. Cheap stairs, poor re-wiring, removal of original features, concrete floors, 'damp-proofing' and a new cement render. Arrggghhhhhhh!!!

This particular post is about the joy I found when I took off the cement render on the side of the house to fix a crack in the render. Only a tiny one, but I know the issues associated with this type of fault. I cut out the render using my new angle grinder and knocked off the render, to find that the original house has a 8 by 2 beam / lintel running through the house, right up to the render finish.

The crack in the render had, of course, been allowing water in behind the render and keeping it there. This of course was then fed right into the end grain of the timber. Guess what?? Yes, a lovely rotten beam. So my little repair job has turned into a major disaster! But thankfully I know that there is a problem. Better to find out now rather than when the upper internal wall collapsed! Actually that is over dramatic as the beam is thankfully supported by some 4 by 2 uprights internally. However, this is a happy coincidence rather than good planning! If we didn't have a stud internal wall at that point (and this would be quite feasible) then the whole of the back of the house would be at very high risk of sudden failure. Not a pleasant thought.

So I have treated the wood and will be repairing it so that it should last another 120 years. However it is a clear example of how cement render can seriously affect a house structurally.

The only positive is that it is reassuring that my belief that using the right materials is really, really important when working on old properties. If the wall had been treated with a lime render then the dampness would have been kept away from the end of the beam more. I cannot blame modern materials completely, as the beam should not have been pushed all the way through the wall in the first place - 19th Century builders can be as bad as 20th and 21st century ones! However, the use of modern cement has certainly contributed to its demise.

The treated wood will now be encaptulated in a lime based render to help keep it dry and hopefully now rot free.

To come:
Render removal and French drain installation
Flat roof issues
Oak posts set in the garden

From grey wood to great wood

From Waltons Shed blog - thanks

It is at this time of year that we are out enjoying our gardens, but many of us are sitting on tired looking furniture. UV light degrades wood slowly but surely and as part of this process it creates greyed surfaces on our tables, chairs etc.

Getting the furniture back to looking great can be important, both for looks and for its longevity. However many of these types of products are not very eco-friendly as they tend to use acids to strip back the top layer of the wood to reveal the less effected wood underneath - therefore refreshing the look.

Osmo PowerGel is one product though that is eco-friendly (it uses oxalic acid that is found in rhubarb leaves). This is a fully biodegradable product and has also been designed to be easy and safe to use. A video from Osmo can be found here showing the Powergel in full flow!

Eco Home Centre sells the Powergel and also the various Osmo wood oils that are suitable for furniture. This range of products will help keep the furniture looking great but also has the great advantage that when reapplying the oils in future years you don't need to sand the surface back. Osmo works with the wood rather than sitting on top like lacquers and varnishes. This makes it much easier to live with and so will help reduce maintenance of your now great looking garden furniture!

Water based or Oil based clear wood treatment?

Wood is a great natural product, but to get the best out of it it is often necessary to protect the surface from wear and tear. In order to maintain its' beauty we often want a clear treatment, but treatments do alter the way that the wood acts.

There are a few options here with regards to suitable products. The basic choice though is down to whether to use a water based or an oil based solution. Your choice will ultimately depend on a variety of factors, but the main points to understand which each choice are:

A. Oil based solutions.

Here (in an art work) the difference that an oil treatment and the bare wood is clear to see

1. Change the colour of the wood and make it a much richer finish (this depends on the wood type as to which colours are more pronounced).
2. The create a harder wearing surface
3. Need to have a solvent in order to deliver the oils into the wood (this tends to be petro-chemical based, although Auro do have an orange oil based product)
4. If using a Hard Oil then it will need to have a wearing layer (generally a wax) unless a Hard Wax Oil combination product is used. Osmo and Auro have such products.
5. Take time to dry - around 12 hours unless a more volatile solvent is used.

B. Water based solutions
1. Do not change the colour of the wood
2. Are not as hard wearing
3. Are very quick drying
4. Lift the grain of the wood
Most people tend to err on the side of oil based products, especially where hard wear is expected (floors, work surfaces, furniture). If you are looking for more natural products, then Osmo and Auro only use natural oils in their products, although the Osmo use debezenated white spirit for their solvent. Blanchon produce a good water based Hard Wax Oil for those areas where quick drying, low wear applications are required.

For more information it is worth using our Paint Chooser on the Eco Home Centre where you can explore the wood treatment options that are available through the Eco Home Centre.