Marston, Oxford - Unity Lime

Martson. Oxford

The owner of this domestic property near Oxford was keen on having both air-source heat pump and solar panels installed. Along with this the property was re-insulated using Pavatex woodfibre insulation.

Build Summary

The build was varied and involved most of the house being changed in some way. The downstairs work consisted of the external front wall of the house, along with one side external wall being insulated with woodfibre. The second side wall wall had to be insulated from the inside due to the external service space being far too narrow to work in. The suspended floor in the main living space was also re-insulated with Pavaflex and then underfloor heating was added.

The rear of the property featured a medium sized conservatory which was converted using the Unity Lime pitched roof system. This gives the homeowner a very useable room with a comfortable temperature all year round.

The internal wall insulation continued up through the floor to the rooms above and the plaster was linked for airtightness. A triple glazed window was also added for maximum efficiency and R-value.

The loft needed to be fully insulated across the floor with 300mm of Pavaflex before being boarded out completely, making a fully useable storage space. A passive house loft hatch was added and Pavatape used around the electrical pendants and to secure any cables so the existing plater could act as the airtightness layer.

Energy Saving Construction

The use of an air-source heater, which replaced a traditional boiler system in this property clearly demonstrates this homeowners desire to move towards greener methods of heating the home. However, as with any heating system, the best way to limit heat loss is to correctly insulate, and their use of sustainable woodfibre insulation is the ideal choice to achieve this. Among the many benefits of using woodfibre in the systems, the thermal performance is absolutely superb. Our insulation is sustainably sourced, manufactured using waste woodchip from various mills which would otherwise have no use in all likelihood.

Why Woodfibre?

Woodfibre is a special kind of natural insulation. The insulation is made from waste wood that is collected from various sawmills, which is heated and pressurised into insulation boards making it 100% renewable whilst being recyclable or compostable too! It is predominantly manufactured in France using cleaner nuclear or renewable power, helping to minimise the embodied carbon footprint of the manufacturing process. The manufacturing process does not include the use of added formaldehyde or any other known carcinogens and so unlike many other forms of man-made insulation, Unity Lime’s products do not off gas hazardous chemicals into the internal environment. Air quality testing within homes retrofitted with our systems have demonstrated significantly lower levels of particulates within sampled air, making the internal environment much healthier for building occupants.

Woodfibre is characterised by superior breathability, and is naturally hygroscopic allowing the controlled movement of moisture within the building fabric. It regulates moisture at safe levels to prevent it from building up within the fabric, making it an excellent choice for timber frame structures actively helping to keep timbers dry and prevent mould growth. Unlike many other insulations, woodfibre has high thermal mass, giving it excellent heat storage capacity, this contributes to keeping homes cool in summer, and warmer in winter, whilst at the same time providing excellent acoustic insulation. It is anticipated that the majority of new homes constructed in the UK today will still need retrofitting within the next 25 years to prevent overheating due to ongoing climate change