Warmer Bath

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Bath Preservation Trust and the Centre for Sustainable Energy Planning and building control Listed buildings Done well, draught-strip ought to be all but invisible when installed on traditional windows. Nonetheless, listed building consent is normally required for any draught-proofing which has a visual or physical impact on the window. For most listed buildings it is likely that an application for a discreet means of draught-proofing will be treated favourably. However consent may not be granted for historic windows in highly sensitive locations. Like-for-like renovations or minor alterations to parting beads to improve the fit of a window do not normally require consent. Some of the changes to doors, such as key hole and letter-box caps and brush seals on the bottom edge may be visible but their impact is minor. Again, because of the impact on the fabric, listed building consent is usually required. Listed building consent is needed to draught-proof floors, skirting boards and ceilings using the methods described above. To improve your chances of getting consent, the work should be substantially reversible and have little or no impact on historic fabric such as floorboards, skirting boards, architraves and decorative plasterwork. Adequate means of ventilation should be demonstrated. Other traditional buildings All forms of draught-proofing are permitted in unlisted buildings. Buildings regulations Building Regulation approval is not required for draughtproofing of any kind. You will need listed building consent to permanently board up any fireplace but you do not need listed building consent to install chimney balloons. PRESSING FOR CHANGE Local views on draught-proofing listed buildings in Bath The following results describe the extent to which Bath residents who responded to our online survey agreed with the given policy options for listed buildings. These results do not describe current Council policy. Windows and doors Two thirds of Bath respondents supported the universal use of draught-proofing in the windows and doors of listed buildings in the city. 69% The draught-proofing of windows and doors should be permitted in all listed buildings in Bath. 31% The draught-proofing of windows and doors should be permitted in all listed buildings in Bath except where there is an impact on historic fabric. Among respondents who live in listed buildings in Bath, 70% supported the universal use of draught-proofing in the windows and doors of listed buildings in Bath. Bath Preservation Trust position The Trust supports the universal use of draught-proofing in the windows and doors of listed buildings in Bath. Professional installation and the use of discreet products are encouraged. Floors, skirting boards and ceilings Three quarters of Bath respondents supported the universal use of draught-proofing in the floors, skirting boards and ceilings of listed buildings in the city. 76% The use of discreet draught-proofing in floors, skirting boards and ceilings should be permitted in all listed buildings in Bath. 24% The use of discreet draught-proofing in floors, skirting boards and ceilings should be permitted in all listed buildings in Bath except where there is an impact on historic fabric. Among respondents who live in listed buildings in Bath, 74% supported the use of draught-proofing in the floors, skirting boards and ceilings of all listed buildings in Bath. Bath Preservation Trust position The Trust supports the universal use of draught-proofing in the floors, skirting boards and ceilings of listed buildings in Bath. Professional installation and the use of discreet products are encouraged. 40
Improving the energy efficiency of traditional homes in the City of Bath Ventilation Ventilation is a major issue in the design of new homes. Modern houses are designed to be air-tight in order to reduce the heat losses caused by draughts. Following the maxim ‘build tight, ventilate right’, air for ventilation is provided in the winter by small trickle vents in the windows. Mechanical ventilation is sometimes used if a house is built to a very high standard of air-tightness. The traditional homes of Bath are not air-tight. Quite the opposite: they are often draughty and lose a lot of heat because warm air can so easily escape through all the gaps and cracks in the building fabric. This is why draught-proofing is such an effective way of in reducing heat losses in traditional homes (see page 34). Nonetheless, even after draught-proofing, a Georgian or Victorian home may have a higher rate of cold air infiltration than a home built to modern building standards. Modern lifestyles create a lot of moisture indoors thanks to all our cooking, cleaning, clothes drying, showering and bathing. Despite the draughtiness of traditional homes, many people still actively ventilate rooms by opening windows or using extractor fans in order to reduce the risk of indoor condensation and mould. If you need to do so, consider the more energy efficient ways of doing this. Natural ventilation Natural ventilation relies on the natural movement of air rather than electric fans. It is useful in the summer for cooling: windows left open will encourage air flow through a home and open chimneys will draw warm air out of the building. Natural ventilation is usually inappropriate in the winter because so much heated air is lost. You may need a low background air flow to supply a heating appliance but even this is not necessary if the appliance has a balanced flue (i.e. the flue draws in air as well as letting fumes out). Natural ventilation remains important in unheated parts of your home where there is a risk of condensation such as loft spaces or underneath suspended timber floors. If you insulate your loft or your floor, make sure that you do not block up the gaps at the eaves in the loft or the air bricks beneath the floor as these keep the loft and subfloor dry. Mechanical ventilation Mechanical ventilation is usually only needed where water vapour or pollutants are produced such as kitchens and bathrooms. In kitchens, extractors are often Case study: well-ventilated sun space This renovated and restored 1823 Bath house boasts an unheated triple-glazed sunspace that the owner uses with care to maintain comfortable conditions in the house itself. Three opening windows at the lower level, and three in the roof, control the flow of air. In the summer, as it warms up, both sets of windows are opened to create a steady movement of air through the sunspace. The door to the main house is opened and warm air is drawn out of the house, maintaining a pleasant ambient temperature throughout the building. In winter the sunspace is closed off from the house on all but the warmest days. The unheated space helps to insulate the house because the temperature in the sunspace stays well above the external temperature. There should always be a division between a conservatory or sunspace and the house it is attached to in order to control the heat flows between them. A conservatory that is not divided from the main living space will drain the heat from the house in the winter. In the summer the temperature in a conservatory can quickly become uncomfortable, at worst leading to the installation of air-conditioning. In this example, the masonry walls on three sides help to moderate the swings in temperature by absorbing heat over the course of the day and releasing it at night. 41
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Warmer Bath

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