Gareth Dunn, Service Innovation Director at British Gypsum, explains why merchants can expect an increase in demand for internal wall insulation products as a consequence of the new Green Homes Grant.
The government’s £2 billion Green Homes Grant scheme will enable homeowners to make savings on their energy bills while lowering CO2 emissions. Large numbers of homeowners have taken advantage of previous similar schemes, which means that the Green Homes Grant is likely to present a big opportunity for the building trade — accordingly, merchants will need to ensure they have the right product ranges and systems available to meet demand.
The scheme operates with a voucher system, enabling homeowners to receive grants covering up to two-thirds of the cost of energy-efficient home improvements. The maximum amount granted will be £5,000 whilst, for those on lower incomes, up to £10,000 will be made available for certain work that will benefit the environment.
Among the key types of improvement work permitted under the Green Homes Grant is internal wall insulation (IWI), which means it’s likely these products will see increased demand from the trade. IWI can help maintain an optimal temperature for thermal comfort in a home, enabling homeowners that have lived with uncomfortable temperatures to start enjoying a more relaxing home and the benefits it brings.
Importantly, it offers a versatile way to significantly improve the insulation properties of solid walls — around 35% of heat can be lost through a home’s walls, so reducing this helps to maintain a more constant temperature and lower energy bills. IWI solutions can be installed relatively quickly to help minimise air leakage and thermal bridging, providing better building envelope performance.
Installers will need to be equipped with the best performing products, but the ideal quality materials will also depend on the surface area. IWI solutions should be used with a board solution and come in different forms. For example, British Gypsum’s DriLyner RF can be used following the removal of skirtings, fixtures and fittings etc., with the board applied directly onto the existing cleared painted surface.
Yet if the existing plasterwork is loose, a different solution is needed. Once the loose background has been removed, DriLyner TL is the preferred solution due to its speed, ease of installation and minimal encroachment on to a room’s floor space. Both of these solutions alongside GypLyner Universal – Metal Frame Based, and GypLyner IWL – Metal Frame Based, are suitable for retrofitting and therefore are the ideal type of solutions that installers should be considering to complete projects under the Green Homes Grant scheme.
Selecting high performance products is just one part of meeting the Green Homes Grant eligibility criteria. To carry out work under the scheme, a merchant’s installer customers must be TrustMark registered. The TrustMark system helps assures homeowners that they are receiving reliable workmanship as well as an installation with quality products.
To obtain TrustMark accreditation, tradespeople must have PAS2030/35 accreditation, making it vital to receive comprehensive training in order to qualify. British Gypsum’s various IWI products are supported by the firm’s training, which covers a range of techniques and best practice across multiple products.
For more information on British Gypsum’s IWI product range and training provision, click here: www.british-gypsum.com/iwitraining
