Hogarth Terrace - Rookhope

Situation

To increase the efficiency of a number of houses in Rookhope Village, County Durham.

Believe Housing wanted to increase the efficiency of some of their housing stock by using an External Wall Insulation. All properties were completed an EPC C or above standard.

This also improves the overall aesthetic look of the houses as well as reducing energy bills for the tenants.

Challenges

To overcome the challenges, we conducted thorough site assessments, we planned the project carefully, communicated effectively with residents and neighbours, and adhered to safety and environmental regulations. Additionally, hiring experienced professionals and contractors who are familiar with the work helped to mitigate many of the challenges we faced.

• Remote location: Infrastructure, supply chain disruption, limited access and security concerns all needed to be managed given the remote location of the work. Ensuring enough skills labour could access the site was an additional consideration we had to consider.
• Access and egress: Given the remote location and small village roads, we has to plan practical elements such as access to the site alongside waste removal.
• Matching aesthetics with neighbouring properties: Ensuring the new aesthetic for the houses matched the existing properties was essential. This is vital we made informed decisions about design elements, materials, and finishes, ultimately leading to a more successful and satisfying end result. For this project, we used a printed Lakeland stone render finish with tint, giving a beautiful stone effect.
• Offload of materials: Storing and delivering materials to the work site was a challenge, especially given the limited space and parking on the street. The access road to the village is a single lane rural road which needed to be considered for lorries and wide loads. 

Activity

We used VPI system for the External Wall Insulation (EWI). This comes with an industry backed warranty to ensure both the client and tenant is protected, if required.

We completed numerous houses throughout the village, improving the overall look of the houses as well as the added benefits that come from the EWI system being installed. 

Results

The system has increased the energy efficiency of the homes, alongside reducing the energy bills for the tenants.

The carbon footprint of the homes have been improved, contributing positively to their net zero target.

“It was a pleasure to showcase Lakeland stone finished product for these local properties” Adrian Veitch - Operations Director for BCS Render Systems