social housing

Housing associations face two highly important retrofit challenges. One is to bring about the decarbonisation of the UK’s social housing stock as part of the battle against climate change, the other is to make their homes more energy efficient and, thus, more affordable for residents. Stewart Little, CEO of IRT Surveys, explains how social housing associations can make smart retrofit decisions to guide them on their path to decarbonisation and energy efficiency.

There are two forces driving energy efficiency within social housing. The most pressing is climate change. With the Climate Clock  predicting that, at the current rate of emissions, the 1.5°C rise in temperature will be surpassed in 2032, there is an existential need to make the UK’s housing stock more sustainable. If this is not achieved by 2050, it is predicted that housing will be responsible for 95% of the UK’s built-environment emissions.

A Property MOT® serves to identify the best-practice and innovative approach upholding necessary changes in culture, behaviour and approach.
Uniformly certifying the health of a building will not only confirm the structural condition but, provide expert guidance to meet the new challenges demonstrating a zero-tolerance to damp and mould.
David Bly, Director of Cornerstone Professional Services (UK) Ltd, the company behind the development and introduction of the Property MOT® system explains why the process is key to delivering the changes in a uniform process.

Affordable housing providers can face a difficult task when it comes to procurement. Regulatory and financial restraints mean that most are more mindful of budgets than ever before. Meanwhile, shifting consumer behaviour, not to mention smaller homes, mean that providers are working harder to plan a practical, affordable and design-led bathroom space. Here, Daniel Fairfield, Product Manager, from Twyford Bathrooms offers some advice.

In our last piece, we looked at how the rise in multi-generational living will impact bathroom specification. Here, Martyn Brown, Contracts and Technical Manager at Triton Showers, takes a look at the options available to those tasked with delivering inclusive showering.

Anyone who specifies for housing associations will know there are a range of factors that impact product choice. While tight budgets will always play a role (an issue we will touch on later in the piece), first and foremost homes need to be fit-for-purpose.

Given the increasing number of generations that are living under one roof (expected to account for 5.4 million households by 2040 ), this is particularly pertinent. When it comes to bathroom design, inclusive showering is a critical component of social housing.

The Pendock Profiles range of pipe boxing and casing solutions is one of the most comprehensive available for social housing projects. Each product is designed for a specific purpose, but they are also versatile enough to be used on a range of pipe boxing applications.

From the MXF, MX and TK pipe boxing ranges, dedicated to concealing interior pipework, to our specialised BC boiler casings, CH channel pipe boxing and the strong CHM and MXM metal boxing for external applications, we have everything that’s required.

Introducing the new Digistat – an innovative range of universal wired and wireless digital thermostats. Bridging the gap between traditional and smart heating controls, the new Digistat is simply smarter. Providing accessible and easy-to-use heating controls for all tenants with differing requirements in just four variants.

As a detrimental component of a fire door’s performance, it is critical to get the specification of fire door closers correct. Here, Graham Hulland, Product Marketing Manager at dormakaba explains the key requirements and outlines the issues to consider to ensure the product is compliant and fit for purpose.

Fire doors are the first line of defence against the spread of smoke and fire, enabling the safe evacuation of all building occupants. As important as the fire door itself is the door hardware and ironmongery.