A portion of Falkirk Council’s hard to treat social housing stock has recently benefited from Sto’s external wall insulation in order to meet the requirements of the newest Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS).
The refurbishment in Avonbridge – a small village in Scotland – is part of Falkirk’s wider plan to ensure its housing stock rented from social landlords meets The SHQS – introduced by the Scottish Government in February 2004 – with the target that all homes rented from social landlords should meet this standard by April 2015.
Around forty semi-detached and terrace homes in Avonbridge were built without cavity walls making the properties prone to cold and damp as well as high energy bills. The required U-value 0.22 W/m2K was achieved with StoTherm Classic with turbo fix and installed by G&R Ross Ltd. External wall insulation provides a significant improvement in the thermal performance of the vast majority of wall constructions and does not intrude on inside space, which makes it an attractive option for council refurbishments, as tenants are not required to leave the premises.
Sto-Turbofix was specified as it requires less fixings than competitors, is quicker and it complies with the council’s strict health and safety policy. Hand-arm vibration syndrome is triggered by continuous use of vibrating hand-held machinery so specifying Turbofix avoids this problem altogether as it is a single component, polyurethane based adhesive which is dispensed using a pistol and hose, providing material on demand.
Sto technical advisors assisted the project from the start in November 2013 to the end in April 2014. Falkirk Council are delighted with the completed works as are the Avonbridge tenants due to a much improved aesthetic and lower energy bills.
